UVA Injury Report: Blount, Grant return; Hayes ready; Taulapapa on hold

By Jerry Ratcliffe

While several Virginia players were nicked up with injuries in Saturday night’s lopsided loss at North Carolina, it appears that the Cavaliers will be fairly healthy when they host No. 24 ranked Wake Forest on Friday night.

Free safety Joey Blount left the game with 3:16 remaining in the third quarter, reported to the medical tent on the sideline, then headed to the locker room. When he returned to the field, the super senior was in street clothes, his right arm in a sling.

Afterward, Bronco Mendenhall said it was an injury related to Blount’s collarbone, which was not broken.

During Monday’s weekly press conference, Mendenhall said that Blount and defensive mate Nick Grant will both be back at full speed to take on the unbeaten Demon Deacons, who beat Florida State last weekend.

Meanwhile, starting running back Wayne Taulapapa, who suffered a concussion in the first half, is on hold.

“Concussion protocols are harder to gauge, so I haven’t heard,” Mendenhall said.

Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, who had a spectacular game in Chapel Hill, also was shaken up on a play, but is 100 percent for this week’s game.

There was some good news for the defense in that North Dakota State transfer Josh Hayes is healthy and Mendenhall is planning on playing him against Wake. Hayes was injured in camp last month and so Mendenhall didn’t get a good look at his capabilities, but believes he can help the secondary.

“I didn’t [see Hayes a lot in camp before the injury] but I did see him on film,” Mendenhall said. “He transitioned back into practice last week, and so this week would be a great chance and we are planning on him playing.

“How much and where, this week will tell a lot because we’ve only had one week of practice with him coming back from injury. But good timing for us, but too early to say yet.”

Mendenhall said that like all grad transfers, he would bring him aboard with the thought of starting him and to play.