Knee injuries end seasons for Ole Miss' Ken Webster, Eric Swinney

ByEdward Aschoff ESPN logo
Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Ole Miss starting cornerback Ken Webster and backup running back Eric Swinney will miss the remainder of the 2016 season with knee injuries, Rebels coach Hugh Freeze confirmed to ESPN.com on Tuesday.

Both were injured during Ole Miss' 45-34 loss to Florida State in Orlando, Florida, on Monday night.

Webster was carted off the field after his left leg landed awkwardly on a deep pass on FSU's opening drive. Webster was surrounded by teammates as the cart came to take him off the field. Swinney, a redshirt freshman, left the game in the second quarter after hurting his left knee on his first carry of the game.

"You hate that part of the game," Freeze said Monday night.

Webster started every game at cornerback last season for the Rebels and tied for third on the team with 12 passes defended. He finished the year with 41 tackles, three tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups and 1 interception.

The loss of Webster leaves a defense that was already replacing two starters in the secondary entering the season very thin in the back end. The Rebels surrendered 419 yards and two touchdowns through the air against the Seminoles, while FSU quarterback Deondre Francois averaged 8.1 yards per attempt.

Swinney's absence creates a major depth problem for Ole Miss at running back, as junior Jordan Wilkins, who has 740 career rushing yards, was already suspended for the season for academic reasons.

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