Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson left the game against Mississippi State with an injury to his left lower leg but returned in the second half.

He entered the weekend as the SEC's leader in rushing and scoring.

With 1:32 remaining in the second quarter, Sampson was dropped for a 1-yard loss at the Mississippi State 13-yard line. He immediately grabbed his lower left leg and rolled over in pain.

After a few minutes, Sampson walked slowly off the field on his own power. He went to the injury tent and then the locker room, as the game was almost to halftime.

Sophomore Cam Seldon started the second half at running back. But Sampson returned to the lineup on the second drive of the third quarter.

Earlier in the game, Sampson became the 20th player in UT history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He has already broken UT's single-season record for rushing TDs with 19 in the first eight games.

Freshman Peyton Lewis replaced Sampson immediately after his injury, and UT settled for a short field goal on the drive for a 20-7 lead.

The Vols were already shorthanded at running back because Sampson's backup, DeSean Bishop, was ruled out of the Mississippi State game after suffering an injury against Kentucky a week ago.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dylan Sampson injury update: Tennessee RB returns vs Mississippi State