Chris Moody hurting, hoping to play Saturday

South Carolina’s football team could be without a starting defensive back Saturday.

Safety Chris Moody was helped off the field during last week’s loss against Florida. Coach Will Muschamp later said it was a bone bruise on his knee.

Moody told the media he was limited in practice Tuesday and was noncommittal about his chances of playing on his senior day against Western Carolina.

“We’ll see,” Moody said. “Just keep going to rehab. Keep progressing.”

Moody has taken an unusual road this season. He left the team after the 2015 season, hoping to transfer and play more. Then he came back during spring and had to make up for lost time with conditioning and learning the defense.

After another safety got hurt early in the season, he found himself a starter, working in the back end of the defense and occasionally dropping into the box as a linebacker in passing situations. He’s sixth on the team in tackles with 43 and snagged the game-ending interception against Missouri.

He joked his knee felt a lot better and that he’s doing whatever the training staff wants to try to rehab.

It’s not clear how much his next few games are in doubt, and he said the injury came as a bit of a shock on a routine play.

“I’ve been playing for a long time,” Moody said. “I go make tackles all the time. Just why me that play? It’s football, though.”