Mizzou’s Bryant set to play vs. Florida; Odom impressed by Bazelak’s performance
Quarterback Kelly Bryant is nearing his return for the Missouri Tigers.
Mizzou football coach Barry Odom said he expects Bryant to play when the Tigers host No. 11 Florida at 11 a.m. Saturday. A strained hamstring kept Bryant sidelined in the 27-0 loss to Georgia.
“It’s feeling good, feeling better than last week,” Bryant said. “Feeling really great about where I’m with it right now.”
Odom said Bryant took all the first-team reps at quarterback during Tuesday’s practice. While Bryant noted he’s not 100% yet, he’s inching toward full health for Saturday.
“He’s gotten clearance from our medical staff in being in position to play,” Odom said. “He looked good (Tuesday) running around. Was able to execute and function the way that we need him to.”
Bryant went through his full pregame warmup before Mizzou played Georgia, padding up and testing his hamstring. But he wasn’t healthy enough to play two weeks after straining it at Kentucky. Odom noted how Bryant could run in a straight line but changing direction was difficult. For an offense that relies heavily on his legs, it would’ve hampered him and the unit.
The starter’s healthy return hopefully gives the offense a much-needed jolt after a stagnant performance at Georgia.
The injury meant Bryant didn’t start a game for the first time since he transferred to Mizzou. It paved the way for backup Taylor Powell’s first career start. But it also opened the door for another young quarterback: True freshman Connor Bazelak.
While the offense struggled in its first shutout since 2014, Bazelak was a bright spot for Mizzou in limited action. He led MU’s best drive of the day into the red zone, completing 8 of 12 passes for 84 yards. He played well enough that should there be any setback for Bryant this week, Odom said both Powell and Bazelak would potentially share quarterbacking duties against the Gators.
“I was impressed with and respected the way that he went and competed in that situation,” Odom said of Bazelak. “He stood there all night, he was cold. He went out and he played. There wasn’t really anything that phased him. We wanted him to throw the ball and not just turn around and hand it off.”
A close eye will follow Bazelak if he earns more snaps for the rest of the season. NCAA rules allow players up to four games played before burning their redshirt. As a true freshman, Bazelak has played in two games this season: vs. Southeast Missouri and at Georgia. If Bazelak plays in all three remaining regular-season games, he’d lose a year of eligibility.
On another injury front, Odom said wide receiver Johnathon Johnson is considered day-to-day because of a shoulder strain. He didn’t play at Georgia because of an illness, but his shoulder strain from last week hasn’t healed, leaving him limited during practices.
For the troops
With Veterans Day on Monday to honor the United States’ military personnel, Odom said Mizzou will wear a special helmet decal Saturday.
“A salute to all our military personnel and the service folks,” Odom said. “Veterans Day was (Monday) and want to thank you from my not only myself, but our staff and our entire organization on all the sacrifices that go into what makes our country such a great country to live in.”
Finally home
For the first time since Oct. 12, Mizzou is back home for a game, where it’s 5-0. Odom said it was a talking point during their Sunday team meeting, between finishing November strong and putting on a strong performance for the home crowd.
“Our kids are excited about it,” Odom said. “We obviously need to play better and need to play well at home.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2019 at 2:22 PM.