Mizzou football is shorthanded on the offensive line. Here’s how the Tigers are coping
For all the ways the coronavirus pandemic has affected and challenged college football, the Missouri Tigers have needed to make another alteration.
With 12 players unavailable because of COVID-19 tests or contact tracing, the Tigers shuffled up their practice periods with advice from a pair of coaches, first-year MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz said.
They’re called “crossover periods,” and the main goal is to get players reps while minimizing stress on specific positional groups.
“Right now, our offensive line and specialists are really struggling,” Drinkwitz said on a video call Wednesday. “Those big guys, we’re already down a little bit on the offensive line with total number of bodies and injuries anyway. Those guys are having to get quite a bit of extra work. Gotta make do.”
Drinkwitz has mentioned on numerous occasions how the offensive line isn’t battling just COVID-19, but conventional injuries. Hyrin White, who’s expected to be part of the rotation, had a shoulder injury that’s kept him out of camp for weeks.
The offensive line’s status was so decimated Drinkwitz noted that he had “five left guards in five days” after last Saturday’s scrimmage. Xavier Delgado was projected to be in the mix there. But between injuries and other scenarios, it’s difficult to pinpoint who will be starting in the season opener Sept. 26 against Alabama.
If there are some positives, the right side of the offensive line is mostly set, Drinkwitz said. Larry Borom is slated at right tackle, captain Case Cook at right guard and Michael Maietti, the graduate transfer from Rutgers, will be the center. The left side of the line, though, between White’s injury and other factors, remains uncertain.
“No matter who’s there, we gotta go out and go to work,” Maietti said. “Doesn’t matter. If we got five, we’re going.”
With game day less than two weeks away, anybody who tests positive for the novel coronavirus until kickoff will be unavailable for the game. Those dozen who were ruled out after Sunday’s round of testing will need to sit out the season opener. That number could also go up a few notches, Drinkwitz said, as the team awaits Wednesday’s test results.
“It doesn’t feel different,” MU running back Tyler Badie said of the once-in-a-lifetime camp. “I just feel as if it’s a next man mentality. It’s an opportunity. If somebody goes down, it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step in and be that player. Everyone in the SEC wants to play.”
College football yo-yo
The Big Ten announced Wednesday it was restarting its fall season, with hopes to start Oct. 23 and 24. The Pac-12 is exploring the idea, meaning it won’t just be the SEC, ACC and Big 12 playing football in the Power Five this fall.
Drinkwitz said he wasn’t quite worried about what other conferences were doing, though. He has Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide on the schedule, after all.
“I got enough crap to worry about playing Alabama,” Drinkwitz said. “I can’t figure out whether or not the Big Ten or the Pac-12 are going to yo-yo around and play football with us or not. … If they elect to play, great. If they don’t, that’s on them. I got enough crap to worry about.”