Mizzou football down to 64 available players — but not because of COVID-19, coach says
The Missouri Tigers started the season down four scholarships because of NCAA infractions, and after four games of an SEC-only schedule, they’re missing even more players as they face the grind of the football season.
MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz said Tuesday that 64 scholarship players are available for Saturday’s game against No. 10 Florida. That number doesn’t include any COVID-19 positives, Drinkwitz said. The Tigers downed Kentucky 20-10 in their latest game.
That’s 21 fewer players — teams normally have 85 scholarship spots — because of injuries, opt-outs, the NCAA and “all the different things” of 2020, Drinkwitz said.
“Realistically we’re a class down of scholarship football players,” Drinkwitz said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “That’s really only two less than we had against Kentucky. Incredibly proud of our team and players as they face that challenge each week.”
When asked what the team’s COVID-19 situation is, Drinkwitz said “we’re good” as the test results have stayed negative. Of course, Drinkwitz warned that comes with the caveat that the Tigers still have two more rounds of testing Tuesday and Thursday before the Halloween game in Gainesville, Florida, against the Gators.
Drinkwitz said he got last Thursday’s test results at 1:26 a.m. Friday, so he won’t know who he’ll have or who will be unavailable until that text message pops up in his phone.
Drinkwitz didn’t give an injury update because he “watched a press conference (Monday) where there wasn’t much reporting done.” Florida coach Dan Mullen had his news conference Monday, the first day the Gators were back in their facilities after a COVID-19 outbreak.
The Tigers had right tackle Larry Borom and left guard Xavier Delgado banged up for the game against Kentucky. Injured defensive linemen Kobie Whiteside and Darius Robinson are expected to be out for Saturday’s game.
“I’ll let y’all figure that out on Saturday,” Drinkwitz said. “Just play that game, I guess.”
The Tigers have other mysteries to solve, though, as they game plan for the Gators. Florida hasn’t played since Oct. 10, a 41-38 loss to Texas A&M, as it battled a COVID outbreak that affected more than two dozen players and Mullen himself.
While Mullen didn’t disclose specifics about his team, he said Monday that he anticipates the Gators will be able to meet the SEC’s 53-player minimum for Saturday’s game. Florida has been working remotely since it shut down football activities Oct. 13 because of the spike in COVID cases.
That means Mizzou won’t know much about who and what its opponent will feature Saturday, but Drinkwitz said “I don’t really worry about it.”
Drinkwitz said his staff was a little ahead on the game plan themselves. The Tigers were supposed to travel to Florida for an Oct. 24 game, but that had to be moved because of the Gators’ COVID situation. MU hosted Kentucky instead that weekend.
Before the change, though, Drinkwitz said the staff used the unexpected bye week — because the Vandy game was postponed to Dec. 12 — to prepare for the Gators. Otherwise, they’re onto smoothing out the final results during practice this week.
“There’s no way to know as we know in the SEC,” Drinkwitz said of who could be missing from Florida. “You just go in assuming that they’ll be at full strength. We know the challenges we have. We know the kinds of scheme that they’re going to try to run. We’ll adjust while we’re in the game. I don’t think we’re going to act like they’re not going to have their best guys.”
Massey dismissed
Mizzou confirmed Monday that former wide receiver Maurice Massey was dismissed from the program because of a violation of team rules. Massey, 20, was arrested by Columbia police on Sunday for suspicion of third-degree domestic assault, fourth-degree assault and first-degree property damage. He was booked Sunday and released on bond.
Massey opted out in September, and while Drinkwitz said Massey had been in the facilities, he hadn’t been in contact with him since then. Players are allowed to use football facilities like tutoring but are not allowed to practice with the team.
When it comes to arrests or other issues, Drinkwitz said each situation will be handled differently, adding there will be no “hard and fast rules” for that.
“Obviously, a disappointing situation for him to be in,” Drinkwitz said. “Just felt like it was in the best interest of our program to move on based on the violation of the opt out. … Wish all the best in whatever the situation is for him.”
Depth chart changes
Mizzou’s depth chart was mostly unchanged, with MU quarterback Connor Bazelak still listed as the starter. Delgado and Borom are still starters at their respective offensive line spots, though their injury status is uncertain.
Damon Hazelton is now listed with an “or” designation alongside Micah Wilson at one of the wide receiver spots. At the other outside wide receiver slot is Keke Chism or Tauskie Dove. Chism and Hazelton started the game against Kentucky last Saturday.