Mizzou football’s Brett Norfleet reportedly sidelined for Buffalo game with injury

Missouri will be without tight end Brett Norfleet in its Week 2 matchup against Buffalo, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The sophomore exited the team’s win over Murray State early with a shoulder injury and did not return.

Thamel reported that the injury is considered week-to-week and that the team does not view it as a long-term injury.

In the postgame press conference after the team’s 51-0 win over the Racers, coach Eli Drinkwitz said that Norfleet and Theo Wease, who also left the game early with an injury, were held out of the rest of the contest as a precautionary measure. There has been no further update on Wease.

Norfleet caught one pass for four yards against Murray State. In 2023, he was an All-SEC freshman after catching 18 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came in the Tigers’ regular season finale against Arkansas.

In Norfleet’s absence, former Buffalo Bull Tyler Stephens will likely be called upon against his former team. In two seasons with Buffalo, Stephens tallied 15 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. He caught two passes for 17 yards for the Tigers in Week 1.

Mizzou announces eighth straight sellout

On Thursday, the Tigers announced that their Week 3 game against Boston College has sold out. Saturday’s matchup against Buffalo is also sold out, meaning a sellout streak that began last season has been extended to eight games.

Tickets for the homecoming game against Auburn and November’s matchup with Oklahoma have both sold out as well.

No. 9 Missouri welcomes Buffalo to Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Copyright 2024 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published September 6, 2024 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Mizzou football’s Brett Norfleet reportedly sidelined for Buffalo game with injury."