Missouri’s backfield remains in flux without Russell Hansbrough

Russell Hansbrough was expected to have a monster season, but he’s only going to have seven carries by the time Missouri hits conference plays on the final weekend in September.

Hansbrough, a senior running back and captain, has been ruled out for the Tigers’ game against Connecticut at 11 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium — a significant blow to an already struggling run game.

Hansbrough suffered a sprained right ankle on the second offensive snap of the season, a 20-yard burst up the right side, and finished with two carries for 23 yards against Southeast Missouri in the season opener.

Hansbrough tried to gut it out last weekend at Arkansas State and had four carries for 12 yards in the first quarter, but he played only one snap during the final three quarters — a 3-yard run on the opening play of the second half — before he was shut down again.

“I don’t really think he hurt it more, but I just think it’s not healed yet,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “We just need to back him off a little bit.”

Hansbrough was Missouri’s leading rusher with 1,084 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and looked strong in fall camp.

His absence leaves is a big blow for a Tigers ground game that managed only 98 yards rushing on 33 carries against Southeast Missouri and only got 69 yards on 21 carries from running backs at Arkansas State.

“We’re gonna watch film and try to get better this week,” said sophomore Ish Witter, who inherits the starting role against the Huskies.

Senior Tyler Hunt and junior Morgan Steward are listed as the co-backups, but all three tailbacks have injury issues of their own.

Witter left the Arkansas State victory when he “got dinged,” Pinkel said.

Witter said he went through the concussion protocol and was cleared, but Missouri’s medical staff kept him on the sideline out of an abundance of caution.

Hunt, who Pinkel said has been dealing with groin and hamstring issues, said he feels as good as he has since camp started, while Steward is itching for an increased workload as he continues his recovery from a hip injury that cost him the entire 2014 season.

Steward said he has been lobbying for more touches.

“I definitely have,” he said. “They know I want the ball and to be able to contribute as much as I can. Obviously, I’m ready and I’m just waiting on my name to be called.”

Steward might get his wish with Hansbrough on the shelf, but he insists he’s not feeling any pressure.

Redshirt sophomore Chase Abbington, a transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, is the fourth-string tailback on the depth chart.

He arrived at Missouri roughly a week before fall camp opened and admitted Monday that he was out of shape.

Abbington, who said he’s slimmed down more than 10 pounds and is close to his normal playing weight at 217 pounds, could see more action as well without Hansbrough.

“Chase Abbington, we’re going to try to get involved a little bit,” Pinkel said. “You can’t get seven running backs ready to play. It can’t happen. It’s hard to get four ready to play. Really, three is what you try to, but when having so many injuries like we have, you have to (adjust) just a little bit.”

Expect to see more designed runs for junior quarterback Maty Mauk, who led the Tigers with 75 yards on 10 carries at Arkansas State.

“We are going to have to run him a little bit more,” Pinkel said. “I think that’s obvious. We’re going to have to do that, so that something that he’s good at. He’s got to be very smart how he runs too … (but) we have to take advantage of his athleticism.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Missouri’s backfield remains in flux without Russell Hansbrough."