As was expected, quarterback Beau Pribula was officially ruled out of Missouri football’s matchup against Texas A&M on Saturday in Columbia, but injured tight end Brett Norfleet appeared on the report with a ‘questionable’ designation, meaning he is still in the running to play.
The offensive starters appeared on the Tigers’ first SEC-mandated availability report of the week, which was published Wednesday night.
MU quarterback Sam Horn and kicker Blake Craig — both of whom were ruled out for the season after Week 1 — were the only other Mizzou players officially ruled out of the game.
Pribula sustained a “non-fractured dislocated ankle” against Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. While the team has not set an official timetable for a return, the typical recovery period for that injury designation makes it unlikely that he will return in the regular season.
Eli Drinkwitz said he had further X-rays and is now in a walking boot and will be on the sideline Saturday. Pribula, according to the coach and his teammates, has been active and present in the locker room since sustaining the injury.
True freshman Matt Zollers will lead the offense for MU against the Aggies.
Norfleet sustained a separated shoulder against Vanderbilt and had been classified as day-to-day by Drinkwitz. The ‘questionable’ marker is a mostly positive sign, as it means he is not officially out for this week.
He leads all SEC tight ends with five touchdown receptions this season.
The Aggies will be without starting running back Le’Veon Moss and key defensive players in linebacker Scooby Williams and safety Bryce Anderson. Moss was injured on Oct. 11 and has yet to return. Williams and Anderson have both been in and out of the lineup with injuries, but typically play meaningful snaps when they’re healthy.
Mizzou’s game against Texas A&M is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, on Faurot Field in Columbia. If Missouri loses, its path to the College Football Playoff closes.
The Tigers were No. 22 in the CFP committee’s initial rankings Tuesday night. Texas A&M was the top-ranked SEC team at No. 3.
The SEC-mandated reports are required of member organizations every night, beginning Wednesday, in the lead-up to an in-conference matchup, with the final report published 90 minutes before kickoff.
The possible designations, from most likely to play to least likely, are: available; probable; questionable; doubtful; out.
Missouri and Texas A&M will release follow-up availability reports on Thursday and Friday night, as well as one final report on Saturday before the game.
Missouri football’s full Wednesday availability report
- QB Beau Pribula (out)
- QB Sam Horn (out)
- K Blake Craig (out)
- TE Brett Norfleet (questionable)
Texas A&M full Wednesday availability report
- RB Le’Veon Moss (out)
- LB Scooby Williams (out)
- S Bryce Anderson (out)
- S Rashad Johnson Jr. (out)
What is the availability report?
The SEC-mandated reports are not technically injury reports, which some teams — Mizzou often included — provided in years prior. Instead, they are lists that include any players ruled unavailable or possibly unavailable for upcoming games. That could be for any number of reasons, including but not limited to injuries.
The reports are only mandated before in-conference matchups and are closely linked to the growing sports gambling market.
Inaccurate or late reports in football are subject to fines ranging from $25,000-$100,000.
