On Tuesday, Eli Drinkwitz shared that Missouri was looking at just 56 players available for Saturday’s game against South Carolina. Drinkwitz shared Wednesday that the number has decreased.

On Wednesday’s SEC media teleconference, Drinkwitz shared two different numbers – 55 and 54 – for players available. Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch contacted MU, and received confirmation that it is indeed the lower of the two numbers.

That number puts Mizzou one above the SEC’s threshold for calling off a game. Even if Drinkwitz’s squad does dip below 53, it does not necessarily mean that MU-South Carolin will be called off. It would not be automatically postponed, but allow Mizzou to ask for a postponement.

Matter shared correspondence from the SEC office:

“The impacted institution has the option to play the game with fewer than the 53 scholarship players or fewer than the minimum number of position players … if it elects to do so,” SEC spokesperson Chuck Dunlap said in an email Wednesday.

Since Drinkwitz shared Tuesday’s number of 56, wide receiver Dominic Gicinto announced plans to transfer. Matter notes that tight end Daniel Parker Jr. has been ruled out for Saturday’s game. The 54 available number includes two injured players: nose tackle Kobie Whiteside (knee) and offensive guard Xavier Delgado (ankle), per Matter.

Unfortunately, Mizzou can’t simply add walk-ons to the scholarship number during the season. The scholarship number is certified in August.

“Which is kind of sad,” Drinkwitz said on the teleconference. “I think some of us had petitioned for opt-outs to try to replace some of these guys with some of these walk-ons and give those guys those scholarships, but that wasn’t something that the NCAA wasn’t willing to do, which obviously leads to where you’re at with your 53 numbers and all that stuff. Not anything that anybody could foresee but now we’re in the middle of it. And this is what you’re dealing with.”