Eli Drinkwitz announces 2 key players who will miss Gator Bowl vs. Virginia
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Eli Drinkwitz held court with local reporters on Tuesday in his pre-Gator Bowl press conference, and there was some less-than-ideal news to share as Mizzou prepares to face Virginia on Dec. 27 in Jacksonville.
The Tigers head coach revealed that starting linebacker Josiah Trotter and starting tight end Brett Norfleet will both miss the postseason matchup with injuries.
“Obviously, those are 2 significant injuries for us,” Eli Drinkwitz told reporters.
Trotter has been dealing with a knee injury that he sustained in Mizzou’s victory over Arkansas to end the regular season. He had surgery on the knee and will be forced to watch as the 8-4 Tigers try to finish with a victory later this month. Trotter’s future in Columbia is up in the air, too, with the sophomore being eligible to enter next spring’s NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Norfleet also had recent surgery for a shoulder injury that occurred in early November. Like Trotter, he’ll be forced to watch as the Tigers and Cavaliers (10-3) kick it off later this month at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Trotter was a tackling machine for Mizzou this season, finishing with 84 total tackles, 43 of them solo. He also had 2 sacks.
The junior Norfleet finished with 31 catches for 254 yards and 5 touchdowns this year, so the Tigers will be without a mainstay on both sides of the football as they face Virginia in primetime in Jacksonville.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
