Mizzou to be without key offensive player vs. Texas A&M, per report
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Mizzou already knew it would be missing starting quarterback Beau Pribula for Saturday afternoon’s SEC showdown against No. 3 Texas A&M.
But Mizzou‘s situation on offense has apparently gotten worse. According to a report on Friday afternoon by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Tigers standout tight end Brett Norfleet will also miss Saturday’s critical game in Columbia because of a shoulder injury. That means No. 22 Mizzou would be without its top passer and 1 of its top pass catchers in a game where the 6-2 Tigers will be trying to keep their faint College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Norfleet, a junior and a Missouri native, leads the Tigers in touchdown catches this season with 5, and that TD number also leads all SEC tight ends. Norfleet’s 26 catches this fall rank 3rd on the team, so he’s a primary player in Eli Drinkwitz‘s offense who will reportedly not be out there on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) against that tough Aggies defense.
Matt Zollers is set to replace Pribula as Mizzou’s starting quarterback on Saturday. Zollers is a true freshman who’ll be getting the nod in a huge spot after Pribula suffered an ankle injury in the Tigers’ loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25.
There is no timetable right now for Pribula’s return to the lineup. With Friday’s report, suddenly Pribula’s absence on Saturday isn’t the Tigers’ only concern.
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.
