Missouri Football Heads into Bye Week Down but Not Out

Missouri has had an up-and-down season, to say the least. A team with high preseason expectations that have gone by the wayside for various reasons. Still, it’s crucial for Missouri to get healthy and rebound after a couple of bad losses this season, most notably last week’s beatdown by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Getting Healthy

The Missouri Tigers are dealing with many injuries at key positions. It will be vital that they use this bye week to get healthy for the stretch run. Some more notable injuries are quarterback Brady Cook and running back Nate Noel. Cook, who suffered an ankle injury two weeks ago in the Auburn game, went to the hospital but returned to finish the game and was able to pull out a comeback win, 21-17.

Cook, who was doubtful all week long leading up to the Alabama game, decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, he suffered another injury, this time his right hand. The team is confident that Cook will be available at some point this season to help lead this Tigers offense.

Running back Nate Noel, who has been dealing with a foot injury all year, re-aggravated it in the win over Auburn. The star running back did not practice at all last week leading up to the Alabama game. He will be re-evaluated this week to see where he’s at before next week’s game against Oklahoma.

Down But Not Out

Missouri entered this season with high preseason expectations following a successful 11-win year last season. But even with a record of 6-2, the Tigers have not played well in the games that matter. Missouri is 1-2 against ranked opponents this season, with two blowout losses on the road at Texas A&M and Alabama. In those losses, the Tigers were outscored 75-10 and saw their preseason playoff and SEC championship chances disappear.

With that being said, they still have a great opportunity to finish the year off strong with a manageable four-game stretch. Missouri will see home games against Oklahoma and Arkansas, and there are road games at South Carolina and Mississippi State.

#Mizzou Football Bowl Projections on @RockMNation: A Look at Where the 6-2 Tigers Stand https://t.co/4QctI7ZcSL

— Sammy Stava (@StavaonSTL) October 31, 2024

Missouri will look to bounce back next week at home against Oklahoma either at 6pm or 6:45pm on ESPN or the SEC Network.