Beau Pribula and Blake Shapen's injury updates: Mississippi State and Missouri's quarterbacks' statuses revealed in Wednesday's report
It's been a while since the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Missouri Tigers faced each other in a regular-season game. The last time they met was when Missouri joined the SEC, and since then, they've only played each other a handful of times due to conference divisions. Now, they're set to face off again, but with some key injuries to consider.
The availability reports, released on Wednesday night, provide a glimpse into the potential lineups for both teams. Players are listed as probable, questionable, doubtful, or out, and changes can occur throughout the week.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Questionable: QB Blake Shapen, OL Albert Reese IV
- Out: S Isaac Smith, CB Jett Jefferson, DL Will Whitson, OL Brennan Smith, OL Blake Steen
Missouri Tigers
- Questionable: TE Brett Norfleet
- Doubtful: QB Beau Pribula
- Out: DE Langden Kitchen, K Blake Craig, QB Sam Horn
The game is set to kick off at 6:45 p.m. CT from Faurot Field. Missouri enters the game with a 6-3 overall record and a 5-2 record in SEC play. However, they've dropped three of their last four games, effectively ending their chances of making the College Football Playoff. Mississippi State, on the other hand, is 5-5 and just one win away from bowl eligibility. A second SEC win would be a significant achievement for the program.
Eli Drinkwitz on the 'playoffs or bust' mentality
Eli Drinkwitz, the head coach of the Missouri Tigers, has expressed his frustration with the mindset that the College Football Playoff is the only way to determine success. While it's true that making the playoff is a goal for many teams, Drinkwitz argues that it shouldn't be the sole measure of success.
"I talked about this at SEC Media Days," Drinkwitz said on Tuesday night's Tiger Talk radio show, "we gotta get out of this 'Oh man, it's playoffs or bust.' Yes, we're shooting for the moon, but only 12 teams make the Playoffs. We put ourselves in position in November to be there, and if we don't get it done, I understand that. But if the season only counts for 12 football teams, and we've got 127 D1 football teams, that math doesn't add up very well."
Drinkwitz emphasizes that football is more than just playoff potential. While they didn't make it to the playoff this time, there's still a lot to be proud of and a lot to play for. When he took over, the team wasn't going to bowl games and was under NCAA probation. Since then, they've turned things around and are now consistently going to bowl games. He believes that other programs would trade spots with them, and he encourages his team to keep fighting and believing.
