COLUMBIA, Mo. – The skies are cloudy for Missouri – injuries, long-term outlook and rumors swirl above Columbia.
Luckily, the Tigers hit the eye of the storm at the perfect time, getting a chance to recuperate before chaos ensues once more.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz is using the the break to full advantage, and is prepared to lead his team through adversity.
"We'll come up with a plan. We'll attack it, and Mizzou will be proud," Drinkwitz said following Missouri's loss to Vanderbilt. "You got a bunch of fighters in that room. Those guys are fighting their butt off and played really hard."
The Tigers lost 17-10 to Vanderbilt Saturday, and also lost starting quarterback Beau Pribula to an ankle dislocation in the process. Pribula was originally reported to be ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, but has since been given an "outside chance" to return, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Pribula's injury meant freshman Matt Zollers officially burned his redshirt, stepping up as the signal-caller for the majority of the second half against the Commodores. Zollers was never supposed to be in that situation, he wasn't even supposed to be the backup.
But long-term injuries to quarterbacks Pribula and Sam Horn exponentially excelled Zollers timeline as the team's top quarterback, thrusting him into a lead role far earlier than many expected.
He performed well in his first "real deal" snaps, completing 14 of his 23 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, keeping Missouri in the game until the last play. Still, his unexpected entrance against the Commodores meant Vanderbilt's defense had zero preparation against him, and had to come up with a gameplan on the fly.
That won't be the case the next time he takes the field, as opponents will have film – limited and contextual film, but film nonetheless – on Zollers' drop backs and tendencies.
Luckily for the Tigers, he'll get an extra week of preparation under his belt with Drinkwitz, offensive coordinator Kirby Moore and the rest of Missouri's coaching staff. He'll also get time to form chemistry with the Tigers' top-end skill position players, as he'd been primarily taking reps with the second-string wideouts and tight ends – hence his apparent connection with Jude James.
A full additional week of work to acclimate Zollers' with the starting 11 comes at the perfect time. Missouri's next matchup is against No. 3 Texas A&M, who've gone undefeated in conference play, including a recent 49-25 beatdown on LSU.
Missouri also has reason to benefit from the break aside from Zollers.
Starting tight end Brett Norfleet suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter against the Commodores, a reoccurring event throughout his career. Norfleet has since been ruled "day-to-day" by Drinkwitz, and can use the bye week to rehab back to full strength.
"He tried to give it a go but wasn't able to get back." Drinkwitz said following the game. "Good time for the bye week."
Even with James' impressive play in Norfleet's absence, the Tigers would benefit from Norfleet's presence on the field, as he's hauled in a team-high five receiving touchdowns on the season to go along with 26 total catches and 224 total yards. James' breakout could also bring to more sets including two receiving tight ends with himself and Norfleet sharing the field – a formation not utilized much this season.
The Tigers sit at 6-2 following the loss to Vanderbilt, essentially knocking them out of contention for the SEC championship and heavily diminishing their chances at the College Football Playoff. Despite however small the chances may be, the Tigers still look to compete for the remainder of the season.
"We still got something to play for," defensive back Daylan Carnell said. "...Just sticking with it, not giving up on the season."