The SEC’s Wednesday night injury report brought plenty of movement into Saturday’s top-15 matchup between No. 13 Mizzou and No. 9 Ole Miss, and both sides are walking in with notable names attached to it.
Missouri’s report is crowded. The Tigers have 11 players listed as “Questionable,” with the biggest headline being the SEC’s leading receiver Cayden Lee. On the other side of that same report, Austin Simmons is listed as “Probable.”
Ole Miss, meanwhile, has eight players marked “OUT.” That group includes wide receiver and O’Fallon, MO native Izaiah Hartrup.
The stakes around this one are already obvious, and the available pieces on both rosters only sharpen the focus. A road win at Ole Miss would be a major step for Eli Drinkwitz’s group, especially after Mizzou handled Florida at home and finally got past Texas A&M.
That’s the kind of progression Nathan Hurst pointed to when he described what another breakthrough would mean. Beating a top-10 Ole Miss team in Oxford, he wrote, would show that Mizzou can take its best football on the road and beat a strong opponent in its own building. He added that such a result would make Mizzou a legitimate playoff contender.
Drinkwitz’s track record on the road gives the matchup another layer. He has never coached against Ole Miss as Missouri’s head coach, but he is 10-18 on the road, 9-24 against teams ranked higher in SP+, 8-20 against ranked teams, 1-12 against teams that finish ranked in the Top 10 of SP+, and an even 6-6 in games that kick off at 2:30p central.
Just win, baby!
Around the program, there’s been no shortage of movement elsewhere.
Mizzou gymnastics announced its 2027 schedule, with SEC play beginning at home at Mizzou Arena against Georgia, who was ranked no. 6 nationally at season’s end. The Tigers will also head to the Dallas-Fort Worth area with Georgia, NC State, and Oklahoma for the Metroplex Challenge in early February.
That event, along with Zou to the Lou, will be held on a podium. Shannon Welker’s team is set up for another big year.
On the golf side, Mizzou women’s golf had a solid showing, though not the finish it wanted. Head coach Caroline Westrup Gaeta said, “We started off really well today and then we had our bad holes towards the end of the round and couldn’t really quite finish the way we wanted to,” after the Tigers’ round.
Mizzou men’s golf also turned in a strong result, finishing fifth at the Bryson Invitational. The Tigers made the most of the par 5s in the third round, posting one eagle, nine birdies, nine pars, and one bogey as a team.
On average, they were 10 strokes under par on those holes alone, which helped produce their lowest round of the tournament. That’s a sharp bounce-back after finishing 14th out of 15th in their previous event.
The volleyball team has been building momentum too. After back-to-back SEC wins, Dawn Sullivan said, “I thought we were really, really relentless defensively, and got after it on our offense,” and added, “What a good cause to come out here and play for, just bring some awareness to so many people that struggle with cancer.”
There’s also tennis, where Mizzou has been stressing energy and consistency ahead of ITA Regionals, and men’s basketball, which is set to play Auburn on Saturday, January 20th. Auburn is 12th in the conference and 7-11.
In Other News...
Missouri's Season Plans Hinge On A Huge Mark Mitchell Decision
Mark Mitchells status has quietly become one of the biggest offseason storylines around Missouri basketball, and it has everything to do with what happens next for the Tigers in 2025. The forward is seeking a fifth year of NCAA eligibility, with a court hearing scheduled for Oct. 14, and coach Dennis Gates has been publicly backing him through the process. For Missouri, this is not just a paperwork matter. It is a roster issue with real weight for a team trying to map out its season plans.
Mitchells presence would shape how Missouri can build around its core, and his absence would force a different kind of adjustment before the season even begins. The decision remains unresolved for now, leaving the Tigers in the awkward spot of preparing for one version of their roster while waiting on a ruling that could change the outlook in a major way. Until that is settled, one of Missouris most important questions stays open. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Heads To Ole Miss With One Big Backfield Concern
Missouris win over Texas A&M kept the Tigers rolling at 5-1 and up to No. 13 nationally, but it also sharpened the picture in the backfield as the team turns toward Ole Miss. Trajen Greco has given the defense a steadier presence, while Jamal Roberts has seen his workload climb and has responded with productive runs. Kenric Lanier II has also started to find a bigger role on offense, adding another layer to a group that has become more important as Missouris margin for error shrinks.
The concern is less about what the Tigers have gotten from the backfield and more about how much they are leaning on it. Roberts has handled a large majority of the carries, and that kind of usage can quickly become a conversation when the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. Missouri has enough momentum to feel good about where it stands, but the trip to Oxford will test whether the Tigers can keep that balance intact. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou's Backfield Suddenly Carries One More SEC Problem
Missouris backfield picture has taken on an oddly interconnected look heading into this SEC matchup, with three familiar names tied together by recruiting, transfers and injuries. Jamal Roberts has emerged as the Tigers primary runner and has given the offense a steady ground presence, while Ahmad Hardy had been part of the conversation before an injury changed the shape of the rotation.
Across the field, Ole Miss brings its own layer to the storyline in Kewan Lacy, who transferred out of Missouri and is working his way back from an injury of his own. The result is a backfield subplot that reaches beyond simple depth chart movement, because Missouri is now preparing for a game where the most familiar faces are also the ones carrying the most uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]