Mizzous Shot At A Statement Win May Depend On Texas Saturday

Injury concerns loom over Texas Longhorns as they prepare to face a focused Missouri team eyeing an upset.

Missouri’s injury situation didn’t budge on the latest SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report, but Texas showed up with a much longer list to sort through before Saturday’s matchup.

For the Tigers, Malae Fonoti, Josh Atkins and Gavin Hoffman remained out, just as they were last week. On the Texas side, the report was far more crowded, with five starters listed as questionable and Hollywood Smothers ruled out after getting hurt Saturday.

The biggest name on that questionable list is edge rusher Colin Simmons, who has missed the last two games but still leads the country with 10.5 sacks despite not playing since Oct. 17.

Texas also has uncertainty around two of its top pass catchers in Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman. Wingo has played in every game so far and leads the Longhorns with 36 receptions and 470 receiving yards, while also ranking second on the team with four receiving touchdowns.

Coleman has also appeared in every game, sits third on the team with 409 receiving yards and leads Texas with seven touchdown catches.

The Longhorns may also be thin in the secondary. Starting defensive backs Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton are both questionable.

Phillips has started all eight games, while Littleton has started seven. Phillips has 34 tackles, good for fifth on the team, and is tied for third on the squad with four pass breakups.

Littleton has 28 tackles and ranks second on the team with five pass breakups.

Smothers’ absence matters, too. He is second on Texas in rushing yards and was injured against Mississippi State, which leaves more of the workload to Raleek Brown.

Tight end Nick Townsend is also out after playing last week against Mississippi State. Townsend has been dealing with an ongoing injury, has started three games this season and caught two passes for four yards last week.

Elsewhere on the Texas report, Trevor Goosby is out for the season and Richard Wesley has been unavailable since Oct. 17.

Missouri’s side staying unchanged means Ahmad Hardy is on track to make his home debut Saturday. The Tigers, 6-2 and 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference, are trying to become the first ranked team to beat No.

7 Texas this season. The Longhorns are 3-0 against ranked opponents, and if Missouri gets the win, it would count as its second top-10 victory of the year.

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