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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri tight end Brett Norfleet has been ruled out for Saturday's game against Texas A&M with a shoulder injury.

Norfleet, a junior, had been listed as questionable earlier in the week but was designated as out on the Tigers' Friday night injury report. 

COLUMBIA, Mo. — An undefeated, top three team in the country. A true freshman quarterback. Slim postseason chances that need a win to stay alive.

That’s all set for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. showdown between No. 19 Missouri (6-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) and No. 3 Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0). The game will be televised nationally on ABC (KDNL, Channel 30 locally) and broadcast locally over the radio on KTRS (550-AM, 106.1 FM).

COLUMBIA, Mo. — For a coach whose team has its back against the proverbial wall, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz was surprisingly chipper this week.

His Tigers are 6-2 and 2-2 against Southeastern Conference opponents. Their toughest game of the season, in terms of ranking, is Saturday when undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M comes to Columbia for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

A week ago, Harrison Mevis was working out on his own, kicking and preparing for the day an NFL team came calling.

On Sunday, the former Mizzou kicker will be the Rams' kicker when they play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, coach Sean McVay said Friday.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, prone to the occasional literary streak, likes to quote 18th century Scottish poetry.

There’s one poem in particular, Robert Burns’ 1785 “To a Mouse,� with one particular line that has become something of a mantra to Mizzou’s sixth-year coach. It’s a famous line, when translated from Scots to English, that has inspired the title of a John Steinbeck novel and even, it seems, football coaches:

Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday. Scroll past the chat window for an easier-to-read transcript.

Transcript

There’s a parallel from Pennsylvania, a story somewhat similar to what lies ahead for Missouri’s newest starting quarterback.

Matt Zollers, the 19-year-old college freshman who is now the Tigers’ starter because of injuries to the two quarterbacks who’d been ahead of him on the depth chart, hasn’t done this before. He hasn’t faced a defense like what No. 3 Texas A&M will throw at him Saturday when he makes his first start. He hasn’t led a team like No. 19 Mizzou into a four-game stretch like the one ahead, a run of critical matchups for the 6-2 Tigers.

Painted upon the grass at Death Valley — Louisiana State’s stadium where playoff hopes often go to die — is college football’s most intimidating on-field image. It’s the eye of the Tiger. It’s quite haunting. Even creeping toward creepy. But undeniably unwelcoming.

Well, on Texas A&M’s first drive on Oct. 26, quarterback Marcel Reed rolled left, just past the pupil. On his own 47-yard line, he paused for a millisecond and then sprinted across the ocular logo, soon zipping past numerous grim reapers in yellow helmets.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri will debut sponsor logos on its basketball court this season as the school's athletics department continues to seek revenue streams for the increasingly expensive college sports landscape.

Logos for Central Bank and Mpix will appear on the floor of Mizzou Arena alongside the Norm Stewart Court branding. Missouri added sponsor logos to its football field ahead of the 2024 season.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — In the fall of 2015, two young quarterbacks were called into action by college football programs that needed them earlier than expected.

At Missouri, Drew Lock took over as the Tigers’ starting quarterback four weeks into the season when planned starter Maty Mauk was suspended. Lock, a four-star recruit from the Kansas City area, shifted from his position as the program’s future to becoming its present — winding up second on the school’s all-time passing leaderboard.

After a loss and a week off, Mizzou now faces one of the toughest games on its schedule.

Mizzou (6-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference), ranked 19th, hosts No. 3 Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC) on Saturday.

Mizzou hosts third-ranked Texas A&M on Saturday as freshman quarterback gets his first start against a top-flight team. 

Here's what head coach Eli Drinkwitz as well as Connor Tollison and Jalen Catalon had to say as the Tigers prepare for the Aggies.