Missouri gives injury update on QB Brady Cook for South Carolina game
The Missouri Tigers are gearing up for an SEC showdown with the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 12. Ahead of that matchup, both teams have provided their initial availability reports.
The big news for Missouri is that Brady Cook is listed as doubtful. The veteran signal-caller didn’t play in Week 11 against Oklahoma due to a hand/wrist injury sustained against Alabama. Cook is also still dealing with a lower-body injury as well.
Cook had to leave the Alabama game after hurting his hand, and the Tigers went on to lose that game 34-0. The team had a bye week after that game, but Cook was still not ready to go even with the added time off.
Former Notre Dame and Arizona State QB Drew Pyne filled in for Cook against Oklahoma. The transfer did well enough, completing 14 of 27 passes for 143 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions. If Cook can’t go, Pyne should be expected to fill in once again.
In 2024, Cook has thrown for 1,575 yards with 7 TDs and 1 INT through 8 games. The QB has also rushed for 109 yards and 4 TDs on the season.
Elsewhere on the injury report, wide receiver Mookie Cooper is also listed as doubtful. The team has 5 players listed as out and 1 listed as questionable. Cooper is the team’s 3rd leading receiver with 12 catches for 235 yards. Khalil Jacobs is the most notable player out for the Tigers.
The Tigers and Gamecocks will kick off from Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. ET. The Tigers have won 5 straight against the Gamecocks and have won 9 of the 14 overall matchups.
Cook will say he is ready. Team physician will say not recommending Cook try to play. A smart coach starts Pyne. Only brings Cook on if the lead looks like it going to become more than one possession. Both of these QBs can get the job done. The game will be won or lost by the linemen.
Cook has started 8 games, thrown 7 TDs. Pyne has started 1 game, thrown 3 TDs. Of course, Pyne did little coming off the bench against Auburn and had the disaster at Alabama where he threw 3 picks and looked lost. In those games of course the plan was built primarily for Cook (some might argue there did not appear to be much of a game plan at all). A hostile environment and a very serious pass rush awaits in the other Columbia. He cannot wait until the second half to get going like he did against OU. This game will tell us a lot about Drew Pyne.
I don’t think it matters. I think USCe wins this game. They seem to be playing as good as any team in the conference right now, and that defense is legit.
If Tollison (Center) and Cook (QB) are both out, that means the two players who touch the football more than any other player will be replaced vs. South Carolina. Don’t know much about Drake Heismeyer. He’s a redshirt senior, but appears to have primarily played on special teams. Drew Pyne was serviceable against OU, but I think his stats are a bit skewed. He did have one long TD drive, but the other two TDs were short fields beginning in OU territory due to turnovers. Pyne has only hit 50% of his passes in SEC games and does not appear to be nearly as mobile as Cook, so he may be running for his life in the backfield on Saturday.
Pyne will definitely be running for his life but Drink is a smart guy and he will set up a game plan to confuse our defense. Unfortunately for him, I think one of our front four goes in hard every play regardless of what RPO is showing. And our front four is usually good enough where just one of them gets the job done.
My concern is that Drink pushes aside Cook’s health for an attempted better outcome of this game. We are not the same team of the last five years.
I am just going to let it go and hope the luck continues for Drinkwitz and Mizzou.
If Mizzou can’t run to set up the pass, it’s gonna be a long day for the Tigers in Columbia East.