Earlier this week, Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged just how "undermanned" the Longhorns could be against the Missouri Tigers.
With one brutal injury list after another, it looked like the Horns could be without as many as eight or nine starters. Luckily, in Texas's final availability report ahead of kickoff, it looked like the Horns might actually catch a break as a few players shifted toward being available.
On Friday night, defensive backs Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton were both listed as "probable" after spending a majority of the week under the "questionable" category, as was wide receiver Ryan Wingo.
That is a huge relief for the Horns on both sides of the ball, returning the depth for Texas's defensive secondary and giving quarterback Arch Manning his No. 1 target in the receiving corps.
Season-long injuries have started to infect Texas's roster
However, as most injury reports go, it was not all good news for Texas. We have known for a couple of weeks that starting left tackle Trevor Goosby was out for the rest of the season, but starting running back Hollywood Smothers joined him on that list after tearing his MCL.
Additionally, edge rusher Richard Wesley and tight end Nick Townsend were both on the availability report, once again, as "out."
Then, star edge rusher Colin Simmons was listed as "questionable" for a third straight week after suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Florida Gators in Week 7. Wide receiver Cam Coleman joined Simmons in the grey area after getting beat up against Mississippi State last week.
On ESPN's College GameDay, Pete Thamel reported that the two were "game-time decisions," with Simmons seeing a larger likelihood of suiting up and actually setting foot on the field.
- OUT: Trevor Goosby (OL), Hollywood Smothers (RB), Nick Townsend (TE), Richard Wesley (EDGE)
- QUESTIONABLE: Colin Simmons (EDGE), Cam Coleman (WR)
- PROBABLE: Ryan Wingo (WR), Kade Phillips (DB), Graceson Littleton (DB)
While any injuries are far from ideal, the final availability report of the week was far from the worst news for the Longhorns. Yes, a few stars are still out or doubtful, but it also looked like quite a few would be available in the top-20 SEC matchup.
Missouri Tigers' final SEC availability report vs. Texas Longhorns
As the Horns continued to list nearly a dozen players on their availability report, the Tigers' list remained unchanged all week and only included three players.
- OUT: Malae Fonoti (RB), Josh Atkins (OL), Gavin Hoffman (TE)
Missouri will be without running back Malae Fonoti, offensive lineman Josh Atkins, and tight end Gavin Hoffman, none of whom had contributed significant snaps at any point of the season.
Last week saw the return of Missouri's star running back Ahmad Hardy, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg this offseason. While he did not see many reps in Week 9, one could expect his workload to increase as the Tigers and the Longhorns clashed.
No. 7 Texas and No. 18 Missouri are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 7, and the game will be available on both ABC and fuboTV. With a win, the Horns could take one more step toward cementing their place in this season's College Football Playoff.
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