Sports Shorts
Published Oct. 16, 2007
Football starting times announced
During the weekend, the Tigers announced they will face the No. 22 Texas Tech Red Raiders at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday on ABC. The game on Oct. 27 against the Iowa State Cyclones, which starts at 1 p.m., was not picked up by any of the Big 12's television affiliates, and but will be aired on the radio. Tickets are still available for both games.
Tigers fall in polls
Following their 41-31 loss at then-No. 5 Oklahoma, the Tigers dropped in both major polls and the first Bowl Championship Series rankings. MU is tied for No. 17 in The Associated Press poll with Kansas, and MU is ranked No. 17 in both the Coaches Poll and the Bowl Championship Series standings. The Tigers had been projected last week to enter the BCS at No. 6 but took a precipitous fall.
Injury update
Coach Gary Pinkel said Monday that senior tailback Tony Temple, who didn't play last Saturday, is probable for this week's game against Texas Tech with an ankle sprain. Temple, whose ankle was still wrapped on Monday, said it wasn't a high ankle sprain and he's confident he will play this week.
"I'm pretty sure I'm playing," he said. "I'm practicing Wednesday."
Temple said he fought hard for the coaches to reconsider their policy of not taking injured players on road trips.
"It was hard being home watching that game," he said. "I tried to get them to change their minds hard, but they didn't budge."
Pinkel said junior tight end Chase Coffman rolled his left ankle and hurt his right knee on Saturday, but he will still play this week.
"We expect Chase to play," Pinkel said. "He'll be in a red pullover and out of contact during practice, but he's going to play."
Crossett to kick off again Saturday
Junior kicker Jeff Wolfert had an old hip injury flare up in the middle of last Saturday's game, so senior punter Adam Crossett handled kickoffs in the second half. Pinkel said that arrangement will continue for the foreseeable future.
"Jeff is going to get an MRI tomorrow," he said. "But Crossett will kick off for sure and Jeff will still kick field goals. That's what the medical staff recommended, and that's what we'll do."
