Sports Shorts

By Mike Bushnell

Published Oct. 30, 2007

Tigers to start early

against A&M

Get the kegs and eggs ready, because the Tigers will face Texas A&M on Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m. on Fox Sports Net. MU's game this Saturday at Colorado, which will be at 5:30 p.m., is also on FSN. Including these two games, Tigers have been on FSN three times, ESPN twice and ABC once this year.

Brown to travel with the team

Coach Gary Pinkel said on Monday that he is changing a team policy of not taking injured players on road trips now that senior safety and captain Pig Brown is out for the season with a torn Achilles heel.

"This is called a new rule coach Pinkel came up with because I'm allowed to do it," Pinkel said when Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star asked if Brown would be traveling to Colorado this weekend. "If a senior starter gets hurt for the season and can't play, I have the option to travel him. It might go down some day as the 'Pig rule.'"

Pinkel said the team would be best served by having the vocal Brown on the sidelines this weekend.

"He's still an emotional leader," Pinkel said. "So we should have him there with us."

When senior tailback Tony Temple hurt his ankle earlier this season, he did not travel to Oklahoma with the team.

Tigers move up to

No. 9 in all polls

After four teams ahead of MU lost this past week, MU jumped four more spots to No. 9 in the Associated Press and Coaches' polls, as well as the Bowl Championship Series. The last time Missouri was ranked this high in the polls was in October 1980. They have never been ranked this highly in the BCS.

The 8-0 Kansas Jayhawks are No. 8, also their highest ranking ever. Oklahoma is No. 6 this week. The Big 12 is the only conference with three teams ranked in the Top 10 of the BCS.

Ricks and Rutland

to play safety

Pinkel and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said sophomore cornerback Hardy Ricks and redshirt freshman Kevin Rutland will work with the safeties more to make up for the loss of Pig Brown.

Ricks started the first four games of the season at cornerback but had fallen way down in the depth chart behind freshman Carl Gettis, senior Paul Simpson and junior Castine Bridges. Pinkel said it has been less about Ricks' play and more about how other players are stepping up.

"I wouldn't say any of this has to do with Hardy," he said. "Look at Carl Gettis and how well he's played. There's a lot of competition, and while I don't think Hardy's playing to the level we're expecting him to, it's more about other people playing really well."

Rutland was moved to safety a few weeks ago, Pinkel said, but hasn't played. With Brown down, the pair will split playing time when the Tigers use a nickel defense with three safeties.

Other injury news

Pinkel said Temple is fully recovered from his ankle injury.

"He's 100 percent," Pinkel said. "He'll practice at full strength this week with no restrictions."

Safety Justin Garrett will return on Saturday from a shoulder injury and will start in the place of Brown, Pinkel said.

"Justin Garrett will be back," he said. "The urgency for him to get back is critical."