Missouri running back Tyler Badie, center, scores a touchdown past Central Michigan’s Donte Kent, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, in Columbia, Mo. Badie was selected to The Associated Press All-SEC team in results released Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson, File)
Wednesday shapes up as the biggest day of the year on the Mizzou beat. Eli Drinkwitz’s football team is in Fort Worth to take on Army in the A…
After his record-setting regular season, Missouri running back Tyler Badie will not play in Wednesday’s Armed Forces Bowl against Army, MU coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas, at the bowl’s pregame press conference. An independent source close to Badie confirmed that he won’t play and that it was “a tough decision” after several long talks with the coaching staff.
That’s not all Drinkwitz shared Tuesday: Redshirt freshman Brady Cook will make his first career start, replacing Connor Bazelak, who has played through a leg injury most of the season.
Cook has appeared in four games this season off the bench, completing 19 of 24 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. The second-year QB from St. Louis (Chaminade) split time with freshman Tyler Macon in MU’s loss to Georgia and came off the bench in games against SEMO, South Carolina and Arkansas.
Badie, a first-team All-SEC selection, second-team All-American and Doak Walker Award finalist, has been practicing the last several weeks. As of Monday, Badie was practicing with the team, an MU spokesperson confirmed. Drinkwitz had said several times since the bowl pairing was announced that Badie planned to play. On Dec. 12, Drinkwitz said cornerback Akayleb Evans was the only player who had opted out of the bowl game.
