All eyes entering Week 3 of the college football season are on LSU and Ole Miss, as Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford on Saturday for a clash with his former team, the one he abruptly left right before the College Football Playoff last year. But across the SEC, there's another school that's already 2-0 and still hasn't fielded its best player. The Missouri Tigers knocked off Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 in their home opener before a convincing 38-21 win at Kansas last weekend.
Winning that convincingly is impressive for any team, but especially when you consider Missouri didn't have All-American running back Ahmad Hardy for either game. Unfortunately, it looks like we may still be a ways away from seeing Hardy back on the field, as he continues to recover from a gunshot wound to the leg he suffered in May, which required surgery. According to On3's Pete Nakos, there's still no firm timetable for when he'll return to the practice field, let alone suit up in games.
More news: UNC Turns to Another Belichick After Bombshell Investigation More news: Browns Reunite Shedeur Sanders With Former Colorado Teammate Hardy has quickly become one of the great stories in college football. A mere three-star recruit out of Mississippi, he received just one offer coming out of high school: Louisiana-Monroe, a lower-tier Sun Belt program. But he showed out as a true freshman, rushing for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns on 237 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per carry, and earning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt honors.
He then transferred to Missouri and quickly quieted any concerns about whether he could handle tougher SEC competition. In his first season with the Tigers, he ran for 1,649 yards (second-most in the FBS) and 16 touchdowns on 256 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, and earned SEC Newcomer of the Year, first-team All-SEC, and consensus All-American honors. He entered this season on the preseason watch list for several major awards, including the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award.
It would be a brutal blow for both Hardy and the Tigers if he can't return until later in the season, but that's starting to look like more of a possibility. Missouri next hosts Troy before an SEC gauntlet against Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. More news: Arch Manning Hit With Reality Check After Beating Ohio State
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