Brady Cook, Nate Noel injury updates: Status revealed on Missouri stars for second half vs. Auburn

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook is “not likely to return” to a game against Auburn, according to a team spokesman.

Calum McAndrew of The Columbia Tribune reported the news.

Along with Cook, running back Nate Noel is also unlikely to return. Noel was the team’s leading rusher in the contest, having logged five carries for 26 yards at halftime.

ESPN confirmed that news shortly after halftime.

“Yeah, beginning first with Brady Cook, I did get confirmation he is dealing with an ankle injury. He is unlikely to return,” ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor said. “Also leading rusher Nate Noel is dealing with a foot injury, he is also unlikely to return. But Mizzou wants to run the football, so look for Marcus Carroll to step up, who had three touchdowns against UMass last week.”

It’s worth noting that Noel checked back into the game in the third quarter and appeared to be testing out his foot injury.

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook headed to the locker room after suffering an apparent injury on a sack in the first quarter.

Cook appeared to suffer the injury without contact, going down before the pass rush got to him, taking a big loss in the process.

The Missouri starter then jogged off the field at about three-quarters speed, but he did so prior to a third-down snap. He pretty immediately headed to the locker room hurt.

The ESPN broadcast crew initially reported that he was expected to return to the game and was in the locker room getting his ankle retaped.

But after more than 45 minutes, Brady Cook had still not re-emerged. ESPN’s McGregor provided another update.

“I originally told you that the expectation is that Brady Cook would return to this game, but he has never come back out onto the field since we originally showed him going into the locker room,” McGregor said. ”I am now being told by the head athletic trainer here at Mizzou that he is still being evaluated and we should know more at halftime.”

Brady Cook was 3-of-4 passing for 37 yards in the first quarter prior to his injury, while also rushing three times for a loss of six yards. The game was tied at 3-3 at halftime.