ESPNU provides Luther Burden injury update from Florida-Missouri game

The Missouri offense is beaten up, with a few key playmakers battling injuries in the second half of a close game on the road at Florida. Early in the third quarter a Luther Burden injury sidelined the freshman phenom, who was helped off the field after taking a knock.

Burden went into the Missouri injury tent, unable to place weight on his left leg after catching a 13-yard slant, according to The Athletic’s Allan Taylor.

ESPNU sideline reporter Lauren Sisler provided a brief update on the air.

“Guys I want to talk about those wide receivers,” Sisler said. “Luther Burden’s still in the tent right now working on that ankle, obviously something he came into this week struggling with.

“But Dominic Lovett, same issue. Didn’t practice this week and they weren’t optimistic he’d be able to go, and coach (Eliah) Drinkwitz said this team is so different, it hums at a different speed when you’ve got both of those receivers out on this football field.”

With those two hobbled, a Missouri drive that could have knotted things up in a 17-10 Florida game midway through the third quarter ended in disaster.

Shortly after Burden left the game, quarterback Brady Cook threw a red zone interception to Florida cornerback Jaydon Hill. Hill previously had a pick-six of Cook in the first half, and his second-half interception ended a real scoring threat for the Tigers.

Luther Burden injury, Dominic Lovett ankle problem limiting Missouri offense

While the Luther Burden injury hurts for the Tigers, Lovett being hobbled might be even worse.

Through the first five games of the season, Lovett led Missouri in receiving with 27 catches for 460 yards and two touchdowns. He had recorded four catches for 39 yards in the game as of the start of the fourth quarter.

Burden, meanwhile, had contributed five catches for 20 yards in the game prior to his injury.

Both have been weapons for the Tigers in 2022. Burden has been used in multiple ways, including out of the backfield as a runner. Entering Saturday he had seven carries for 40 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 13 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Sisler chimed in with another update on Burden with about 11 minutes left to play in the game.

“Yeah, Luther Burden had gone off in that last drive, he had to go to the injury tent,” she said. “It was his left ankle that got rolled up and that’s been a high-ankle sprain he’s been dealing with. He was questionable even coming into this football game. He came out of the tent, he was running around on it, it looked like he had some fresh tape on it. He looked pretty optimistic that he’d go. I don’t see him out here right now, but we’ll get an update, hopefully he’s good to go.”