COLUMBIA, Mo. — Friday’s practice for the Missouri Tigers provided quite a bit of insight. The team even provided a peek at the first and second lineups during a no-huddle drill. Five players — Daniel Blood, Marcus Bryant, Javen Richardson, Corey Flagg and Nicholas Deloach — spoke to the media after practice.

Here are MissouriOnSI’s notes and observations from Friday’s allotted practice viewing and player interviews:

•  Starting offensive line during goal line drills (left to right): Extra blocker: LT: Marcus Bryant (52), RG: Cayden Green (70), C: Connor Tollison RG: Cam’Ron Johnson (74), Armand Membou (79), Additional blocker: Mitchell Walters (75)

• The second lineup ran an interesting trick play in goal line; Drew Pyne lined up at receiver, looked like Daniel Blood in the wildcat. Pyne ran back for the wildcat player to toss it back to him before Pyne tossed a touchdown to a tight end.

• Brett Norfleet, for the third day in a row, did not appear to be out at practice during the media viewing session.

• Eli Drinkwitz added some entertainment by signing country music over the speakers in between frequent “woo!” yells. Safe to say he made the correct career choice.

• Williams Nwaneri and Nate Noel were both taking reps on the kickoff team.

• No surprises with the first-team offensive lines during the no-huddle drill with Noel in the backfield: Bryant, Green, Tollison, Johnson, Membou

• Offensive line in the second lineup: LT: Jayven Richardson (76), LG: Logan Reichert (66), C: Drake Heismeyer (69), RG: Curtis Peagler (77), Mitchell Walters (75).

• Nate Noel looks as advertised with his twitchiness. Had a nice cut outside on a run to the left. He’s quick but smart with his vision.

• Wide receiver Daniel Blood said in his press conference he’s working on improving his ability after the catch. Said coaching staff emphasized darting, or turning, up the field as soon as he catches it instead of waiting to engage with a defender.

• Blood also said he has experience as punt returner, was an all-state returner, a position Drinkwitz said Blood will get a chance to compete at. Says fearlessness, trust in blockers and vision are all crucial to being a good returner.

• SMU transfer OT Marcus Bryant said he feels like a missing puzzle piece Missouri was looking for. Says he was looking for a team that wasn’t rebuilding.

• Miami transfer linebacker Corey Flagg was honest that former defensive coordinator Blake Baker was the main reason he transferred to Missouri before Baker left for LSU. But Flagg was convinced by Drinkwitz and linebackers coach D.J. Smith that Missouri was still the right program for him to have the opportunity to compete. Says the competition in the linebacker room is making every one better.

Watch the full interviews with OT Marcus Bryant and WR Daniel Blood below.

Football Position Previews: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Line | Defensive Tackle|Inside Linebacker| Edge Rusher|Cornerbacks|Safeties|Special Teams

Missouri Tight End Brett Norfleet Has Always Stood Above the Rest

Missouri Football Fall Camp Practice Report: Day 9

Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger speaks during a State Board of Education meeting Tuesday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

Missouri students are showing progress on standardized tests administered by the state, with results in some categories approaching — and even exceeding — pre-pandemic levels.

But in other areas — most notably English language arts — students continue to struggle.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education revealed preliminary scores in the Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP, to the State Board of Education in its board meeting Tuesday.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, said she was “a little deflated that we didn’t see more growth and progress.”

DESE is implementing programs to address low levels of literacy, an issue throughout the United States, with interventions based on the science of reading and increased teacher training.

Westbrooks-Hodge said the intervention has worked like triage care; it “stopped the bleed” and scores are static.

“We made lots of great investments in the last two years, and I think we’re going to see the fruit of that as our score starts to increase,” she said. “All of these interventions are working. They’re stabilizing our educational system, and now we can start layering growth on top of that.”

English language arts scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to data presented Tuesday, with 56% of students scoring in the “basic” or “below basic” range. This percentage has held steady since 2022.

Lisa Sireno, assistant commissioner of quality schools, said it takes “continuous, sustained focused implementation with fidelity at the local level, up to five years, before we start to see results on large-scale measures.”

She noted that teacher shortages could be impacting the scores, as a battle of the 2023-24 school year.

When looking at scores across all subjects and grades, there is an observable improvement since 2021’s tests. That year, 24% of scores were in the “below basic” range. That’s fallen to 22% this year, still higher than the 19% below basic in the  last pre-pandemic tests in 2019. The number of scores in proficient and advanced ranges are one-percent less than 2019’s achievement.

Math scores are exceeding pre-pandemic levels, with a one-percent boost in the advanced category compared to 2019 when looking at grades 3-8. Sireno noted that middle-school math has exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Sireno expects additional analysis, especially as educators look at local-level data.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) – The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) issued a marijuana product recall for marijuana products sold to dispensary and manufacturing facilities by comprehensive manufacturing licensee C&C Manufacturing, LLC.

No adverse reactions for this product have been reported to DCR at this time. The recalled marijuana products were not compliantly tracked in the statewide track-and-trace system called Metrc as mandated by 19 CSR 100-1. Therefore, DCR cannot verify compliance with health and safety requirements. The list of recalled products is located at https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/recalls.php.

Patients and consumers who have purchased the recalled product should stop using it. All unused product(s) should be discarded or returned to the dispensary facility where purchased. Returned products will not count toward a patient’s purchase limit. For more information on returns, please contact the dispensary facility where the product was purchased.

Anyone who thinks that they may be experiencing adverse reactions should seek immediate medical attention. Patients and consumers are reminded that any adverse reactions should be reported by emailing CannabisComplaints@health.mo.gov or filling out a complaint form located here.

General Consumer Safety & Education

While the adult-use cannabis program was built based on guidelines approved by Missouri voters, DHSS, as the state’s public health authority, asks consumers to consume cannabis with caution. Adult consumers are encouraged to review the health effects of cannabis prior to consuming. Some important points of caution include the following:

• Individuals should not use cannabis if pregnant as doing so may harm the baby’s health.
• Individuals should not operate a vehicle under the influence of marijuana. This remains illegal and dangerous as driving requires a person’s full attention to stay safe and alert. Marijuana can slow one’s reaction time and ability to make decisions, impair coordination and distort one’s perception.
• Adult consumers should ensure products are not accessible to those under age 21. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the teen brain is actively developing and continues to develop until around age 25. Marijuana use during adolescence and young adulthood may harm the developing brain.
• Edibles, or food and drink products infused with marijuana, have some different risks than smoked marijuana, including a greater risk of poisoning. Unlike smoked marijuana, edibles can:
• Take from 30 minutes to 2 hours to take effect, so some people may eat too much, which can lead to poisoning and/or serious injury.
• Cause intoxicating effects that last longer than expected, depending on the amount ingested, the last food eaten, and medications or alcohol used at the same time.

Children, adults and pets can mistake marijuana products, particularly edibles, for regular food or candy. Consuming marijuana can make children very sick. They may have problems walking or sitting up or may have a hard time breathing. If you have concerns of possible poisoning, call the Missouri Poison Center at 800-222-1222, or 911 if it is an emergency.

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