Kentucky at Missouri: Gary Pinkel excited to be back after bye week

Missouri Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said Monday his team was able to take full advantage of its bye week and is feeling confident heading into its homecoming matchup Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Neither team has won an SEC game yet this season. Missouri, by extension, has yet to win a conference game as a member of the SEC.

According to the Missouri Tigers' official transcript of Pinkel's news conference Monday, Missouri has a set schedule by which it abides each year when it has a bye week.

"The coaches are out recruiting all week long, and our players have some time off, which I think is really good for them. Then we have practice Saturday morning and Sunday evening. It's very typical of what we do and what we believe in and I think it accomplishes a lot of goals. I feel good, and am excited about being back in game week."

Pinkel also said the Missouri training staff was able to spend time during the bye week helping quarterback James Franklin rehab his sprained MCL, but it's still unclear if he'll play Saturday against the Wildcats. Pinkel said Franklin has still not run after suffering the injury Oct. 6 against the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Kentucky is 1-7 and 0-5 in SEC play so far this season. The Wildcats lost Saturday to the Georgia Bulldogs, 29-24.