The rough offseason for Missouri quarterbacks got just a little bit better.
According to Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune, Tigers backup quarterback Corbin Berkstresser was charged Friday with a misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident. While that by itself doesn’t sound like good news, it is -- at least a little -- in the following context:
Berkstresser was arrested last month in connection to leaving the scene of an accident and was indefinitely suspended shortly thereafter. Depending on the damage to the other vehicle (over/under $1,000), Berkstresser could have faced either a Class D felony or a class A misdemeanor.
Because Berkstresser officially faces a misdemeanor and not a felony, he can work his way back on to the team. With starting quarterback James Franklin out for the spring with a shoulder injury, Berkstresser has been taking the first-team snaps at QB. Though Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel doesn’t expect Franklin to miss any games, the injury could sideline Franklin all the way up to the season-opening game against Southeastern Louisiana.
But in the event Franklin isn’t ready to go in Week 1 -- it’s a cupcake game anyway -- Berkstresser would need to be available.