Missouri @ South Carolina preview
Williams-Brice Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 26, 2013 ) South Carolina 27, Missouri 24
Despite putting itself in a hole on the opening night of the season, No. 15 South Carolina is now in position to put the pressure on the rest of the SEC East. The Gamecocks will be halfway through their conference slate after Saturday's visit from Missouri, and another win against a division rival would be a major advantage. The Tigers are aiming for their seventh straight road win while South Carolina has won 20 of its last 21 at home.
Neither team looked like a title contender a week ago, as the Gamecocks struggled before pulling away for a 48-34 win at Vanderbilt and the Tigers gave up a late touchdown in a 31-27 home loss to Indiana. "We're still in the hunt for whatever we're in the hunt for, but obviously we need to concern ourselves with playing the game at a lot better level than we've been playing," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier told reporters. The Gamecocks handed the Tigers their only regular-season blemish a year ago, storming back from a 17-0 fourth-quarter deficit for a 27-24 overtime victory at Missouri.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: South Carolina -5.5.
ABOUT MISSOURI (3-1, 0-0 SEC): The Tigers have hardly missed a beat on offense with Maty Mauk under center, as the sophomore has racked up 978 yards and 14 TDs through the air and added 115 yards and a score on the ground. Defensive end Shane Ray has been a disruptive force, ranking tied for second in the nation with 2.4 tackles for loss per game and tied for third with 1.5 sacks per contest, and he will need to continue that production against a strong Gamecocks offense. The Tigers were without the other bookend, defensive end Markus Golden, against Indiana because of a hamstring injury, but he is expected to play this week.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (3-1, 2-1): As usual, Spurrier's squad boasts a potent, balanced offense that has put up 36.8 points per contest and topped 430 total yards in each game. Quarterback Dylan Thompson has thrown for 1,140 yards with 11 TDs and three interceptions and the passing game has picked up some of the slack while waiting for running back Mike Davis (264 yards, 2 TDs) to break out. The defense continues to be cause for concern, as the Gamecocks allowed a whopping 34 points to a punchless Vanderbilt offense and have surrendered 480 total yards and 36 points per game.
EXTRA POINTS
1. South Carolina is 2-0 versus SEC East opponents this season and has won 20 of its last 24 against division rivals.
2. The Gamecocks have had six players catch TD passes with four hauling in at least two scores, while the Tigers have five receivers who have grabbed TDs with three snagging at least three.
3. Missouri's string of 47 consecutive games with a takeaway was the longest in the nation before the Tigers failed to force a turnover against the Hoosiers.
PREDICTION: South Carolina 34, Missouri 30