Gamecock Digest

South Carolina vs Missouri: An Early Look

Alex Joyce

South Carolina Gamecocks edge Jatius Geer (12) goes to take down Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) during the second half of the game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.
South Carolina Gamecocks edge Jatius Geer (12) goes to take down Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) during the second half of the game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. / Stephanie Amador / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Carolina returns home to Columbia this week as they prepare to take on the Missouri Tigers.

South Carolina is garnering more national attention after back to back wins over Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks are ranked inside the AP top 25 for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. Now (7-2) Missouri rolls into town trying to knock South Carolina out of said rankings.

The Tigers had SEC title and college football playoff aspirations entering the year and while they aren't mathmatically out of either, they haven't been the team most thought they would at the start of the year. A loss on Saturday, however, will see those early season aspirations come to an end. With the TIgers' backs in a corner, what can the Gamecocks expect to see from Missouri this weekend?

Drew Pyne or Brady Cook?

Much of the Tigers' success this season was tied to the return of Brady Cook and the talented pass catchers (more on them later). The problem this season has been the health of Missouri's star quarterback. Cook suffered an ankle injury in the win over Auburn on Oct. 19. The following week against Alabama, Cook couldn't finish the game as he was ruled out by the ankle and a hand injury. Those two set backs would cause him to miss the this past weekend's win over Oklahoma. The Tigers haven't announced whether or not Cook would be returning to the lineup this weekend. If he is out or limited, the Gamecocks could see a lot of Notre Dame and Arizona State transfer, Drew Pyne. Pyne has been servicable for Missouri this season, but he's not the caliber of player that Cook is. Cook's health is a major factor in the game this weekend.

Missouri's Pass Catchers

The South Carolina secondary will have it's hands full on Saturday covering a talented Tigers' receiving core. Theo Wease Jr. leads the team in yards (552), while superstar Luther Burden III is second on the team in yards (505) and leads the team in touchdowns (4) and receptions (45). Behind those two sits a deep threat in Mookie Cooper. Cooper is in his fourth year with the Tigers and is enjoying the best year of his career from a yards per catch standpoint (19.6). Missouri has a wealth of talent at the position, the question remains if they have the QB to get it to them.

Tigers' Secondary

South Carolina wants to run the ball. Between LaNorris Sellers, Rocket Sanders, and a veteran offensive line, that's this team's bread and butter. But as the year has gone on, the passing game has progressed as Sellers and his receiving core learned to gel. The problem this weekend is Missouri has one of the best secondaries in the country. They give up 161.4 yards per game (8th in the country, 2nd in the SEC). South Carolina will have to find ways to exploit Missouri in order to lighten the box on Saturday.

You Might Also Like:

Join the community:

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and on Facebook!

Published
Alex Joyce
ALEX JOYCE