Missouri football will host the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday at a sold out Faurot Field for Missouri’s 112th Homecoming football game. Missouri, coming off a 38-21 win over Kentucky, has earned the No. 20 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. A win against South Carolina would provide momentum for Missouri before heading into their scheduled break during a bye next week before traveling to Georgia to take on the defending national champions. The Tigers have won the last four matchups against the Gamecocks. If the Tigers want to continue their streak of winning the Mayor’s Cup, they’ll have to involve these three aspects in their performance. 

Attacking through the air

One of the biggest mismatches on Saturday will be Missouri’s explosive passing game versus a struggling South Carolina defensive secondary. The Gamecocks have allowed an average of 337.4 passing yards per game, the second worst in college football. Meanwhile, the Missouri offense is averaging 318.8 passing yards per game, placing them at No.12.

Last week, South Carolina allowed Florida quarterback Graham Mertz to throw for a career high 423 yards. Additionally, Gators’ wide receiver Ricky Pearsall’s 166 receiving yards were the fourth most in the nation for week seven. 

Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, they will once again have their hands full this weekend when facing quarterback Brady Cook and the wide receivers available to him. Cook’s 2,054 passing yards are the third most in the SEC, and wide receiver Luther Burden III’s 808 receiving yards are the second most in the conference. Expect Missouri to take advantage of this mismatch early and often with a pass-heavy offense.

Utilizing Cody Schrader at the right times

While the Tigers will likely favor the passing game on Saturday, graduate running back Cody Schrader can play a significant role for the Missouri offense, especially when utilized at the correct times. A balance between an explosive passing game mixed with the threat of an effective running game presents many challenges for defenses. 

Schrader, a team captain, has rushed for over 100 yards three times in 2023, often being used to control the pace of the game. Last week against Kentucky, Schrader was used to drain the clock in the fourth quarter and scored a game-sealing touchdown with 11 minutes remaining. If Missouri can build an early lead, expect Schrader to take over to shred time off the clock in hopes of the Tigers maintaining a lead.

Winning the turnover battle

Last week, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said turnovers are the number one indicator of wins and losses.

Games are often decided by just a few crucial mistakes made by an offense that are taken advantage of by the defense.

That was the case in South Carolina’s loss last week against Florida as an interception in the final minute from South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler ended the Gamecocks chances of a comeback, as they trailed by just four points. Rattler has thrown a total of four interceptions in the past four games. This week, Rattler will look to avoid the hands of Missouri defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine, who currently has four interceptions on the year – tied for the second most in college football this season. 

Turnovers for the Missouri defense would provide added opportunities for its offense to take advantage of a struggling South Carolina defense. Against LSU, Missouri’s offense gave away two turnovers while not coming away with any on defense, a key factor in them losing the close game. If Saturday’s game is a close offensive shootout like Missouri’s loss against LSU — or South Carolina’s against Florida — the game will likely come down to a few key turnovers.

Edited by Chase Gemes | cgemes@themaneater.com

Copy Edited by Bella Zielinski and Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com 

Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com