Missouri vs. South Carolina: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
Even though fans are not soon to forget the double-overtime classic put on by Missouri and South Carolina last season, the two programs are set to go at it again Saturday in one of the SEC schedule's biggest matchups.
Last year, South Carolina rattled off 17 fourth-quarter points and then got a field-goal miss from the opposition in the waning moments of the second overtime period to secure the massive upset.
Some of the heroes from that epic encounter have since moved on to other ventures, but the now-ranked No. 13 Gamecocks are hoping a home contest against an unranked Tigers squad produces a comfortable win this time around.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
As if. The SEC East rivals are bound to put on another show to remember, as a visit from ESPN's College GameDay suggests.
The Hunt for a Rebound
These are two angry teams, to say the least.
Gary Pinkel's Tigers are a team in transition that still managed to sneak into the realm of the ranked to start the season. Three dominant wins later, the most notable being a triumph over UCF, the squad had worked its way up to No. 18 overall.
Then Indiana came for a visit last weekend. Indiana, a program that has not won more than five games in a season since 2007. A program that has not strung together back-to-back winning seasons since the 1993 and 1994 campaigns.
That Indiana went to Columbia and compiled 493 yards of total offense, converted just one third down on 14 tries and escaped with a 31-27 win.
Not that things have been much better for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks. The team got blown away by Texas A&M to start the season. It then only scored a 10-point victory over East Carolina. A three-point upset of Georgia. Last week, Spurrier's team bumbled its way to a victory against an overmatched Vanderbilt squad.
Spurrier said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com:
"We still believe we have a chance to have a good team this year. We're 3-1 and have won some close ones. We've played some pretty good teams. We didn't think Vandy was going to be that good, but they played their hearts out. Probably out-played us. Probably out-hustled us in a lot of areas.
"
Considering a win Saturday would put either team's SEC fate in its own hands the rest of the way, it makes sense the men in charge are none too thrilled. Whether the teams were overlooking last week's games in favor of this one or not, both sides have a ton of work to do.
An Unheralded QB Battle
In a game such as this, the praise or blame will fall on the man under center.
For South Carolina, that is Dylan Thompson, who left last year's game against the Tigers in favor of injured starter Connor Shaw, who proceeded to lead the Gamecocks to the epic comeback. Looking back, Thompson has managed to (impressively) find the silver lining, as captured by Matt Connolly of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal:
Now a senior, Thompson has thrown for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns to three interceptions. In the loss to the Aggies, he completed just 50 percent of his passes but managed to get 366 yards and four touchdowns on the day.
Sophomore Maty Mauk is at a bit of a disadvantage in the quarterback showdown given his limited experience, but he has shined so far with 978 yards and 14 scores to four picks while completing 61.6 percent of his passes.
Mauk has looked increasingly confident under center each week and is clearly having no issues with the leadership role, as one can glean from his comments after the upset at the hands of Indiana.
"When was the last time we faced adversity?" Mauk asked, per ESPN.com. "Obviously, you don't want that, but we're going to bounce back and I have no doubt everybody's going to get healthy and we're going to come out ready to play Saturday."
Here is more adversity for Mauk to overcome on the road—senior guard Anthony Gatti is out with an injury, as is the team's No. 2 receiver, Darius White (15 catches for 230 yards and three scores).
When: Saturday, September 27, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
Television: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 62.5
- Spread: South Carolina (-6)
Team Injury Reports
| Levi Copelin | WR | 09/16/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Markus Golden | DE | 09/24/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against South Carolina | Probable | hamstring |
| Morgan Steward | RB | 08/28/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | hip |
| Darius White | WR | 09/23/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | hamstring |
| Kevin Crosby | TE | 09/21/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri | Questionable | foot |
| Caleb Hines | WR | 09/21/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri | Questionable | undisclosed |
| Mike Matulis | G | 08/16/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Blake McClain | DE | 09/21/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri | Questionable | foot |
| Jamari Smith | CB | 08/21/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | foot |
| Donell Stanley | OL | 09/21/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri | Questionable | wrist |
| Cody Waldrop | G | 09/21/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri | Questionable | knee |
| Devin Washington | DE | 09/21/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri | Questionable | hamstring |
Injury reports via USA Today.
Prediction
Neither of these teams inspire on the defensive side of the football, whereas both offenses have managed to post impressive offensive numbers through a handful of contests thus far.
Mauk is one of the conference's better passers already, but on the road in a hostile environment against his first true SEC test without a few key members of the offense, it is difficult to see him posting enough points to win this one.
Once South Carolina establishes a lead, it can ride tailback Mike Davis and others against a Missouri defense that surrendered 241 rushing yards to Indiana a week ago.
The home team grinds it out in the end.
Prediction: Gamecocks 38, Tigers 35
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
