South Carolina failed to follow up their big win over Georgia with a performance overly impressive. The Gamecocks did manage a 48-34 win on the road, but head coach Steve Spurrier noted that he was frustrated with the overall struggle of the team. Now the Gamecocks are preparing to once against face a challenge as the Missouri Tigers come to town for an SEC East showdown.
The Gamecocks offense looked strong, but their defense struggled heavily against Vanderbilt who has looked very weak to start the year. Quarterback Dylan Thomas performed well despite being in a 14-0 hole at halftime. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns as he ranks fourth in the SEC in passing with 285.0 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The question for the team could be their defense. The Gamecocks got demolished against the Texas A&M Aggies 52-28. They struggled against East Carolina before beating Georgia. They failed to frustrated Vanderbilt, but managed the win anyways. A win over the Missouri Tigers would give the Gamecocks a 3-0 record in the East and keep them as the favorites to make it to the SEC Championship.
The Tigers have lost to South Carolina in both games since joining the SEC. They fell 31-10 in 2012 as South Carolina rallied back to a 27-24 double over time win. Quarterback Maty Mauk is seeking some revenge. He is completing 61.6 percent for 978 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. He is 9-of-10 in play action passing.
The Tigers are not ranked at the moment after struggling against Indiana and getting beat after a 75-yard touchdown drive got the win. Wesley Leftwich and J'Mon Moore are leading the wide receiver corps as Darius White strained his groin in the loss to the Hoosiers. White was leading the team with 230 yards and three scores.
