Looking ahead to Missouri
Oct. 30, 2016
On Saturday, Nov. 5, South Carolina will welcome in Missouri to Williams-Brice Stadium in the annual “Battle of the Columbias.” So far out in Columbia, Missouri, the Tigers have had an up and down season, but they will bring a two-game winning streak against the Gamecocks into Columbia, South Carolina.
Barry Odom is in his first year as Missouri’s head coach after leading the Tigers’ defense last year as defensive coordinator. Missouri has struggled thus far on defense, but the offensive firepower has eased some of the pain on the defensive side of the ball.
One of the biggest reasons for the offensive success has been quarterback Drew Lock. The sophomore has proved to be one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, and has improved tremendously after enduring some freshman struggles last season.
Lock’s favorite target has been receiver J’Mon Moore, who ranks among the SEC leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns. Dimetrios Mason and Emanuel Hall are two other wideouts who have impressed this season as well.
The Tigers have a dynamic, two-headed rushing attack that has been able to take some pressure off Lock and make the Tigers a balanced offensive attack. Freshman Damarea Crockett has burst onto the scene to be one of the league’s most promising offensive stars. Veteran Ish Witter has had an impressive season so far as well, and the touches are split pretty evenly between the two tailbacks. Backup quarterback Marvin Zanders has been used in the run game as well, and has shown the ability to make big plays.
As mentioned, the Tigers have struggled as a unit on defense, but as always, they have playmakers along the defensive line. In particular, redshirt junior Charles Harris is once again a force and leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss. Missouri also has some talented linebackers in Donavin Newsom and Cale Garrett. In the secondary, the Tigers are led by cornerbacks Aarion Penton and John Gibson with both players battling each other for the team lead in interceptions and pass breakups.
The Tigers will bring a freshman kicker into Williams-Brice Stadium in Tucker McCann. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities yet, but has shown he can be accurate on field goals approaching 50 yards. Return specialist Johnathon Johnson has a punt return touchdown on the year, so the Gamecocks need to be on the watch for him.
This will be the first visit to Williams-Brice for Missouri since 2014, when they upset the Gamecocks by a score of 21-20. This year’s meeting is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. and can be seen on the SEC Network.
Oct. 30, 2016
On Saturday, Nov. 5, South Carolina will welcome in Missouri to Williams-Brice Stadium in the annual “Battle of the Columbias.” So far out in Columbia, Missouri, the Tigers have had an up and down season, but they will bring a two-game winning streak against the Gamecocks into Columbia, South Carolina.
Barry Odom is in his first year as Missouri’s head coach after leading the Tigers’ defense last year as defensive coordinator. Missouri has struggled thus far on defense, but the offensive firepower has eased some of the pain on the defensive side of the ball.
One of the biggest reasons for the offensive success has been quarterback Drew Lock. The sophomore has proved to be one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, and has improved tremendously after enduring some freshman struggles last season.
Lock’s favorite target has been receiver J’Mon Moore, who ranks among the SEC leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns. Dimetrios Mason and Emanuel Hall are two other wideouts who have impressed this season as well.
The Tigers have a dynamic, two-headed rushing attack that has been able to take some pressure off Lock and make the Tigers a balanced offensive attack. Freshman Damarea Crockett has burst onto the scene to be one of the league’s most promising offensive stars. Veteran Ish Witter has had an impressive season so far as well, and the touches are split pretty evenly between the two tailbacks. Backup quarterback Marvin Zanders has been used in the run game as well, and has shown the ability to make big plays.
As mentioned, the Tigers have struggled as a unit on defense, but as always, they have playmakers along the defensive line. In particular, redshirt junior Charles Harris is once again a force and leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss. Missouri also has some talented linebackers in Donavin Newsom and Cale Garrett. In the secondary, the Tigers are led by cornerbacks Aarion Penton and John Gibson with both players battling each other for the team lead in interceptions and pass breakups.
The Tigers will bring a freshman kicker into Williams-Brice Stadium in Tucker McCann. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities yet, but has shown he can be accurate on field goals approaching 50 yards. Return specialist Johnathon Johnson has a punt return touchdown on the year, so the Gamecocks need to be on the watch for him.
This will be the first visit to Williams-Brice for Missouri since 2014, when they upset the Gamecocks by a score of 21-20. This year’s meeting is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. and can be seen on the SEC Network.
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