Game of the Week Preview
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By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com
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Previewing the week five game of the week: Missouri at South Carolina.
Game — Missouri at South Carolina
Overview — The early lead in the SEC East is at stake as the Tigers and Gamecocks collide in Columbia-east. From a national standpoint, this game lost some luster when Missouri fell at home to Indiana a Saturday ago. ESPN College Gameday is still in town, however. Last season’s meeting, just the second regular season pairing between the two, was an absolute classic; Connor Shaw led South Carolina to a dramatic double-overtime victory.
Why to Watch — Two of the top quarterbacks in the league will be on display in Maty Mauk and Dylan Thompson. Mauk leads the SEC with 14 passing touchdowns, while Thompson tops the division in passing yards with 1,140. The chance for offensive fireworks is in place. Neither Steve Spurrier or Gary Pinkel were pleased last Saturday afternoon. Given that and the league implications, expect both team’s best effort.
Keys for Missouri
1. Let Mauk Loose — Quarterback Maty Mauk’s numbers are quite impressive; 245 passing yards per game, 14 passing scores. He has been especially effective throwing the football to seniors Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt. Mauk has the ability to put pressure on any defense and South Carolina’s unit, ranked 115th nationally in opponent passer rating, has had some struggles. An aggressive approach with Mauk and the passing game could be beneficial. The sophomore signal caller seems to be a great rhythm this season. The Tigers may use some of the same principles Kenny Hill and the Texas A&M offense did back in their 52-point week one performance.
2. Attack the Backfield — After six sacks against Central Florida in week three, the Tigers had just two sacks in their disappointing loss to Indiana. End Markus Golden, the edge-rushing compliment to Shane Ray, did not play in that game due to injury. Golden and Ray are this year’s Kony Ealey and Michael Sam, the collective catalysts for Missouri’s gameplan defensively. When those two are at their best, everything else seems to fall into place. South Carolina was able to protect quarterback Dylan Thompson in a key game against Georgia and the veteran completed 70% of his throws with three touchdowns. Though very productive, Thompson can be turnover-prone when hurried. Increasing the chance for mistakes with the pass rush, and disrupting the first few steps of running back Mike Davis’ stride, will be critical.
3. Don’t Give up the Big Play — The Tigers have allowed eight plays of 30 yards or more already this season, including four runs of at least that distance. Defensive fundamentals will be important Saturday, proper alignment and positioning and sound tackling at the point of attack. Missouri did a very good job of slowing the running of Mike Davis in 2013 as the Tigers limited him to 51 yards on 19 carries. The Gamecocks made it a point to get Davis into space via the passing game, though, as he had ten catches for 99 yards. As the road team, the Tigers need to make South Carolina work and not give up the important swing plays that sway momentum.
Keys for South Carolina
1. Late Down Success — Both offensively and defensively, the Gamecocks have struggled on third downs. South Carolina ranks last in the SEC in third down defense and 10th in third down offense. Some of that can be attributed to the Gamecocks’ tough early season schedule, but improvement still must be made. The defensive numbers slot South Carolina 125th nationally. Even just situational pressure on the passer would help as South Carolina has only four sacks so far this year. Look for linebackers Kaiwan Lewis and Skai Moore to be used on blitzes to help the young edge rushers.
2. Offensive Diversity — With the likes of quarterback Dylan Thompson, running back Mike Davis and a talented group of wide receivers, the Gamecocks are at their best when balanced. Keeping the defense guessing will be very important against Missouri, which ranks third in the SEC with 13 sacks. Defensive end Shane Ray leads the nation with 9.5 tackles for loss. That rush can be slowed some by scheme. It may benefit South Carolina to, not only, consistently mix the run and pass, but also include some draws and screens throughout the night. The Gamecocks can potentially use the Tigers’ biggest strength against them. Indiana compiled 252 yards passing and 241 yards rushing in its win over Missouri last weekend.
3. Limit Marcus Murphy — Special teams can often decide big games like this and Murphy is one of the nation’s best return men. He has scored five times on returns during his career and took a kickoff back for a touchdown in the Tigers’ season-opener against South Dakota State. South Carolina allowed two kick returns for a score to Darrius Sims against Vanderbilt, prompting some frustration from head coach Steve Spurrier. Kicking and punting away from the dynamic speedster will is a must. Murphy is also a capable runner out of the backfield and may be used more in the passing game with Darius White out due to injury. The Gamecocks need to know where he is at all times.
Key Players
Missouri: Maty Mauk, QB — The leader of the Tigers, Mauk has already won some big conference road games in his young career. His confidence helps set the tone for Missouri. Coming off of a disappointing performance, the Tigers will need that edge.
South Carolina: Corey Robinson, OT — Robinson was named the SEC’s Offensive Lineman of the Week after the Gamecocks’ victory over Georgia. The massive tackle will need to be at his best on Saturday against Missouri’s star defensive ends.
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