South Carolina vs. Missouri: Gamecocks look to start 1-0 in SEC

South Carolina (1-0) vs. Missouri (1-0)

September 9^th 2017 | 7:00 pm ET | Faurot Field, Columbia, MO

The South Carolina Gamecocks travel to Columbia, Missouri to take on the Missouri Tigers in an early season SEC matchup. Both teams are coming off huge wins, with South Carolina holding off a strong N.C. State team late, while Missouri scored an incredible 72 points against Missouri State.

The matchup is intriguing already, as both teams showed they have potential on both sides of the ball. South Carolina had a strong offensive showing, including some big plays from wide-receiver Deebo Samuel. Missouri’s offensive flourished behind quarterback Drew Lock, who threw for 521 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back Damarea Crockett finished with 202 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Players to watch for South Carolina

Deebo Samuel: Coming off a three total touchdown performance, Deebo Samuel looks like one of the top weapons in the SEC. He flourished in the passing game, including a one-handed, toe-dragging touchdown in the corner of the end zone. Deebo looks to have another strong week against a Missouri defense that let up 43 points to Missouri State.

Jake Bentley: Bentley had a ton of precise throws; including three touchdown passes on great reads. Bentley also had a ton of big-time scrambles, showing his athleticism. Look out for Bentley to only improve upon his 215 yard, three-touchdown game.

T.J. Brunson: Brunson stood out on the defensive side of the football. He finished with 16 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He was all over the field for South Carolina, and looked impressive to start his sophomore campaign.

Players to watch for Missouri

Drew Lock: Lock finished with incredible numbers. He looked impressive while leading Missouri to 72 points. Let’s see how Lock looks in week number two, as he faces better competition in South Carolina.

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Receivers J’Mon Moore and Johnathon Johnson: Moore finished with 187 yards and two touchdowns, while Johnson finished with 116 yards and two touchdowns. Both of these guys were playmaking machines against Missouri State. These wideouts have play making ability, and seem to be quality targets for Drew Lock all season.

Prediction

South Carolina 42, Missouri 27. South Carolina beat a very good N.C. State team last week, and their offense should be able to move the ball at will against Missouri. Their defense bent, but didn’t break last week and made a ton of plays when needed. Look for a bit of a high scoring affair, but South Carolina will outshoot Missouri.