Notebook: Missouri Tigers Knock Off No. 25 South Carolina Behind Lockdown Defense, Competent Offense
It's late in the season, but the Missouri Tigers are starting to build some momentum here in 2022.
Fresh off a homecoming win over Vanderbilt, the Tigers continued their winning ways by knocking off No. 25 South Carolina this Saturday, 23-10. Missouri looked to be in control for the whole game, and never turned the ball over, which is a very good sign for Tigers fans going forward.
South Carolina had just beaten Texas A&M and was in front of a raucous home crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium, a tough environment for visiting teams. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his squad were unfazed though, as they took an early 17-0 lead and never looked back. The Tigers secured their second conference win and first road win of 2022, and now they'll try to take that juice into Week 10.
Missouri's Defense Played Lights Out
The Tigers' defense has been the strength of this team all year, but it seems to improve every game. Mizzou held South Carolina to just 10 points and 32 yards rushing on the day. DC Blake Baker and his unit also totaled four sacks and eleven tackles for loss against the Gamecocks, dominating the battle up front.
South Carolina couldn't get anything going, and the fact that they scored even ten points is kind of a surprise given how Missouri's defense was playing. It helped that the Missouri offense put them in some much better field position today as well, but the game ball has to go to the defense after today's victory.
The Tiger Offense is Coming Together
Sure, Missouri still hasn't scored more than two touchdowns since Week 3, but that's all they needed to get the job done today. In fact, 23 points is their highest scoring output since, well, Week 3. So, while it's a bit early for the parade through Columbia, some congratulations are in order for this group's improvement.
It looks like Mizzou's settled on Cody Schrader at running back, and he delivered today with 81 rushing yards and a touchdown. That ground game stayed productive throughout the game and kept the Gamecocks off-balance enough for Tigers receivers to capitalize. Cook may not have thrown any touchdowns, but he did record 224 yards passing, most of which came to one route runner in particular.
WR Dominic Lovett Continues to Impress
Lovett hasn't gotten the press that freshman phenom Luther Burden III has, but he might truly be the Tigers' most dynamic offensive weapon. He caught ten passes for 150 yards today, scorching the South Carolina secondary from start to finish. His big play ability is something that Missouri has been in desperate need of and now that he's back to full health, expect him to continue getting targeted when Mizzou has the ball.
Lovett's near the top of the SEC's receiving leaderboard right now, and a couple more big games could give him that tile for the year. The sophomore has been electrifying all season and will continue to be a priority in Missouri's offense.
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