Getting to Know Your Opponent: A Conversation With Rock M Nation's Sammy Stava

South Carolina heads to Columbia, Missouri, for the first true road game of the season against the undefeated Tigers. Like the Gamecocks, Missouri has a lot of new players in prominent roles on both sides of the ball. To help us get a better look at the team as a whole, Rock M Nation's Sammy Stava, from SB Nation's Missouri site, tells us more about what South Carolina should watch out for this weekend.

This is the second year we've sat down with Sammy and asked him questions about the upcoming game. I answered questions for Tigers fans on their site as well. Kicking things off we take a look at Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula.

Question: For the last couple years Missouri had stars on offense like Brady Cook and Luther Burden III. This year Penn State transfer Beau Pribula has the reins of the offense, can you talk about his impact on the team so far? Also South Carolina struggled with Diego Pavia's mobility, is that something Pribula does well too?

Stava's answer: After backing up Drew Allar at Penn State, the Nittany Lion transfer Beau Pribula looks like he belongs a starting quarterback in the SEC. In his first three games with Missouri, Pribula has seven passing touchdowns (three rushing TDs) and just one interception for 791 yards. His accuracy – a 76.4 completion percentage is what stands out. There were some questions about Pribula and his limited playing time at Penn State, but with what I’ve seen so far – he looks the part of a quarterback that can at least contend for the Heisman. He’s a dual-threat QB that can cause some problems for South Carolina just like Diego Pavia.

Question: Speaking of guys like Burden III, what players on offense should Gamecock fans be on the lookout for? Is there a star on that side of the ball?

Stava's answer: Replacing Luther Burden III at the wide receiver position is a transfer from Mississippi State, Kevin Coleman Jr. In his first three games, he has 24 receptions, which currently leads the SEC. The running back position is highlighted by ULM transfer Ahmad Hardy – who has exceeded expectations up to this point. Last season, he led the Sun Belt in rushing yards as a freshman – and now he currently leads the SEC with 462 rushing yards.

Question: The Tigers haven't just been dominant offensively, but they are the only team in the country to be both top five in total offense and total defense. How has the defense looked so far?

Stava's answer: Missouri’s defense has looked elite thus far – and that hasn’t been all that surprising considering the fact they returned seven starters on defense from last season. Georgia transfer Damon Wilson highlights the defensive line, West Virginia transfer Josiah Trotter highlights the linebackers, and senior Daylan Carnell highlights the secondary position. All three have contributed at a high level.

Question: Speaking of Damon Wilson II, a transfer edge from the University of Georgia, he currently leads the team in sacks. What have you seen out of him and could he have a big day Saturday?

Stava's answer: Damon Wilson was a former five-star recruit and so far through three games at Missouri he’s playing up to his potential. He’ll need to show it against better competition though and it starts in their SEC opener vs South Carolina. I think we’ll see him be aggressive in the pass rush to create some problems for LaNorris Sellers as he’s not 100 percent healthy.

Question: Finally score prediction time. The Tigers are 11.5 point favorites according to FanDuel. How do you see this one playing out and do you expect Missouri to cover?

Stava's answer: Missouri should win this one at home, but it won’t be easy. South Carolina losing to Vanderbilt was probably the worst thing that could have happened to Mizzou. Gamecocks will be plenty motivated and desperate to bounce back. Tigers look like the better overall team, though. They’ll pull away late but not cover, 30-21.

If you want to learn more about what Missouri brings to the table, you can check out Rock M Nation's site here.

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