Mizzou football vs. South Carolina: Five things to know before Tigers play Saturday

Trailing by two scores after the first quarter in Lexington, the Missouri Tigers saw a momentum shift following a fake-punt that turned into a touchdown pass from punter Luke Bauer.

The play was the beginning of a stretch in which Missouri scored 20 unanswered points to take control of the game. MU ultimately pulled ahead of then-No. 24 Kentucky to secure bowl eligibility and a spot in the AP Poll again with a 38-21 win.

Heading back to Columbia for a homecoming matchup, the Tigers now host South Carolina. The Gamecocks dropped a heartbreaking loss to Florida in their last game, as Gators QB Graham Mertz threw for 423 yards and recorded his third passing touchdown to give the Gators the lead in the final minute.

The Tigers can hand South Carolina a third straight loss this weekend. Here’s what you need to know before Saturday’s SEC matchup in Columbia...

Mizzou football vs. South Carolina game details

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (Columbia)

TV: SEC Network

Radio: Tiger Radio Network

Early betting line: Missouri is a 7-point favorite. The over/under is set at 60.

Five things to know: Mizzou vs. Kentucky

1. As simple as it sounds, the Gamecocks are allowing a lot of points. South Carolina ranks second-worst in the SEC and in the bottom 30 of FBS in points allowed per game (31.3). The Gamecocks surrendered 41 points in consecutive games against Tennessee and Florida, while the Tigers have scored at least 30 points in all games except for week two against Middle Tennessee.

2. QB Brady Cook should have a good day against this South Carolina pass defense. South Carolina allows an average of 321.7 yards through the air, the worst mark in college football. That’s good news for Cook, who is having his best season yet.

3. MU’s Eli Drinkwitz has yet to lose to South Carolina as a head coach. Across his short tenure at Appalachian State and his time at Missouri, Drinkwitz has gone 4-0 as a head coach against the Gamecocks. He is 6-1 against the Gamecocks if you include his time as an assistant coach. The lone loss came in 2017 when he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NC State.

4. ... And the Tigers haven’t lost to South Carolina since 2018. The Tigers ride into their homecoming weekend on a four-game winning streak against the Gamecocks. The 2018 loss was a result of a heartbreaking finish for the Tigers, when Gamecocks kicker Parker White hit a 33-yard field goal at Williams-Brice Stadium with two seconds on the clock to jump ahead 37-35.

5. WR Xavier Legette is a player to watch. The South Carolina wide receiver will cause the Tigers to have their hands full. Averaging 19.4 yards per reception, Legette is fifth in the country in receiving yards (716), and he seems to have built a strong connection with former OU quarterback Spencer Rattler. That duo will test the MU defense.