Scouting USC’s next opponent: the Missouri Tigers
Game info
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field (71,168), Columbia, Mo.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 107.5 FM
Line: Missouri by 4.5
Three story lines
1. Points, points, points. The average Missouri game last year was 31.4-31.5. The first game produced 115 points. Mizzou’s pace causes this, and its poor defense helps. South Carolina’s offense just showed flashes against a defense a lot better than the one it will see.
2. First half? Second half? USC’s defense tightened up considerably after halftime of the opener after struggling to get off the field in the first two quarters. Limiting explosive plays is big against the Tigers, but so is getting them off schedule on early downs.
3. The Gamecocks running game was quiet against N.C. State. That might say something about where it is, or it says the Wolfpack has a nasty run defense (by some measures top 12 last season) and crowds the box. This game should give more indication of what Rico Dowdle, Ty’son Williams and A.J. Turner’s ceiling is.
Three players to watch
1. Junior quarterback Drew Lock made his first career start against USC in 2015. Since then, he’s evolved into a solid triggerman, executing the Tigers’ high-paced spread attack while throwing for 3,399 yards with a 133.3 rating as a sophomore. His completion percentage last year was low at 54.6 percent, and he’s said improving that was a goal.
2. Senior defensive end Marcell Frazier was a solid pass rusher a season ago, with 7 1/2 sacks. He had one sack Saturday and is one of the few veterans on a defense that lost a lot of key pieces.
3. Sophomore tailback Damarea Crockett is part of a backfield the Tigers hope is deeper than last season, but he’s an explosive one. After posting 1,062 yards at 6.9 yards a carry, he opened 2017 with 204 yards at 11.2 per.
Scouting report
▪ The first thing everyone notices about Missouri is all the yards and points, but that’s a little deceiving. A year ago, the Tigers averaged 672.5 yards and 70 points against Delaware State and Eastern Michigan and 466.1 and 19.7 points against everyone else. Considering this season started with 815 yards, 72 points and 10.9 yards a play against a not great FCS team, it’s worth waiting a minute.
▪ The reason Mizzou can do this is in part because of a high-pace scheme that spreads the field out wide, creating space for runners, and attacks with plenty of run-pass option plays. That means it’s a pretty good offense, but not proven nearly as good as the gaudy numbers.
▪ Lock is running the show and he’s a good, solid QB. He throws well, runs the offense well and has experience in his third year.
▪ The tailback duo of Crockett and Ish Witter is also back, and both make good use of the space the offense provides in the box. The staff has high expectations for freshman Larry Rountree III.
▪ J’Mon Moore leads a trio of top returning receivers back, so there are plenty of faces in the lineup who remember losing in Columbia. Moore only caught about half the passes that come his way last year, but he was a big-play guy.
▪ Mizzou’s defense is built around a 4-3 base, but within that, it’s pretty multiple with Frazier able to do some stand-up stuff.
▪ That group allowed a lot of space in the box to an FCS team. They also had a rash of blown coverages against Missouri State, allowing more than 10 yards per pass.
▪ Even adjusting for pace, the Tigers defense was a bad defense last year and lost big chunks of its front seven. Giving up 35 in a half and 6.6 yards per play to an FCS team not known for offense doesn’t inspire much confidence.
This story was originally published September 3, 2017 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Scouting USC’s next opponent: the Missouri Tigers."