Game report: Mizzou 21, No. 13 South Carolina 20
First quarter
Key play: South Carolina gambled near midfield on the opening drive, but failed to convert on fourth-and-1 when Missouri sophomore linebacker Kentrell Brothers stopped junior Brandon Wilds for no gain. Four plays later, the Tigers took the lead.
Key stat: Missouri freshman wide receiver Lawrence Lee was credited with minus-6 yards (but no reception) as part of a hook-and-ladder in the loss to Indiana. In Saturday’s first quarter, he caught his first career pass, an spinning 8-yard grab along the sideline.
Second quarter
Key play: Missouri’s defense seemed to wear down late in the second quarter, allowing South Carolina to take its first lead on a 17-yard touchdown run by junior Mike Davis.
Key stat: Missouri owned a hefty edge in field position. The Tigers’ average drive started at their own 38, including one drive that started at the 50 and another at the Gamecocks’ 44. Still, South Carolina, which started on its own 26 on average, had the period’s only points.
Third quarter
Key play: Missouri blew coverage on a blitz and left South Carolina senior Nick Jones wide open for a 47-yard gain down to the MU 6-yard line. The Tigers’ defense forced a field goal, and Elliott Fry’s 41-yard boot made it 13-7 Gamecocks.
Key stat: Missouri churned out 40 yards of total offense. The good news: That was double its second-quarter output. The bad news: Forty yards isn’t much offense. The Tigers’ offense amassed 157 yards on 50 plays through three quarters.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Junior running back Russell Hansbrough scored two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner on a 1-yard plunge with 1:36 remaining.
Key stat: Missouri rolled up 123 of its 280 yards in the fourth quarter. Mauk was only three of nine passing, but a 41-yard bomb to Bud Sasser and a 26-yard deep post to Wesley Leftwich recharged the Tigers and set the stage for their comeback.
Player of the game: Junior defensive end Shane Ray established a career-high with eight tackles and matched his career high with two sacks. He also was credited with a hurry for a defense whose constant pressure helped kept Missouri afloat.
Reason to hope: Missouri’s defense looked dramatically improved. Without a doubt, the Tigers benefited from the return of senior defensive end Markus Golden, but his presence alone doesn’t explain the turnaround. There’s real improvement there.
Reason to mope: Mauk showed steady improvement through the first three weeks, but he’s struggled the last two. Protection issues have plagued Missouri, but he needs to make better decisions. He also needs more help from his line and wide receivers.
Looking ahead: Missouri will get some R&R this week with a bye. It’s a nice breather between South Carolina and a visit from Georgia on Oct. 11. It also comes at a good time with the Tigers riding an emotional roller coaster after losing to Indiana and upsetting the Gamecocks.
Tod Palmer, tpalmer@kcstar.com
Report card
D+ | Offense | Missouri struggled to establish the run again and Mauk still found himself scrambling too much. The Tigers made a defense that was allowing 480 yards per game look impenetrable, managing only 280 yards. But they came through at the end. |
A- | Defense | It allowed only 338 yards on 79 plays and kept Missouri in the game while the offense puttered around. |
B+ | Special teams | Give Baggett a pass on the missed 48-yarder. Senior Marcus Murphy had a nice 23-yard punt return and Christian Brinser punted well. |
B- | Coaching | Missouri came out ready to play on defense after last week’s debacle, but the offense never got any rhythm. The delay-of-game penalty on the first play of a third-quarter drive was inexcusable. |
This story was originally published September 27, 2014 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Game report: Mizzou 21, No. 13 South Carolina 20."