Missouri Tigers football vs. South Carolina: TV, kickoff time, bet line, preview
The Missouri Tigers didn’t have a game Saturday, but MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz still wanted to keep his players in shape and sharp. So the Tigers planned to have a “mock game,” where the only thing missing was the actual game day opponent.
Mizzou had another game postponed or altered because of COVID-19 last week. But this time, the Tigers were the ones who couldn’t make it to specific positional minimums. Drinkwitz’s squad fell below the threshold at defensive line, which prompted their Georgia game to be moved.
That means the Tigers haven’t played a game since Oct. 31, a blowout loss to Florida.
On Saturday, Mizzou (2-3) is scheduled to face a reeling South Carolina (2-5), a team that’s lost three straight and fired coach Will Muschamp on Sunday.
Here’s a look at this week’s game.
THE DETAILS
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
TV: SEC Network Alternate
Betting line: Missouri by 6
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Five things to watch
- Good-bye, Muschamp. USC announced late Sunday night it had fired Muschamp, who was in his fifth season with the program. Muschamp compiled a 28-30 record during his Gamecock tenure. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will step in as interim coach.
- Could another postponement be in the works? When the SEC announced the Mizzou vs. Georgia game was postponed, all eyes shifted to the Tigers’ South Carolina game and its status. But Drinkwitz and those within the program weren’t overly worried about playing this Saturday’s game. MU isn’t facing a team-wide COVID-19 outbreak, but is affected at defensive line. While further testing is still needed for the game to happen, the Tigers are optimistic.
- Reeling Gamecocks on the schedule. The Gamecocks have been a mess since they upset a ranked Auburn team and looked like they were about to turn a corner. They’ve lost three straight and their porous defense has allowed gaudy point totals, allowing 53 points per game during their three-game losing streak. Now, Muschamp’s gone.
- Mizzou favorites for the first time. Drinkwitz had quite an inauguration to his MU career, starting the first five games as an underdog. But the Tigers are favored for the first time, and it even comes on the road. The schedule opens up favorably down the stretch, giving Mizzou an opportunity to finish strong and hit the .500 mark.
- Where’s Mizzou at? The Tigers haven’t played a live football game since Halloween — that leaves potential for rust. After a scheduled Nov. 7 off week and a postponement, that’s a lot of time to just sit around. While Drinwkitz has his Tigers practicing, keep an eye on how the Tigers look coming out of the long layoff.