Grades are good for Missouri Tigers’ 23-10 victory over No. 25 South Carolina Gamecocks
.JPG "Missouri running back Cody Schrader (at center) runs to the outside during the Tigers’ victory at South Carolina on Saturday.")
Here are the grades and superlatives from Missouri’s 23-10 victory over South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.:
Player of the game
Several candidates here. But let’s go with quarterback Brady Cook. His work on the Tigers’ two long touchdown drives in the first half was excellent. He operated efficiently and occasionally hit the big play, like a 57-yard pass to Dominic Lovett.
Play of the game
The game didn’t have a signature moment, but defensive end Isaiah McGuire made an athletic inside move to get to South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler and produce his second sack of the game.
Stat of the game
Lovett set career marks for receptions and yards with 10 catches for 148 yards. He was targeted 10 times.
Report card
Offense: B
A great first half for the Tigers, who amassed 254 total yards by halftime. Cook was on target, especially to Lovett. And the Tigers found different ways to get Luther Burden involved. He lined up at running back and took a pitch and caught short passes as a wide receiver. But the Tigers settled for two field-goal attempts inside the 5 and missed one of them.
Defense: A
Another all-around solid day. Isaiah McGuire came through with a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss, Jaylon Carlies forced a fumble, Dreyden Norwood made a game-clinching interception — several players stepped up for Mizzou. But shutting down the Gamecocks, holding them to 203 total yards — a low for a Missouri opponent this season — was an all-around effort.
Special teams: B
What is it with Harrison Mevis and short field goals? He missed a 21-yarder, his second miss between 20-29 this year. But Mevis also knocked through his 10th career field goal of 50 yards or longer. He was three for four Saturday. Special teams play had been inconsistent this season for Missouri, but not allowing a big play by South Carolina was a victory.
Coaching: A
Eli Drinkwitz’s play-calling on the touchdown drives was some of his best stuff this season. And how about 10 straight calls of feeding running back Cody Schrader in the fourth quarter? The sequence produced three first downs and shaved six minutes off the clock. Good stuff.
Next: Missouri plays Kentucky at Faurot Field on Saturday. The Wildcats lost at Tennessee 44-6 on Saturday and have dropped three of their last four.
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)