When No. 20 Missouri (6-1) hosts the team from the other Columbia, the South Carolina Gamecocks, for the Mayor Cup in Week 8 for its Homecoming game, it will be facing a team that is somewhat similar identity-wise to the team that handed Mizzou its only lost of the season a couple of weeks ago, LSU.
LSU is a high-powered offense led by a Heisman hopeful at quarterback and one of the best wide receiver duos in the country. Its seventh-ranked FBS passing attack is the bread and butter, but it's not to be outdone by its now 11th-ranked rushing attack (was 30th when it played Mizzou).
South Carolina, like LSU, has an explosive passing attack that ranks 13th in the nation and is led by a talented quarterback in Spencer Rattler, who has gotten off to a good start this season.
The Gamecocks also have one of the better receivers in the nation in Xavier Legette.
Rattler's Gamecocks will want to do to Missouri what the Tigers did to Kentucky last week and spoil Homecoming.
This will be South Carolina's second Homecoming game in a row, with the Gamecocks losing to Florida, 41-39, after blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead.
Mizzou is trying to keep the momentum alive because a win this week would have them at 7-1 entering its bye week. That would set up the team's biggest game in nearly a decade when it faces No. 1 Georgia on the road in Week 10.
But before the Tigers can look toward that matchup, they must focus on the task at hand.
Let's look at three things that may determine the winner of this week's game.
The run game
Much like last week, the rushing attack will be critical in another Missouri game, but for different reasons.
Last week, it was about the Tigers containing Kentucky's Ray Davis, not only because he's a dynamic rusher but because it would open up play action and help quarterback Devin Leary and a struggling wide receiver unit.
On the flip side, it was important for Mizzou's offense to get the ground game going against Kentucky's top 20 run defense so it could open up its playbook.
This week, the run game is important because South Carolina doesn't have a good rushing attack. However, it does have a solid run defense.
The Gamecocks are averaging 97.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks 121st in the FBS.
It is important to note that sacks are factored into rushing totals, and South Carolina allows 4.17 sacks per game which is the sixth-worst in the nation. So, the stats are a little misconstrued.
Like Mizzou's Cody Schrader, South Carolina running back Mario Anderson is a former Division II product who now leads the team in rushing.
He's rushed for 341 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 64 carries (5.1 yards per carry).
Rattler is the team's second-leading rusher with 128 yards on 50 rushes (2.9 yards per carry).
If Mizzou can find a way to limit the rushing attack, it'll also be limiting play-action and forcing them to pass the ball.
Rattler has been good in play-action this season, too.
Last week, he was 10-of-13 for 191 yards, three touchdowns and a grade of 82.6 on play-action, according to PFF College.
For the season, he's 39-of-50 for 535 yards, three touchdowns and a grade of 78.7.
South Carolina does want to pass the ball, and that's its best bet to win. But it has to make sure it's passing on its own terms. Not Missouri's.
For the Tigers offensively, it enters the game with the 86th-ranked rushing attack at 139.9 yards per game.
They will have to get off to a better start with their run game than they have the last four games. Missouri typically starts really slow in the first half running the ball before its offensive line starts wearing down opposing offensive lines in the second half.
If they can do that to start the game, there won’t be much the team can’t do offensively.
Schrader is still leading the way for the Tigers despite a lingering quad injury that has him questionable for this week (although he likely will play).
He recorded 20 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown in Week 7, and has 648 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 114 carries (5.7 yards per carry).
Nathaniel Peat may get a little more run this week because Eli Drinkwitz said Schrader didn't finish the game last week. But no matter who runs the ball, they better be prepared to be physical come Saturday.
The Gamecocks own the 54th-ranked run defense, allowing 129.8 yards per game.
However, they also are 114th in tackles for loss at 4.5 per game. So, if Schrader and or Peat can break through the early wave of tacklers, they may be able to find daylight and break a big one.
Mizzou is 95th in tackles for loss allowed at 6.43 per game, so it's no easy task. The offensive line has to do better on that front, and the running backs must find ways to get positive yardage.
Pass attack and defense
Possibly the most important factor of the three will be the passing attack and pass defense for both teams.
South Carolina enters the game with the nation's 13th-best passing attack, averaging 312.3 yards per game and a lot of it is due to Rattler and his play.
Last week, he completed 76% of his passes for 313 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. And for the season, he's completed 73% of his passes for 1,724 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.
On top of that, he's already recorded three 300-yard passing games and three games with three or more touchdown passes.
"They have a premier quarterback in Spencer Rattler, who is playing at an extremely high level, throwing the ball very well, has pocket presence, he's very good," Drinkwitz said during Tuesday's Media Day. "He's very comfortable (in the offense)."
On the other end of these passes most of the time is Xavier Legette, who is fifth in the nation with 716 yards and three touchdowns on 36 receptions.
It's a huge uptick in production for the 6-foot-1, 217-pound receiver, who recorded just 18 receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns a year.
"Xavier Legette has come on. Last year, he was a very dynamic special teams player and now he is a complete wide receiver, who is very difficult to match up just because of his size and speed," Drinkwitz said.
The Gamecocks' passing attack makes sure everyone gets involved.
Six players have recorded 10 or more receptions, and of those six, five have over 100 receiving yards. There are also two players, who have nine receptions with one of them having 120 yards.
In total, 14 players have caught a pass, and all 14 have at least two receptions.
Legette is far and away the most targeted and successful receiver on the team, but it's clear that on any day someone can jump in and help him carry the load in the receiving game.
Missouri's passing defense jumped 22 spots from 94th to 72nd after coming off of its best performance of the season, sans star cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, who is questionable for this week's game.
The Tigers allowed Kentucky's Devin Leary to complete just 52% of his passes for 120 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
The Tigers will need that play and the confidence it comes with to Faurot Field when it plays a much better passing offense this week.
Compared to South Carolina, Mizzou only has four players with 10 receptions or more. But the Tigers do have five players with at least 100 receiving yards with three of them having at least 300 yards.
The Tigers enter the game with the nation's 16th-ranked passing attack and have 10 players who have recorded a reception, with all 10 having at least two receptions.
Mizzou also has four players with 10 receptions or more. But it does have five players with at least 100 receiving yards, with three of them having at least 300 yards.
Brady Cook's streak of four straight games with 340 passing yards ended last week, and he only completed 66% of his passes for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Kentucky did a great job of taking away the deep ball and making him dink and dunk the ball downfield. It's something that the Gamecocks, who have the nation's worst pass defense, allowing 321.7 yards per game, may possibly look at doing.
However, despite the statistics, Drinkwitz said he's not paying attention to them. Instead, he's trying to see what the film says.
"I don't really look at the statistics like I don't get caught up in statistics. So, I just watch the tape. On just about every play, there's not very many times players are just running wide-open, right? Sometimes it's the quarterback from North Carolina making an unbelievable throw," Drinkwitz said. "Or if they make a great catch, or, you know, there's two fourth downs in the last driver of the game that Florida throws balls that are well shorter than the down marker. They (South Carolina) just missed tackles. So, I think it's a combination of some of those players making great plays playing against really talented quarterbacks."
This makes sense. Stats are deceiving. That's why the game isn't played on paper.
However, Drinkwitz was likely being coy and using coach speak when he said that he doesn't pay attention to the stats. That may be true to a degree, but stats show trends.
If Missouri doesn't take advantage of the nation's worst passing attack, the momentum swings in the Gamecocks' favor.
Expect both teams to air the ball out, and whoever's defense can lock up and help win the turnover battle will not only have a chance to win the game but possibly run away with it.
Penalties
Missouri was able to commit a season-low of three penalties last week versus Kentucky, but the question still remains. Can it be that consistent every week?
Mizzou has committed seven penalties or more in four of its seven games this season and in a game versus a team that doesn't have a great passing defense, penalties may expedite South Carolina's attempt to make the Tigers become more one-dimensional.
Left tackle Javon Foster said on Tuesday during the team's Media Day that they just need to replicate their practices from last week.
"Having crowd noises during practice (and) just holding each other more accountable. Making sure we stay locked in from the beginning to the end of practice," Foster said. "You know, just little things like that have helped improve us a lot."
Despite few penalties in Week 7, the Tigers dropped a spot, from 111th to 112th, in the FBS rankings regarding penalties per game at 7.29.
They're also ranked 117th in total penalties this season with 51 and 90th in total penalty yards with 390.
The Tigers also have the nation's leader in penalties (nine) in right guard Cam'Ron Johnson, who has committed a penalty in each game this season.
South Carolina isn't too much better when it comes to penalties. The Gamecocks have only committed 43 penalties this season, which ranks 86th in the FBS, for 320 yards, which ranks 53rd. However, the Gamecocks are 109th in penalties per game at 7.17.
They've committed eight or more penalties three times this season, including nine last week versus Florida.
As we saw last week when Mizzou faced Kentucky, whoever can be more disciplined will be in better shape to come out with the win. Kentucky is also one of the worst teams in the nation in penalties and it was on display with 11 last week, and that was part of the reason Mizzou was able to crawl out of a 14-0 first-quarter hole.
The same thing applies this week.
The more disciplined team will have the edge.
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