10/21/2023 football Edit

Tigers maul South Carolina 34-12 in Homecoming game, move to 7-1

Jarod Hamilton • PowerMizzou

Staff Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. 一 By definition, a gamecock is a rooster bred and trained for cockfighting.

But what happens when you bring a gamecock to a tiger fight?

You get Saturday’s result.

The Tigers mauled the Gamecocks 34-12 at Faurot Field in front of a sell-out Homecoming crowd of 62,621 to remain perfect in Southeastern Conference East division play.

For the second game in a row, Mizzou (7-1, 3-1) routed an SEC East opponent by three possessions and it didn't even play a full game and it knows it.

During the Tigers' postgame presser head coach Eli Drinkwitz, quarterback Brady Cook, running back Cody Schrader, defensive tackle Kristian Williams and linebacker Chuck Hicks were all asked if the team has played their best ball yet, and every one of them either said or alluded to saying "not even close."

The team was up 24-3 at halftime and the Gamecocks never really threatened to take the lead at any point, despite the subpar play in the second half offensively.

When you look at the score, you may notice the Tigers scoring 34 points and eclipsing the 30-point mark for the seventh time in eight games, but actually, it was the defense doing what it needed to do to neutralize South Carolina's 57th-ranked offense and 13th-ranked passing attack.

The Tigers were able to "rattle Rattler" which was their motto this week as far as containing South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler and once they did that, there wasn't much the Gamecocks could do.

"Spencer Rattler is a great quarterback and just with our game plan, we just knew going into it that we had to disrupt the quarterback," defensive tackle Kristian Williams said. "I mean, that's in every game that we play. The quarterback is an essential component of the offense. So, as long as we keep disrupting the quarterback. I mean, I thought you could disrupt the whole offense."

Rattler completed 23-of-40 passes for 217 yards and an interception.

Mizzou held the Gamecocks to 286 total yards, got six sacks, eight tackles for loss, forced two fumbles, got an interception and allowed three down conversions on 13 attempts.

The 286 total yards were by far the fewest amount of yards the defense has allowed to a Power 5 opponent this year, and it was two yards shy of being the second-fewest yards allowed regardless of opponent.

It was also the first time the Tigers didn't allow an SEC team to score a touchdown since November 2020 when it beat Vanderbilt 41-0.

Despite all the havoc plays, the team doesn't feel like this was necessarily the best game it has played this season.

"I mean, yeah. I guess you can say that," Mizzou linebacker Chuck Hicks said. "We technically didn't let up a touchdown. There's things we can always do better on. But I guess you can say that but I think we can always improve."

So far this season, the Tigers have shown that they can win in many different ways. Whether it be with a high-octane passing attack, a great running game, a stellar game by the defense or via a 61-yard field goal, they've proven to be able to adjust their game on the fly and win that way.

Drinkwitz and the team have said time and time again over the last few weeks they haven't played great complementary football during most games. But ironically enough, they've played great complementary football throughout the season with a new position group or phase of the game leading the team to victory.

A lot of that has to do with the team being talented, but it also has to do with the maturity of this team and the bonds they've formed this calendar year.

"We focused on the brotherhood this whole offseason. Like, it was about building the bond," Hicks said. "I think it just comes down to trust that we know okay, well if the (Mizzou) offense doesn't get it, we're going to go stop them. If we don't stop them, the offense is going to go score. So, this is a trust in the team. We are so close-knit. It's like we love each other. So, we're going to do it all for each other."

The team will have more chances to bond and build chemistry over their bye week next week in Week 9 before they begin to prepare for a matchup against No. 1 Georgia in Week 10.

Schrader powering through injury, offensive line has best game of the season

The Tigers' defense had a great day but the offense wasn't too bad for the most part.

The unit scored on four of its first five offensive drives (not including the one play kneel-down possession before halftime). Despite a second-half lull, that saw the unit put up 10 points, punt twice and turn the ball over on downs due to a muffed snap by punter Luke Bauer, there were still a lot of good things that the unit did, especially in the run game.

The Tigers were two yards shy of setting a new season-high in total rushing yards with 220 on the day and three of Missouri's four touchdowns came on the ground, and leading the way was none other than Schrader, who had a Mizzou career-high for carries (26) and yards (159) to go along with two touchdowns.

He had 102 of those yards in the first half.

Schrader's been dealing with a quad injury, which he says limits how he's able to run throughout the week leading into games, for a few weeks now but it seems like it hasn't really bothered him.

Over his last five games, he's recorded 527 yards and eight touchdowns on 89 carries (5.92 yards per carry). That includes three 100-yard games during that span.

He's been making it look easy but it's not. He's putting in long and grueling hours on the practice field and in the facility to make sure he's ready for game day.

"So, I get here (in the facility) usually about 7:30-8 (a.m.). Practice usually doesn't get over until 6:30-7 a.m., and then you know, you get another hour of treatment," Schrader said. "So, you just continue treatment, cold tubs, different massages, anything I can do that can try to get my injury better. It's kind of what I've been doing."

Schrader gave thanks to the team's training staff and called them one of the best training staffs in the country" for getting the players ready to play.

But that's the easier part.

Schrader said he once carried the ball at least 50 times in a game during high school and he thinks he had a game with 39 or 40 carries at Truman State. So, the physical part of the game or preparing for the game isn't what stumps him. It's the mental side of things leading up to that that takes a toll.

"I think for me, it's been more mentally hard than it is physically because it's every day you're in here (the facility) for 12 hours and you got to go out to practice and you just are continually trying to get your body right, especially with the labor of injury I've had. So yeah, just a huge shout out to them (the training staff). But yeah, it's definitely more mentally draining physically."

Schrader didn't do it by himself. The offensive line was creating holes an SUV could run through, and there probably wasn't a play more evident of that than Schrader's first touchdown run.

The hole the line paved was so large that Cook pulled a Stephen Curry and was already celebrating with his back toward the play right around the time Schrader got past the line of scrimmage.

Not only did the line pass the eye-test but it did in the box score, too.

The unit only had one penalty which was a false start. But if the team can have just one penalty on the offensive line a game they will gladly take it, since that's been an issue they've struggled with all season.

One false start penalty was all they had last week as well. So, it seems the team's practice method of bringing in officials has helped the unit in that regard.

"We brought officials into practice. I'm dead serious," Drinkwitz said. We brought officials into practice, and just said, 'Hey, obviously it's something that we're not doing a good enough job of.' We did it all fall camp with officials and so we just brought them in and just that extra level of accountability."

The unit's play has not only helped Schrader as he manages his injury but Cook too, who has dealt with a knee injury since Week 3 versus Kansas State.

In the last two games, the Tigers have allowed only four tackles for loss and a sack.

"Yeah, that's huge (the offensive line's play). Obviously, I'm feeling much healthier with my lower body and so I was able to run a little bit more and the O-line is doing a great job. I'm not taking many hits," Cook said. "And you know, I'm doing my best to protect myself when I can and it starts up front. You know, they're getting a great push, they're protecting me in the pass game. They're giving me opportunities to run and extend plays."

Unsung heroes

We've already discussed Schrader's big game.

Cook completed 14-of-24 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown. He also added nine carries for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Luther Burden III had four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown despite suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury in the middle of the second quarter.

The usual suspects played well but there were a number of guys who stepped up.

One player who may be a little newer to people's TV screens is linebacker Triston Newson, who has appeared in all eight games this season but has recorded four tackles and one tackle for loss.

On Saturday, he had his best game as a Tiger with five tackles, 0.5 sacks and 0.5 tackles for loss.

"(Ty'Ron)Hop(per) kind of went out with a shoulder (injury) in the second quarter, so Triston had to step up, and he's just kind of been baking in the oven," Drinkwitz said. "He came out and had a big sack right there, and I think he's a guy that we need to continue to step up so that Hop can play to his full potential when he's not having to play so many plays."

Hicks, who got the start in place of the injured Chad Bailey, had five tackles, a tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks and a quarterback hit.

Defensive tackle Jayden Jernigan had three tackles, 0.5 sacks and 0.5 tackles for loss.

Defensive end Joe Moore had a tackle, a sack and a tackle for loss.

Mookie Cooper or "Mr. Consistency" as Drinkwitz likes to call him had six receptions for 57 yards to lead the team.

"You're talking about a guy that just does everything right. (He) shows up every day (and) works really hard," Drinkwitz said. "(He) doesn't worry about stats, noise or Twitter. (He) just goes to work, does his job (and) is reliable. (He) blocks on the perimeter, anything we ask him to do.

"He's a smart and disciplined football player. We talked about being detail-disciplined and unselfish in the pass game. That's what he does. And right now, I mean, every time he catches the ball, he's another five yards (downfield). I mean, the first guy is not going to tackle him. So, (I'm) really, really proud of Mookie."

Cornerback Dreyden Norwood had one tackle but Drinkwitz complimented him for playing well when he was on the field to buy star cornerback Ennis Rakestraw some time.

Rakestraw has been dealing with a groin injury the last few weeks and the coaching staff didn't want to work him too hard after he missed last week's game.

Safeties Tre'Vez Johnson and Marvin Burks were also players Drinkwitz briefly shouted out for playing well, with the former recording five tackles and the latter two.

This team is deep at a number of positions and as the weeks pass, it becomes more and more evident that the Tigers are a better team because they don't have to rely on just their stars or starters to win them games.

"We're throwing a whole lot of depth at people right now and I think that's that's a benefit for us," Drinkwitz said.

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