Missouri Vs. South Carolina 2012: Rock M Nation Reacts to Mizzou Loss

Following Missouri's 31-10 defeat at the hands of South Carolina Saturday, SB Nation Mizzou blog Rock M Nation cited the Tigers' offensive line and special teams as the principal reasons for the loss:

While the run blocking actually looked rather encouraging as the game progressed, the pass blocking was a disaster. South Carolina's defensive line is fantastic, but while I'd have loved to see last year's line do battle with the Gamecocks, this year's mix-and-match unit just had no chance. The good news is that next week's opponent, UCF, doesn't have a great line; the bad news is that I don't automatically know that Mizzou's offensive line is going to win that battle.

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As for special teams ... I don't know what can be done at this point in the season. At some point in the first four games of the year, Mizzou has had troubles with punt snaps, field goal snaps, punt coverage and kickoff coverage. Almost no future opponent has a return man as good as Ace Sanders, but the issues have piled up, and it's kind of too late in the year to find better personnel.

It wasn't all negative, though. For one, the Missouri ground attack found its form:

Mizzou really did seem to figure some things out on the ground. Kendial Lawrence, Russell Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy combined to gain 100 yards in 16 carries, and the zone read was clicking nicely, especially with the quick slants thrown in. That gives opponents a lot to prepare for in the future, which is never a bad thing.

The Tigers return to action next week in Orlando against Central Florida.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, visit Rock M Nation. SB Nation's college football hub has all you need from across the country.

Missouri Vs. South Carolina Final Score: Tigers Lose 31-10

The No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks improved to 4-0 with a 31-10 blowout win against the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. Marcus Lattimore led the Gamecocks in rushing as well as receiving yards and scored a pair of touchdowns for South Carolina.

After a scoreless first quarter, South Carolina jumped on Missouri with a 21-point second quarter. The Tigers were only able to manage a field goal until the final couple minutes of the game, when Corbin Berkstresser found Marcus Lucas for a short touchdown toss.

Aside from that, it was all South Carolina. Quarterback Connor Shaw completed 20 consecutive passes, picking the Tigers' defense a part. Shaw hooked up with Ace Sanders for a 23-yard touchdown pass for the last score of the second quarter. Then in the third quarter, Shaw found Rory Anderson for another score.

Adam Yates kicked a 38-yard field goal for the Gamecocks when they'd already put the game out of reach.

Box Score Hero: Connor Shaw went 20-21 and had 20 straight completions for the Gamecocks. Again, that's 20 straight completions.

Rankings Ramifications: No. 7 South Carolina may have done itself some good beating Missouri by a larger margin than expected. Still, this was a game South Carolina was supposed to win.

But Did They Cover? The Gamecocks covered and then some. They were 10-point favorites, but won by 28.

For More On This Game: Read the Missouri blog, Rock M Nation. Head over to the South Carolina blog, Garnet And Black Attack.

Next Week's Schedule: South Carolina plays Kentucky next Saturday. Missouri will play Central Florida.

This was originally published on SB Nation.com.

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Missouri Vs. South Carolina: Tigers Down 28-3 After 3rd Quarter

The hole for the Missouri Tigers just gets deeper with each quarter as South Carolina took a 28-3 lead against the Tigers in the third. It had been a quiet quarter for the most part, but South Carolina found an opening in Missouri's secondary for a 13-yard touchdown pass from Connor Shaw to Rory Anderson.

Aside from the 22-yard field goal that gave Mizzou its only points of the day, the Tigers have struggled mightily on offense. Mizzou only has 150 total yards after three quarters, compared to the Gamecocks' 336 total yards. Actually, South Carolina has almost 100 more passing yards than Mizzou does total.

It's going to take a dramatic turnaround for the Tigers to climb back into the game.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, visit Rock M Nation. Head to Garnet And Black Attack for more South Carolina commentary. SB Nation's college football hub has all you need from across the country.

Missouri Vs. South Carolina Halftime Update: Tigers Trail 21-3

The Missouri Tigers defense struggled to contain the No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half Saturday, allowing 231 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

Tigers quarterback James Franklin, who was a game-time decision leading up to kickoff, has completed 5 of 10 passes for 51 yards.

Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore put South Carolina up early in the second quarter, punching in two, 1-yard touchdown runs. South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw has been nearly perfect, completing 14 of 15 passes for 170 yards, including this 23-yard touchdown pass to Gamecocks wide receiver Ace Sanders with 24 seconds remaining in the half:

Missouri has struggled to find a rhythm on offense, managing only six first downs in the first half. The Tigers' only substantial drive, spanning 76 yards in 12 plays, was stalled in the red zone, forcing the Tigers to settle for a 22-yard Andrew Baggett field goal.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, visit Rock M Nation. Head to Garnet And Black Attack for more South Carolina commentary. SB Nation's college football hub has all you need from across the country.

College Football Predictions: South Carolina Projected Over Missouri In SEC Play

Oddsmakers have the Missouri Tigers as 9 point underdogs heading in to Saturday's clash with the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Tigers are finding the underdog label comes more often than not in their inaugural season of SEC play. Vegas isn't alone picking against the Tigers Saturday. ESPN predictors Eric Aschoff and Chris Low both have Missouri falling to South Carolina in a close game.

Aschoff and Low both predicted a close game between the Tigers and Gamecocks. Aschoff predicted a 27-20 victory while Low picked South Carolina to win 27-21. Both said the game will likely come down to which team's injured quarterback can make it through the game. Tigers quarterback James Franklin is a gametime decision with a shoulder injury while Gamecocks Connor Shaw is expected to play after being limited in his last two games also due to a shoulder injury.

For more on Mizzou football, visit Missouri blog Rock M Nation, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills, SB Nation Kansas City and SB Nation St. Louis.

James Franklin Injury: Mizzou QB Remains Game-Time Decision Against South Carolina

Missouri Tigers quarterback James Franklin remains a game-time decision Saturday as the Tigers play their first SEC road game against the No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Franklin missed last week's 24-20 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils with shoulder inflammation, and the Associated Press reported earlier this week that Franklin said he was feeling pretty good about his status for Saturday, giving himself a 9 on a one-to-10 scale of health.

Backup quarterback Corbin Berkstresser filled in for Franklin against the Sun Devils. He threw for 198 yards and an interception, and he also rushed for 25 yards and a touchdown.

South Carolina is facing a quarterback decision of its own. First-stringer Connor Shaw has been cleared to play, and head coach Steve Spurrier told the AP on Friday he'd play, but one hit could knock him out. Shaw was injured in the Gamecocks' season opener against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Aug. 30 and missed the next week's game against the East Carolina Pirates. Shaw played the following week against the UAB Blazers, but a hard hit just before halftime sidelined him for the rest of the game.

Backup quarterback Dylan Thompson is 26 of 50 for 507 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Tigers kick off against South Carolina on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, visit Rock M Nation. Head to Garnet And Black Attackfor more South Carolina commentary. SB Nation's college football hub has all you need from across the country.

Missouri Vs. South Carolina 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

The Missouri Tigers resume SEC play as they travel to Columbia to take on 7th-ranked South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers are coming off a 24-21 home win against Arizona State in which freshman quarterback Corbin Berkstresser got his first career start. Playing for the injured James Franklin, Berkstresser was 21-41 for 198 yards in the win. A top-20 defense and a turnover margin of plus-two per game, fifth in the country, have the potential to keep Missouri in any game.

South Carolina will have a strong defense of its own, however. The Gamecocks are giving up just 53 rushing yards per game, and have the country's 14th-best defense according to S&P+ ratings. The offense has been led by sophomore quarterback Dylan Thompson, who has thrown for 507 yards and five touchdowns in 50 pass attempts. Thompson has been filling in for Connor Shaw, who appears to be ready to resume his starting role after being injured in South Carolina's first game.

Game time/date: Sat., Sept 22, 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Columbia, SC
TV: CBS
Odds: South Carolina by 10
Matchup History: Missouri holds the series lead 2-0 after bowl wins in 1979 and 2005.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, visit Rock M Nation. Head to Garnet And Black Attack for more South Carolina commentary. SB Nation's college football hub has all your CFB news across the country, as well as its YouTube Channel:

Elvis Fisher Injury: Starting Offensive Lineman Out With Knee Injury

The Missouri Tigers will be down veteran offensive lineman Elvis Fisher, who did not travel with the team as they head on the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Fisher injured his right MCL against the Georgia Bulldogs, and initially was said to be out indefinitely.

However, surgery was not required to repair his knee, so it was thought Fisher could possibly be back within a month with this South Carolina game as a possible target date.

Fisher took to twitter to announce that he was not going to be in the lineup:

1st time not traveling in 5 years. This is weird to me. But the Tigers know what they have to do to come back to como w/ a victory! #MIZ

— Elvis Fisher (@ElvisFisher72) September 21, 2012

It is not unusual for a player to not travel due to an injury, but with Fisher being a team captain, it is a bit odd that he did not at least go along with the rest of the team.

Check out Rock M Nation for more on the Tigers and visit Garnet and Black Attack for everything on South Carolina. Hit up SB Nation's college football hub for all your college football needs, as well as the SB Nation YouTube channel:

Missouri HC Gary Pinkel Says He Has Never Forced Medical Decision For Sake Of Football

With James Franklin's status still up in the air for Missouri's game against South Carolina after the quarterback missed Saturday's game against Arizona State, there are still questions swirling about the legitimacy of Franklin's injury. While the quarterback certainly has a shoulder injury, his refusal to take cortisone shots so he can play has led to questions of toughness that Gary Pinkel finds ridiculous.

"Anybody that questions James Franklin's toughness, they have to have been in a coma for the last two years," Pinkel said in his Monday press conference. "He's one of the toughest athletes I've ever been around."

In response to Franklin's decision to refuse pain-killers, Pinkel said he would never try to influence a medical decision for the sake of football.

"You have to understand this, I have never made a medical decision ever. I've never went up to a trainer ever since I've been coaching and even said get a guy ready, not once in 22 years of being head coach, ever," Pinkel said. "The medical staff does a great job in working with our athletes and parents on medicine on treatments, and all those things. I never, ever get involved at all."

Check out Rock M Nation for more on the Missouri Tigers. Hit up SB Nation's college football hub for all your college football needs, as well as the SB Nation YouTube channel:

Missouri's Gary Pinkel Has 'Great Respect' For South Carolina's Steve Spurrier

Missouri will look for the first ever conference win as members of the SEC when they take the field on Saturday, but it will be no easy task as they must travel to face No. 7 South Carolina.

During his weekly Monday press conference, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel was very complimentary of everything about the Gamecocks, including their head coach, Steve Spurrier. "I have great respect for Steve Spurrier," Pinkel said. "He's a really good coach and I'm very impressed with him."

He was also impressed with the South Carolina defense that has allowed just 29 points through three games. "They have great defensive ends and defensive tackles, very very good up front," Pinkel said. "Big big athletes, running athletes, in the perimeter."

In Missouri's first game as members of the SEC, they fell to the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, 41-20.

Check out Rock M Nation for more on the Missouri Tigers. Hit up SB Nation's college football hub for all your college football needs, as well as the SB Nation YouTube channel:

Connor Shaw Injury: South Carolina QB Could Be Back Vs. Missouri

The Missouri Tigers take a trip to Columbia, S.C. to face the University of South Carolina on Saturday, and it appears the Gamecocks' starting quarterback, Connor Shaw, may be returning from injury. Shaw suffered a hairline fracture in his shoulder during South Carolina's season-opening victory over Vanderbilt. He played sparingly in the last game against UAB.

South Carolina's backup quarterback, Dylan Thompson, has done well against lesser competition in Shaw's absence. Thompson has thrown for 507 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. However, Shaw is the more accurate of the quarterbacks and has better mobility.

Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier seemed confident that Shaw will be ready to go against Mizzou:

"Connor Shaw was throwing the ball around very well'' Monday night, Spurrier said. "He'll start. He's fine. If there's a place for Dylan to come in the game and help us try to beat Missouri, we'll certainly consider that.'' "I hope Connor feels, `Hey, Dylan can play. If I'm not doing very well, if I'm hurting a little bit, Dylan can help us go in there and win the game,''' Spurrier said "So, I think both of them hopefully feel pretty good about each other. Maybe the team is a little stronger because we have two quarterbacks who can play.''

Spurrier is no stranger to two-quarterback systems. The former Florida head coach was well-known for getting multiple quarterbacks in the game in his time with the Gators.

The Tigers and Gamecocks are set to play at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will be televised on CBS.

For more on Missouri football, check out Rock M Nation and stick with SB Nation Kansas City.

Missouri Vs. South Carolina: Tigers On Road In Sec For 1st Time

Step 2 of the Missouri Tigers-SEC transition takes place Saturday when Mizzou hits the road for the first time in-conference to take on one of their new blood rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Tigers head to Columbia, S.C., with a 2-1 mark, with the one loss coming at home to SEC foe Georgia two weeks ago. The seventh-ranked Gamecocks will prove a tough test as the team still seeks its first SEC victory. It's also the first road game of the year for Missouri after three home games to start the season, which in addition to the 41-20 loss to Georgia included a blowout win over FCS team Southeastern Louisiana and a 24-20 win over Arizona State last week.

South Carolina, meanwhile, is on a roll, coming off a 49-6 home win over UAB. The Gamecocks have also topped Vanderbilt (17-13) and East Carolina (48-10) en route to a 3-0 start. South Carolina's defense is allowing only 53.0 yards a game so far. And the Tigers' task could be made even tougher without their starting quarterback James Franklin, who could be a game-time decision.

Saturday's game is set for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff and will be televised nationally by CBS.

Check out Rock M Nation for more on the Missouri Tigers. Hit up SB Nation's college football hub for all your college football needs, as well as the SB Nation YouTube channel:

James Franklin Injury: Junior QB Could Be Game-Time Decision

Junior quarterback James Franklin's shoulder is still ailing as Missouri prepares for South Carolina.