Is this Shreveport? No. But South Carolina and Missouri square off for the first time on the gridiron since their 2005 Independence Bowl clash, the finale of Steve Spurrier's initial season as Gamecocks head coach. This time, though, the stakes are even higher - a regular-season conference game since the Tigers are now members of the SEC. Here are five things USC must do to beat Missouri:
1. Win The Duel Of Dual-Threat Quarterbacks: The first SEC road game for Missouri features a highly anticipated battle between arguably the two best dual-threat quarterbacks in the conference. Connor Shaw hopes he set the stage for a great 2012 season with a strong finish last season when he did it all in wins over The Citadel, Clemson and Nebraska, completing almost 75 percent of his passes and rushing for 239 yards. But Missouri quarterback James Franklin may be the best SEC quarterback you've never heard of.
And yes, he shares the same name as the Vanderbilt head coach. Franklin completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while rushing for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns on 217 carries. He handles the task of directing Missouri's spread offensive attack. However, the SEC is a big step up in terms of quality of the defenses Franklin will face in 2012. He'll get a taste of it on Sept. 8 when Georgia comes calling to Columbia, Mo. Franklin underwent shoulder surgery in March, but should be ready for the start of the season.
2. Realize The Game's Importance: Coaches always preach the mantra 'All games are created equal,' but unless you're battling your arch-rival, non-conference games tend to take on an air of lesser importance. Because this will be the first time every Gamecock player on the roster has faced Missouri, they must understand quickly that this contest is significant on multiple levels - it's a home game, the 'Battle of Columbia' Trophy is on the line and, more importantly, it's a conference game and a divisional game at the same time since the Tigers were placed in the Eastern Division when they joined the SEC.
USC and Missouri are hardly bitter enemies considering the long distance between the two schools, but this game should be the first step towards establishing a fierce rivalry since they'll be playing every year for the foreseeable future. If USC's players didn't know where Missouri was situated before this game, they certainly will by the time this game kicks off.
3. Win The Duel of No. 1 Prospects: Two years ago, the USC-Auburn game on the Plains was advertised as a much-anticipated battle between Marcus Lattimore and Michael Dyer, the top two freshman running backs in the country as far as the recruiting rankings were concerned. This SEC match-up between the Gamecocks and Tigers should have the top-ranked prospects nationally from the last two recruiting cycles - USC defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (2011) and Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (2012) - on the field at the same time.
Granted, they won't be matched up directly on the field, but how well they perform could be key to the outcome of the game. Clowney will be counted on by USC to apply pressure and rattle Franklin off the edge, giving him as little time as possible to throw the football. If USC is able to produce a sufficient pass rush, Franklin will have less time to try to throw the ball into space to Green-Beckham, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound physical specimen with speed and jumping jack leaping ability. Without question, he will be a major headache for SEC cornerbacks over the next three years.
"Some of the players that come by my office, they talk about Dorial, they talk about what a great kid he is," Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said. "All this attention for the last few years, that's encouraging. I think that's really the reason why he has a chance to become a great player, because he's humble, he wants to learn and he's a great competitor."
4. Give Tigers A Lesson In Winning Football In The SEC: How do teams win in the modern day SEC? Alabama and LSU have provided the blueprint in the last few years with their stunning success. You must run the football, play great defense and excel on special teams. As long as you're above average in all three categories, you have a chance to win a lot of games in the SEC. We know Missouri is a good passing team, but this isn't the 1990s anymore when Florida was annihilating opponents with the Fun-'n-Gun.
Missouri had some success keeping the ball on the ground last season, finishing ninth in the country in rushing offense with an average of 244 yards per game. However, leading rusher Henry Josey (1,168 yards in 10 game; 8.1 yards per rush) suffered a devastating knee injury against Texas last November and has since undergone two surgeries. Even if Josey returns in 2012, it's doubtful he will be available for this game. How effective will Missouri's rushing attack be without Josey? The Tigers feel Kendial Lawrence (566 yards and 11 TDs in 2011) will be a serviceable replacement, but he may discover that trying to run the football against SEC defenses is a lot tougher than the Big 12.
Pinkel, clearly bothered by questions at SEC Media Days insinuating his team would struggle in its new conference, doesn't expect his team to shy away from the challenges presented by the SEC, asserting, "I'd be disappointed if we were intimidated. We played in a pretty good football league ourselves. We understand the great league we're coming into. It's all going to play out. We all know how it works."
5. Make Missouri Pay The Schedule Price: After opening the 2012 season with a breather against Southeastern Louisiana, Missouri faces Georgia and Arizona State at home before traveling to the Palmetto State for its first SEC road game. So, that game will be Missouri's third in 15 days against a BCS conference school. Thus, even if the Williams-Brice Stadium crowd doesn't bother Missouri, the typical physical punishment dealt out on a weekly basis in the SEC should eventually wear down the Tigers.
Pinkel, though, has shown an understanding of the realities of competing in the SEC on a weekly basis: "There's going to be a lot of big games. I think that's one of the things that separates the SEC from the
other leagues in this country - there's so many good football teams you're going to play week in, week out. That's what defines the league."
Question is, will Missouri be able to handle the pressure, intensity and frenzied environment of playing on the road in the SEC? We'll find out.
link: http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1390943
1. Win The Duel Of Dual-Threat Quarterbacks: The first SEC road game for Missouri features a highly anticipated battle between arguably the two best dual-threat quarterbacks in the conference. Connor Shaw hopes he set the stage for a great 2012 season with a strong finish last season when he did it all in wins over The Citadel, Clemson and Nebraska, completing almost 75 percent of his passes and rushing for 239 yards. But Missouri quarterback James Franklin may be the best SEC quarterback you've never heard of.
And yes, he shares the same name as the Vanderbilt head coach. Franklin completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while rushing for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns on 217 carries. He handles the task of directing Missouri's spread offensive attack. However, the SEC is a big step up in terms of quality of the defenses Franklin will face in 2012. He'll get a taste of it on Sept. 8 when Georgia comes calling to Columbia, Mo. Franklin underwent shoulder surgery in March, but should be ready for the start of the season.
2. Realize The Game's Importance: Coaches always preach the mantra 'All games are created equal,' but unless you're battling your arch-rival, non-conference games tend to take on an air of lesser importance. Because this will be the first time every Gamecock player on the roster has faced Missouri, they must understand quickly that this contest is significant on multiple levels - it's a home game, the 'Battle of Columbia' Trophy is on the line and, more importantly, it's a conference game and a divisional game at the same time since the Tigers were placed in the Eastern Division when they joined the SEC.
USC and Missouri are hardly bitter enemies considering the long distance between the two schools, but this game should be the first step towards establishing a fierce rivalry since they'll be playing every year for the foreseeable future. If USC's players didn't know where Missouri was situated before this game, they certainly will by the time this game kicks off.
3. Win The Duel of No. 1 Prospects: Two years ago, the USC-Auburn game on the Plains was advertised as a much-anticipated battle between Marcus Lattimore and Michael Dyer, the top two freshman running backs in the country as far as the recruiting rankings were concerned. This SEC match-up between the Gamecocks and Tigers should have the top-ranked prospects nationally from the last two recruiting cycles - USC defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (2011) and Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (2012) - on the field at the same time.
Granted, they won't be matched up directly on the field, but how well they perform could be key to the outcome of the game. Clowney will be counted on by USC to apply pressure and rattle Franklin off the edge, giving him as little time as possible to throw the football. If USC is able to produce a sufficient pass rush, Franklin will have less time to try to throw the ball into space to Green-Beckham, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound physical specimen with speed and jumping jack leaping ability. Without question, he will be a major headache for SEC cornerbacks over the next three years.
"Some of the players that come by my office, they talk about Dorial, they talk about what a great kid he is," Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said. "All this attention for the last few years, that's encouraging. I think that's really the reason why he has a chance to become a great player, because he's humble, he wants to learn and he's a great competitor."
4. Give Tigers A Lesson In Winning Football In The SEC: How do teams win in the modern day SEC? Alabama and LSU have provided the blueprint in the last few years with their stunning success. You must run the football, play great defense and excel on special teams. As long as you're above average in all three categories, you have a chance to win a lot of games in the SEC. We know Missouri is a good passing team, but this isn't the 1990s anymore when Florida was annihilating opponents with the Fun-'n-Gun.
Missouri had some success keeping the ball on the ground last season, finishing ninth in the country in rushing offense with an average of 244 yards per game. However, leading rusher Henry Josey (1,168 yards in 10 game; 8.1 yards per rush) suffered a devastating knee injury against Texas last November and has since undergone two surgeries. Even if Josey returns in 2012, it's doubtful he will be available for this game. How effective will Missouri's rushing attack be without Josey? The Tigers feel Kendial Lawrence (566 yards and 11 TDs in 2011) will be a serviceable replacement, but he may discover that trying to run the football against SEC defenses is a lot tougher than the Big 12.
Pinkel, clearly bothered by questions at SEC Media Days insinuating his team would struggle in its new conference, doesn't expect his team to shy away from the challenges presented by the SEC, asserting, "I'd be disappointed if we were intimidated. We played in a pretty good football league ourselves. We understand the great league we're coming into. It's all going to play out. We all know how it works."
5. Make Missouri Pay The Schedule Price: After opening the 2012 season with a breather against Southeastern Louisiana, Missouri faces Georgia and Arizona State at home before traveling to the Palmetto State for its first SEC road game. So, that game will be Missouri's third in 15 days against a BCS conference school. Thus, even if the Williams-Brice Stadium crowd doesn't bother Missouri, the typical physical punishment dealt out on a weekly basis in the SEC should eventually wear down the Tigers.
Pinkel, though, has shown an understanding of the realities of competing in the SEC on a weekly basis: "There's going to be a lot of big games. I think that's one of the things that separates the SEC from the
other leagues in this country - there's so many good football teams you're going to play week in, week out. That's what defines the league."
Question is, will Missouri be able to handle the pressure, intensity and frenzied environment of playing on the road in the SEC? We'll find out.
link: http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1390943