OPPONENT: Missouri Tigers

WHEN: Saturday, October 6, 2018 at TBD

WHERE: Williams-Brice Stadium (Columbia, SC)

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD: Series is tied 4-4

LAST MEETING: South Carolina beat Missouri 31-13 in Columbia, MO on September 9, 2017.

2017 RECORD: 7-6 (4-4)

Head Coach…

#MizzouMade…much respect for the Legend!! @DrewLock23 and I got to hear some great Tiger stories! pic.twitter.com/Y0evS5xOPc

— Barry Odom (@Coach_Odom) July 25, 2018

Barry Odom returns for his third overall season as Tigers head coach. Odom will enter his 17th year at Missouri as either a player, administrator or coach.

Odom faced scrutiny last season after the Tigers got off to a 1-5 start. However, Missouri was able to reel off six straight wins on their way to an appearance in the Texas Bowl.

Despite the late season success, Odom’s seat is still fairly warm and could get hotter if the Tigers struggle out the gate again this season.

Returning Starters…

OFFENSE (10)

QB Drew Lock (6-4, 225) Senior

RB Damarea Crockett Jr. (5-11, 225) Junior

WR Emmanuel Hall (6-3, 200) Senior

WR Johnathon Johnson (5-10, 185) Junior

TE Albert Okwuegbunam (6-5, 260) Sophomore

C Trystan Colon-Castillo (6-4, 315) Sophomore

RG Tre’vour Wallace-Simms (6-5, 340) Junior

LG Kevin Pendleton (6-4, 330) Senior

RT Paul Adams (6-6, 315) Senior

LT Yasir Durant (6-7, 340) Junior

DEFENSE (7)

DT Terry Beckner Jr. (6-4, 305) Senior

LB Terez Hall (6-2, 230) Senior

LB Cale Garrett (6-3, 235) Junior

LB Brandon Lee (6-2, 225) Senior

CB DeMarkus Acy (6-2, 195) Junior

CB Adam Sparks (6-0, 175) Sophomore

FS Joshua Bledsoe (6-0, 200) Sophomore

How did they fare in 2017?

Missouri struggled out the gate, losing five of their first six games before reeling off six straight wins to reach the Texas Bowl. The Tigers fell 33-16 to Texas to finish the year 7-6 overall.

Best Returning Player…

Drew Lock was not just a short-area passer – he threw for the third-most yards on deep passes among returning QBs last year pic.twitter.com/BNRUhu6wtR

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 26, 2018

QB Drew Lock (6-4, 225) Senior

The Tigers received a huge boost when QB Drew Lock decided to forgo the NFL Draft and return for his senior season.

Lock was phenomenal a season ago, setting a SEC record with 44 touchdown passes. He’s being viewed as one of the top NFL Draft prospects entering 2018 and will look to lead the Tigers to back to back bowl games. Simply put, Missouri goes as Drew Lock goes.

Overall Outlook…

Missouri enters into what will be a crucial season for head coach Barry Odom. While the Tigers were able to reel off six straight on their way to a bowl game, Odom was the center of much criticism a year ago.

The return of QB Drew Lock certainly helps. The Tigers also return nine other starters on offense and seven on the defensive side, making them one of the most experienced teams in the SEC.

Ultimately, while the Missouri offense is impressive, they have been underwhelming against top level competition. The Tigers will need to prove they can play a complete game against the upper half of the SEC if they hope to have a breakout year. Watch out though: another rocky start similar to 2017, and Barry Odom’s job could be in jeopardy.

2018 SEASON PROJECTION: 6-6

For quality up-to-date sports reporting, visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.