COLUMBIA, Mo. — There are, by most counts, 29 American municipalities called Columbia. There’s also a California boomtown, a nationally famous District of, a river in the Pacific Northwest and an asteroid carrying its name.
But there are only two Columbias that have their own metropolitan areas: one in Missouri and one in South Carolina.
And the two college towns’ college football teams face off annually for the Mayor’s Cup.
Mizzou, ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 23 by the College Football Playoff’s selection committee, faces No. 23/21 South Carolina on the road at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
The contest will be the Tigers’ fourth matchup with a ranked opponent this season after going 1-2 in the prior three.
Here are three things to watch for when MU visits Williams-Brice Stadium to play the Gamecocks:
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Can the O-line hold up?
Pointing out that blocking will be key for Missouri in this matchup isn’t exactly groundbreaking football analysis. But really, it’s true.
South Carolina has one of the nation’s most dangerous pass rushes, with the third-most in the country. Defensive ends Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart have been especially dangerous.
On the other side of the game, Mizzou has two quarterbacks who would benefit from solid pass protection even more than normal. Typical starter Brady Cook continues to nurse separate ankle and throwing hand/wrist injuries. The former health concern could still limit his mobility. The latter could post a reinjury risk if he takes the wrong kind of contact.
If it’s Cook who plays, he may not be as mobile as normal, and throws in tight spaces could be more dangerous.
If it’s backup Drew Pyne who makes the start — Cook began the week listed as doubtful on the MU injury report — it’s also vital: Pyne has completed 70% of his passes this season with a clean pocket, but just 31.8% when under pressure.
Seems a little extra important to hold up the Gamecocks’ pass rushers, no?
“That’s gonna be a challenge,†Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “There’s not really been anybody that’s been able to keep it clean. Obviously breaking in a new center, too.â€
That’s the other factor: Drake Heismeyer will start at center with Connor Tollison out for the rest of the year.
There’s another layer to the trenches factor, too.
“I think more than keeping the pocket clean, it’s gonna be about, for us, being able to find a rhythm running the football better than we were in the first half last week,†Drinkwitz said.
The benefit to that aspect of the game is that primary tailback Nate Noel continues to recover from his foot injury and is getting closer to feeling 100%, he said earlier this week.
Special teams under microscope
When Drinkwitz looks back on Missouri’s heart-pounding win over Oklahoma, he sees a glaring flaw.
“In this building, we call special teams a team responsibility,†the fifth-year coach said. “We understand that as a team, we let ourselves down.â€
There was a missed extra point, a field goal kicked out of bounds, a couple of penalties on coverage and return plays. And the big one: an OU fake punt that turned a fourth down into a 40-some yard gain in a big swing for the Sooners.
The part of that play, in particular, that gets Drinkwitz’s goat is that Mizzou had called “safe†when Oklahoma lined up in punt formation — a variation of a typical return or block scheme with one conservative purpose:
“We knew and anticipated that they were going to fake a punt right there,†Drinkwitz said. “Should have had multiple players in position to take care of that.â€
He’s a frequent preacher of “complimentary football,†a sort of coach-speak way to suggest that a team’s offense, defense and special teams need to contribute to each other’s success.
“For offense and defense to play so well and for team responsibility not to get it done was a very challenging thing,†Drinkwitz said.
Special teams work was on track to be a point of emphasis during this week’s practices, so erasing errors there will be something to monitor for MU.
Milestones on the horizon
A couple of Missouri’s more prominent figures could be moving up in the record books, depending on how Saturday’s game shakes out.
Wide receiver Luther Burden III needs just 10 receiving yards to enter the program’s career top 10 in that stat. Currently, Burden sits 11th with 2,092, while former wideout T.J. Moe has 2,101. Danario Alexander holds the all-time Mizzou record with 2,778 career receiving yards.
Drinkwitz, with 35 wins so far in his tenure, is third among MU head coaches for wins in their first five seasons. Legendary coach Dan Devine’s 37 is the mark to beat, and Drinkwitz has four more games — three regular season, one bowl — to get there. His next win would tie him with Warren Powers for second.
