COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football dropped its SEC opener to South Carolina, 31-13, Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. With the loss, the Tigers fall to 1-1 (0-1 SEC), while the Gamecocks improved to 2-0, 1-0.
Mizzou opened a 10-0 lead before a kick return and an interception led to 14 of 21 unanswered points as South Carolina used a big second quarter to seize control. The Gamecocks then outscored the Tigers, 17-3, in the second half to pull away. Mizzou had three drives get inside the South Carolina 15-yard line in the final 35 minutes, but could only come away with three points.
The turning point in Saturday’s game came in the second quarter following a long 61-yard TD catch-and-run by senior TE Jason Reese (Euless, Texas) that gave Mizzou a 10-0 lead with 13:07 remaining in the quarter. South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to pay dirt to cut the lead to 10-7. On Mizzou’s very next possession, QB Drew Lock (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) threw an interception on the first play that set up a 25-yard TD run by Samuel to give the Gamecocks a 14-10 lead in a matter of just 30 seconds of game time.
-Senior TE Jason Reese hauled in a career-high 88 receiving yards with a TD, his second in as many games this season.
-Mizzou’s tight ends have combined for seven catches for 191 yards with and three scores this season. Mizzou’s tight ends had just three TDs all of last season.
-Sophomore RB Damarea Crockett rushed for 97 yards on 18 attempts.
-Sophomore MLB Cale Garrett tied a career best with 10 tackles. He also had 10 against Arkansas last season. He now has six games with at least six tackles and two straight to open the season.
-Junior LB Kaleb Prewett totaled his most tackles in a Mizzou uniform with seven. He has five or more tackles in eight of 10 career games played.
-Junior WR Emanuel Hall pulled in a season-high 66 yards, his third career game with 50-plus yards.
-RS Senior Jason Reese recorded his longest reception and accumulated his career high in receiving yards on the same play, scoring on a 61-yard seam route in the second quarter. Reese finished the day with 88 receiving yards, surpassing his previous career high of 47 yards against South Carolina (Oct. 3, 2015).
-Mizzou’s defense held South Carolina’s QB Jake Bentley to just 187 yards passing. This marked the first time Mizzou has held an opposing QB under 200 yards passing since doing so against Delaware State last season (Sept. 24, 2017).
-Mizzou’s defense held South Carolina to 359 yards, marking the first time since the same Delaware State game that Mizzou has held a team under 400 yards of offense.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will host Purdue next Saturday at 3 p.m. on SEC Network.
