South Carolina Stumbles Again in 29-20 Loss to Missouri, Leaving More Questions Than Answers
South Carolina dropped to 2-2 (0-2 SEC) on Saturday night after a 29-20 defeat to No. 23 Missouri (4-0, 1-0 SEC), continuing a troubling trend against the Tigers. The Gamecocks have now lost four straight games in Columbia, Missouri, and six of their last seven in the series overall.
Here’s what stood out from the loss:
1. Running Game Hits Rock Bottom
If there’s one stat that jumps off the page, it’s this: South Carolina rushed for minus-9 yards in an SEC game.
That number is hard to comprehend for a program with the resources and recruiting South Carolina boasts. And worse, there’s no magic button to fix it.
Shane Beamer’s staff tried everything—different backs, different line combinations, creative play calls like end-arounds and screens. Nothing worked. The offensive line, already weakened after losing starters RT Cason Henry and C Nolan Hay, was completely overpowered.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers summed it up:
“Just have to execute better. Communicate better. Just get looks right.”
Unlike Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy, who bulldozed defenders all night, South Carolina’s backs rely on holes that simply weren’t there. Opposing defenses know it, too. They’re stacking the box, bringing pressure, and daring USC to convert on long third downs. Missouri proved that strategy works.
2. Penalties Continue to Pile Up
Some penalties can be excused as bad calls. Saturday wasn’t one of those nights.
South Carolina committed 14 penalties for 98 yards, with nearly half being pre-snap miscues. Six false starts and an offsides call killed drives before they began.
Beamer didn’t sugarcoat it:
“It’s hard to say it’s one bad night when we’ve had the number of pre-snap penalties that we’ve had. The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again. When you have 14 penalties on the road, something has to change, starting with me.”
The Gamecocks work on discipline every week, but so far, the issues haven’t gone away.
3. The Lead That Never Felt Safe
Despite being outplayed for much of the first half—outgained by 100 yards, losing time of possession by six minutes, and rushing for just a single yard—South Carolina somehow led 14-12 at halftime.
Key plays like Gerald Kilgore’s interception and red-zone stops kept USC alive. Even heading into the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks held a slim lead after a field goal.
But then the wheels came off. On two separate drives late in the game, USC had the ball with a chance to take control. Both ended in punts.
“That’s what is sickening,” Beamer said after the collapse.
4. Defensive Struggles Against the Run
Missouri gashed the Gamecocks on the ground for 285 rushing yards, led by Hardy’s 138-yard night and Jamal Roberts’ 76.
South Carolina’s tackling was a glaring weakness again. Hardy broke tackle after tackle, often slipping away even when defenders thought they had him wrapped up.
It was déjà vu after poor tackling the week prior against Vanderbilt. Beamer’s defense looked unprepared to stop a power back like Hardy.
The only possible silver lining? Hardy might simply be that good, maybe even the best running back USC faces all year. Still, that doesn’t excuse the missed assignments and arm tackles that defined Saturday’s defensive effort.
5. What’s Next for the Gamecocks?
This loss leaves South Carolina’s season at a crossroads.
Optimists could still imagine a strong finish, with the Gamecocks rallying to seven or eight wins. But skeptics see a team struggling in too many key areas to realistically compete with the SEC’s best.
South Carolina will likely be favored against Kentucky and Coastal Carolina, and Saturday’s results hint they could challenge Clemson. But LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M all loom large—and right now, it’s hard to picture USC pulling off upsets if they play like they did at Missouri.
The Gamecocks have a lot to fix. And they’ll need answers quickly before the season slips further away.
