Cody Schrader rushed for a career-high 159 yards and two touchdowns as No. 20 Missouri continued its dominance of South Carolina with a 34-12 victory on Saturday in Columbia, Mo.
Brady Cook completed 14 of 24 passes for 198 yards, throwing one touchdown pass and running for another score as the Tigers (7-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) beat the Gamecocks for the fifth straight time to retain the Mayor’s Cup.
The series was established when Missouri joined the SEC in 2012 as both schools are located in cities named Columbia.
For the first time in Shane Beamer’s three seasons as coach at South Carolina (2-5, 1-4), the Gamecocks have lost three straight games.
Facing a consistently heavy rush, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler completed 23 of 40 passes for 217 yards and one interception.
Dominating an injury-riddled South Carolina offensive line, Missouri sacked Rattler six times.
The Tigers scored on four straight possessions, surging to a 24-0 lead before Mitch Jeter ended the Gamecocks’ drought with the first of his four field goals, a 51-yarder, in the final minute of the first half.
Rattler drove the Gamecocks to the Tigers 20 on South Carolina’s first possession. But Joe Moore stopped the march, sacking Rattler for a 13-yard loss, and Jeter missed a 51-yard field-goal try.
Missouri answered quickly as Cook lofted a 42-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden III, who beat double coverage to give Missouri a 7-0 lead.
Burden, who entered the game second in the FBS in receiving yards (808) and fourth in receptions (56), finished with four receptions for 90 yards.
On the Tigers’ next two possessions, Schrader capped a 59-yard march with a 10-yard touchdown run, then Cook closed an 87-yard drive with a 17-yard dash that made it 21-0.
In the second half, South Carolina whittled the deficit to 27-12 before Jaylon Carlies made a game-clinching interception with 6:20 left and Schrader followed with an 11-yard touchdown run.
South Carolina’s top receiver, Xavier Legette, departed in the second quarter. He was injured as he was tackled on a kickoff return.
Harrison Mevis kicked field goals of 53 and 21 yards for Missouri. The senior has made 13 kicks of 50 yards or longer in his four seasons.
Mario Anderson rushed for 68 yards on 12 carries for the Gamecocks.
–Field Level Media
