The Gamecocks will hit the road and travel from Columbia, South Carolina to Columbia, Missouri for an SEC East matchup against the Missouri Tigers.
South Carolina continues the SEC portion of the schedule with the first conference road game of the year and looks to make a statement win and continue a current three-game winning streak against the Tigers.
This matchup will be Missouri's SEC opener.
Gamecock's rushing attack
The Gamecock's backfield finally has weapons, as can be seen by the record-setting 493 rushing yards from scrimmage put up against Charleston Southern.
The group, led by senior Rico Dowdle, runs four deep with all backs expected to see significant playing time as the season plays out.
The group consists of three seniors: Dowdle, Mon Denson and Tavien Feaster, and a sole freshman, Kevin Harris, who broke out against CSU, going for 147 yards and three touchdowns in his first six career carries.
Clemson transfers
While this battle of Gamecocks and Tigers might not be the famed Palmetto Bowl, Clemson University does greatly affect this contest. Former Clemson Tigers Kelly Bryant and Tavien Feaster find themselves lining up on opposite sidelines.
This will be Bryant's first game against the Gamecocks following his transfer to Missouri. He last lined up against the Gamecocks in 2017, where he led Clemson to a 34-10 victory and eventually an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Feaster came to South Carolina in 2019 via grad transfer and has had a strong start to the season. He was a bright spot in a dismal season-opening performance in the loss against North Carolina.
Ryan Hilinski vs. an SEC defense on the road
Freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski is set to make his third starting appearance of his young career. Hilinski took over the starting job for injured senior quarterback Jake Bentley, and this game could be critical for his development this season.
This will be Hilinski's first road start and first SEC opponent other than Alabama.
An SEC defense, especially on the road, will be a big change from the high school defenses of Orange Lutheran or an FCS defense in Charleston Southern, so seeing how Hilinski leads the team on the road against a good conference opponent could be a good indicator of his readiness for conference play throughout the rest of the season.
Albert Okwuegbunam
Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam stands at 6 feet, 5 inches and 255 pounds and has emerged as one of Bryant's favorite targets early in the season. Okwuegbunam has gone for over 400 yards receiving every season of his career and has caught a total of 19 touchdowns in his career.
Both the safeties and linebackers for South Carolina are going to have their work cut out for them attempting to stop the beastly tight end.
Senior linebacker TJ Brunson and senior safety JT Ibe, will be key in limiting the Okwuegbunam's production and keeping Bryant from finding his biggest target in the red zone.
Gamecocks secondary
The Gamecocks' secondary features several playmakers, but it lacks experience overall. Several true freshmen have seen the field this season, including Shilo Sanders, John Dixon and Jammie Robinson. Sophomore Jaycee Horn is arguably the most experienced corner on the roster in just his second year of college.
The secondary has shown promise early in the season, coming away with three interceptions against Charleston Southern. But they will have to step up for the Gamecocks to stifle Kelly Bryant and Missouri's air attack.
The Gamecocks will face the Tigers Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. The game can be viewed on SEC Network or SEC Network Plus.