Josh Pate puts Missouri on upset alert ahead of South Carolina contest

South Carolina enters Saturday’s Mayor’s Cup matchup with the Missouri Tigers as a double-digit underdog. The Gamecocks dropped last weekend’s matchup with Vanderbilt in blowout fashion, and many national voices are predicting another loss for Shane Beamer’s team.

Another prominent college football personality is putting the Tigers on upset alert, though.

During the latest installment of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, the On3 partner said he has flashbacks to the Gamecocks’ 2024 blowout over Oklahoma when he thinks of this game. “You know what I can’t shake? I can’t shake that image of them going to Oklahoma last year…they blitzed them,” he said. “They won a game that felt like it changed the course of the season.”

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Despite Pate’s sense of optimism, he doesn’t think a win in CoMo will come easy. “Missouri is still looking to make a statement. Missouri’s best win is Kansas,” he said. “[South Carolina is] just another opportunity for [the Tigers] to flex in conference play.”

Because of that, Pate hesitates to pick the Gamecocks outright. “I respect the athletic profile of South Carolina’s team, but I looked for a reason to pick the outright upset. I couldn’t find it. The best I can do is a six [out of ten].”

An SEC victory is certainly possible on Saturday, and Pate thinks it’s pretty simple what has to happen for the scoreboard to light up USC’s way. “I expect [LaNorris Sellers] to play…this is a pure desperation spot for South Carolina,” he said. “You’ve got to keep that team from looking at No. 16 and thinking he’s Superman. Other folks have got to shoulder the load. Someone’s got to step up, multiple someones have got to step up.”

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Pate is not picking South Carolina to win this game against Missouri. However, he said he is hopeful to see a big-time response from the Gamecocks in the Mayor’s Cup.

“I’d love for me to turn on that South Carolina game, and it’s a dog fight in the 4th quarter on the road in Columbia. And it’s because everyone is not looking at No. 16 to be Superman. Some people are taking it upon themselves to maybe stick their faces in the fan,” Pate said. “There’s no way with the overall athletic profile of that South Carolina team that…Vandy is running it up on you. Now you go on the road in pure desperation mode…I think it’s a huge game for them this weekend.”

South Carolina and Missouri will kick off at 7:00 p.m. (Eastern). ESPN will carry the broadcast, and the ESPN app will stream the contest.

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