As we creep closer and closer to gameday this Saturday, unknowns still remain. Lanorris Sellers went down with an injury against Vanderbilt last Saturday, and it was confirmed that he is currently in concussion protocol. Backup quarterback and sixth-year veteran, Luke Doty, would play the rest of the game. South Carolina, after Sellers injury, would not score a single point.

Doty would go 18/28, with 148 yards, with an interception as well. Doty averaged just measly 5.3 yards per attempt as well. Doty, a receiver on the roster, is known for his ability to use his legs, but against the Commodores, Doty only accumulated 20 yards on 9 carries and struggled to find a rhythm in the 31-7 beatdown. It was quite clear that as Sellers left, the offense took a nose dive down a very deep cliff.

One of the lone bright spots in the game was star receiver, Nyck Harbor. Harbor is 6’5, 235, and runs a 4.4 40. He’s a genetic freak. In the affair on Saturday, he was the primary target, hauling in 4 receptions for 66 yards. South Carolina running back, Rashul Faison, also played formidably, making the most of his 15 carries, picking up 74 yards and 1 touchdown, his first of the season.

So, what does South Carolina do well, and what could challenge this Missouri defense? Here are two things about the Gamecocks’ offense that could test the Tiger defense:

1. Nyck Harbor can take the top off: I absolutely have to bring up Nyck Harbor, because he is that much of a gamebreaker. Harbor has elite speed and the body of a tight end, something you don’t see frequently. In the Kansas game, Missouri allowed a 50 yard pass that allowed Kansas to get to the doorstep of the end zone and they immediately barged in. Missouri got very fortunate that Jalon Daniels missed Emmanuel Henderson on a deep ball in the 4th quarter that would have been a for sure touchdown.

The safeties for Missouri are all good tacklers and run stoppers, but have shown leakiness in coverage, at times. Other than that, however, the secondary has been solid. I expect plenty of two-high safety looks from the Tiger defense to try to prevent the inevitable long balls to Harbor.

2. No matter what quarterback plays, there’s a run threat: LaNoris Sellers very well could play this Saturday. As I’m writing this, Eli Drinkwitz just stated, “We fully expect Sellers to play this week.” Now obviously, that would be tremendous news for the Gamecocks, not so much for the Tigers. However, even if Sellers doesn’t play, Doty still brings an aspect of the dual-threat style, even if it’s a tad inferior to Sellers.

Sellers hasn’t been amazing this year, however, in all honesty. Underwhelming, given the hype he was given in the offseason. But that doesn’t mean that at any moment, he could have his breakout game for the season.

Luke Doty was probably your dad’s favorite quarterback in the 1980s. Yes, he’s been playing college football for that long. Although Doty may not possess the talent that Sellers does, he can run, just like Sellers. After all, Doty is a receiver. Doty is 6’1, 210 pounds, and he runs big. Doty possesses all the experience he needs to be the perfect game manager, and Missouri has to be ready for that.

I originally had three, but I seriously couldn’t come up with three. This game is dependent upon LaNoris Sellers’s availability.