No. 23 Missouri Tigers (3-0) will host the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1) on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Faurot Field (Memorial Stadium) in Columbia, Missouri. This primetime SEC showdown will kick off at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN. It marks Missouri's first conference game of the season, while the Gamecocks look to rebound from a shocking 31-7 upset loss to Vanderbilt in their SEC opener. This rivalry game, often dubbed the Mayor's Cup, will showcase two SEC programs on very different tracks: a South Carolina team trying to regain traction to keep up with their preseason hype and a Mizzou team riding high after an undefeated start to their 2025 campaign.
Team Rankings
- Missouri: No. 23 in AP Poll, No. 22 Coaches Poll
- South Carolina: Unranked in AP (received votes); No. 24 in Coaches Poll
Key Injuries and Availability
- LaNorris Sellers (QB, South Carolina): Still listed as questionable as of Wednesday evening, but Sellers is practicing.
- Luke Doty (QB, South Carolina): Sixth-year backup prepped to start if Sellers can’t go.
- Mazeo Bennett Jr. (WR, South Carolina) is listed as questionable
- Judge Collier (CB, South Carolina) is doubtful
- Michael Smith (TE, South Carolina) is also doubtful
- Dylan Stewart (EDGE, South Carolina): Eligible to play full game despite ejection vs. Vanderbilt .
- Missouri: No major injuries reported as of Thursday.
Series History
Missouri leads the all-time series, however South Carolina won the most recent meeting in 2024. In fact, the Gamecocks beat Missouri 34-30 last season in a thriller that snapped a five-game winning streak. Prio to that matchup, Missouri dominated the rivalry in recent years. The all-time series stands at 8-6 in favor of the Tigers since the two programs became SEC opponents.
One notable trend is that the Gamecocks have struggled in Columbia, Missouri; South Carolina has not won at Faurot Field since 2017. Missouri won the last two home games against South Carolina (in 2019 and 2021). South Carolina will look to break an eight-year drought on Mizzou's home turf, while the Tigers will be anxious to reclaim the Mayor's Cup rivalry trophy.
TV and Streaming Information
- Network: ESPN
- Announcers: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Taylor McGregor (sideline)
- Streaming: ESPN App & WatchESPN, or you can create a free FuboTV account to watch.
Radio Broadcast Information
- Gamecock Sports Network (South Carolina): Todd Ellis (play-by-play), Tommy Suggs (analyst), Chet Tucker (sideline). Pregame show starts at 4:00 p.m. ET, with extended Columbia pregame on 107.5 FM beginning at 2:00 p.m.
- Tiger Radio Network (Missouri): Mike Kelly (play-by-play), Howard Richards (analyst), Chris Gervino (sideline)
- SiriusXM: SC broadcast on Channel 191, Missouri broadcast on Channel 81
Betting Line (Updated)
- Spread: Missouri −10.5 (earlier lines had −12 to −13)
- Over/Under: 48 to 48.5 point
- Moneyline: Missouri −350 to −380; South Carolina +275 to +300
The line on the game tightened as the week went on, mostly due to the uncertainty surrounding South Carolina's quarterback LaNorris Sellers availability on Saturday.
Weather Forecast for Game Time
The forecast for September 20 calls for a warm day turning into a mild evening. Day time highs will be around 86 degrees and evening temps will drop into the 70s by kickoff. Skies are expected to be slightly cloudy, with a 40-45% chance of scattered showers into Saturday night.
Bottom Line
Saturday's matchup is a classic SEC night game, with a hostile crowd, high stakes, a rivalry trophy on the line, and betting lines adjusting by the hour as LaNorris Sellers' status remains uncertain.