The Gameday is here, folks! Shane Beamer’s South Carolina Gamecocks are set to take on Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Tigers on September 20. But what’s the craze all about? Well, this will be the 16th meeting between Beamer’s squad and Drinkwitz’s program, in a series that Missouri leads 9-6. The South Carolina Gamecocks ended a five-year streak by the Tigers last season.

Courtesy? Their stellar quarterback is LaNorris Sellers. But things have hit a pause in Beamer’s camp. Their quarterback suffered a concussion in last week’s loss against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Saturday feels like a do-or-die moment for the Gamecocks, with the previous week’s Commodore stumble tightening their CFP path. So, who’s ready to crank up the pulse of this showdown from the booth?

ESPN’s Dave Pasch and Dusty Dvoracek are coming to the box to report the face-off that will be taking place at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. A crowded primetime slate will need voices who will dial up the drama and keep the energy soaring. Can the duo achieve it with their mic skills? 

Pasch holds a strong broadcasting career resume, serving as a play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ABC. Other than calling college football games, his niche covers the NBA, men’s and women’s college basketball. It has been more than two decades since 2003 that Pasch has held a place behind the microphone. But how will he help turn on the fever of the South Carolina Gamecocks vs. the Missouri face-off fever?

Even though he has no experience in college football or the NFL, he is known for his intricate broadcasting of the pro league games. Pasch worked for WMAQ-AM in Chicago. His duties included hosting a talk show and the Chicago Blackhawks’ pre-game show. But for the South Carolina Gamecocks vs Missouri face-off, fans might be more interested in hearing from Pasch’s co-host, Dvoracek.  

He has been part of ESPN since 2016. Right now, he covers ESPN and ABC Saturday games. His prior assignment included the ESPN Friday Night Primetime Series and ESPNU college football games on Saturdays. But what makes him the ideal fit to catch the pulse of the South Carolina Gamecocks vs the Missouri Tigers fever?

Unlike Pasch, Dvoracek brings to the table some first-hand football playing experience. He played for the Oklahoma Sooners from 2001 to 2005, where he was a two-time captain and two-time Big 12 champion. During that phase, he was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team and the All-Big 12 and AP All-American teams.

The analyst was drafted 73rd overall in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Already, the current standings of the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Missouri Tigers are thrilling enough to keep the fans on the edge.

South Carolina Gamecocks and Missouri Tigers enter showdown with fragile depth charts

Vanderbilt crushed the South Carolina Gamecocks 31-7. Talking about Beamer’s humiliation? It has hit its peak. After all, the South Carolina Gamecocks fans might not have imagined in their wildest dreams that the college football program would fall to the underdogs.

South Carolina struck first with a touchdown on its opening drive, but that was all the fireworks the Gamecocks could muster. Vanderbilt, undefeated at 2-0 and already looking dangerous, clamped down on defense and flipped the script. And who had to carry the blame?

Has to be the South Carolina Gamecocks head coach, Beamer. ESPN‘s Scott Van Pelt pointed the finger at him, “Clark Lea’s team won 31-7, and that’s a big win for them. That’s a significant loss, obviously, for a South Carolina team that’s 11th. I mean, you’re trying to ascend. You can’t get beat that way at home. But, again, you lose your quarterback, and you haven’t prepared for that to be the scenario you’re going to have to try to fight through. And you’re playing Pavia and Vanderbilt.”

While the Missouri Tigers would have pounced on the already wounded South Carolina Gamecocks, things are a bit tough for Drinkwitz and co. 

On September 18, analyst Matthew Gustafson tweeted an availability-injury report. On the “out” list are Missouri kicker Blake Vraig, quarterback Sam Horn, and offensive lineman Logan Reichert.  And what about Beamer’s squad?

On the “out” list, there are tight end Michael Smith and defensive back Judge Collier. But what might have stolen the South Carolina Gamecocks fans’ sleep is their quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, who is still on the “probable” list. So, things are a bit sensitive in both camps, and let’s see how the announcers turn the commentary box into the heartbeat of the game.