Missouri is 4-5 on the season, meaning the Tigers need 2 wins in their last 3 games to get bowl eligible.

That journey starts Saturday at home against South Carolina, and Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said the formula for beating the Gamecocks is to play a clean game on both sides of the ball.

“Execution,” said Drinkwitz during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday. “I thought we played hard (against Georgia), but playing hard should be a given. We should execute cleaner. … It’s on our players to find that extra level of focus.”

Of course, the Tigers will catch a Gamecocks team that is riding high after their biggest win of the season last weekend over Florida.

“Obviously momentum is a big part of the game. … Every game has a life of its own,” Drinkwitz said. “We’re going to have to play this game well. … You create momentum through execution and we need to execute.”

One area in which Drinkwitz has seen improved execution is on the defensive line, where the Tigers have played better,

Drinkwitx said Wednesday that he believes the improvement is a direct result of the coaching change he made in early October, as Jethro Franklin was fired and replaced by Al Davis

“We’ve played better at the defensive line position,” Drinkwitx said. “I think it was the right decision at the right time.”