Markus Golden missed the game against Indiana due to a hamstring strain suffered midweek.

Matt Hoch and Shane Ray each got sacks on a drive early in the second quarter, and a pair of linebackers licked Dylan Thompson on an incompletion on the next possession.

Ray, lined up at defensive tackle on the same side of the field at Golden, beat South Carolina’s guard on a speed rush for his seventh sack of the season, according to Missouri. He added a second sack later in the quarter. (CFBStats.com and others credit Golden with just seven sacks.)

Aldon Smith set the single-season sack record at Mizzou with 11.5 in 2009. San Francisco drafted him seventh overall in 2011 and he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2012.

Ray’s eight (seven?) sacks in less than five games portend well for his future, as he’s now considered a first-round prospect by several major analysts, including Mel Kiper Jr.

After giving up 31 points at home last week to Indiana, the pass rush is a major reason why South Carolina has yet to score a touchdown late in the first half.