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How Missouri's offense will change with Lock at quarterback
With Drew Lock taking over as the starting quarterback, expect Missouri's offense to be tweaked a bit when it faces off against South Carolina.
With running back Russell Hansbrough's health compromised by an injured ankle, Maty Mauk had been taking on a bigger role in the run game. The suspended signal-caller is second on the team with 145 yards rushing, and has the best yards-per-carry average (of a player with at least 10 carries).
Mauk's effectiveness running the football came via zone-read opportunities, but also on scrambles when the play broke down. Missouri's inconsistent effort along the offensive line has been masked a bit by Mauk's propensity to run with the ball.
Lock isn't nearly the type of athlete Mauk is. Although not completely immobile, Lock has failed to register a rushing attempt on the year. When inserted into the contest, Missouri usually threw the football.
While Lock likely won't rush for a considerable amount of yardage, he has a better arm when compared to Mauk. The freshman can make throws to all parts of the field. Missouri hasn't been able to garner a ton of big-play opportunities through four games, and Lock certainly has the arm-strength needed to accomplish such a feat.
Hansbrough should also be relatively healthy for the first time in weeks. Not only will his return potentially make up for the rushing yardage lost with Mauk's suspension, but the senior back should also help to take pressure off of the first-time starter at quarterback.
