Mauk throws three TDs to lead Mizzou over Arkansas State 27-20
JONESBORO, Ark. -- Maty Mauk threw three touchdown passes and No. 21 Missouri extended its road winning streak to 11 games by rallying in the second half for a 27-20 win over Arkansas State on Saturday night.
The Tigers (2-0) haven't lost on the road since a 59-29 defeat at Texas A&M on Nov. 24, 2012.
Mauk accounted for 223 total yards for Missouri, which trailed 17-10 at halftime before holding the Red Wolves to 37 yards of offense in the second half. Nate Robinson, Sean Culkin and Wesley Leftwich each caught touchdown passes for the Tigers.
Fredi Knighten threw for a pair of touchdown passes for Arkansas State (0-2) before leaving with a leg injury in the third quarter.
A week after making a career-high 16 tackles in a season-opening win, Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers added 16 more tackles and a pair of interceptions. His spectacular fourth-quarter takeaway out of the hands of Arkansas State's Dijon Paschal led to a 41-yard field goal by Andrew Baggett to give the Tigers a 27-20 lead.
Mauk helped set up the field goal with a 19-yard scramble on third-and-13, and he finished with 75 yards rushing on 10 carries. He was 16-of-36 passing for 148 yards and the three touchdowns, along with a pair of interceptions.
Arkansas State lost 41-13 in Columbia in 2013, and Missouri had hoped to move the return game to a neutral site such as St. Louis' Busch Stadium. However, the Red Wolves declined that option last year -- preferring to use Saturday as a showcase for the recently renovated Centennial Bank Stadium.
With a crowd of 29,143 in attendance, Arkansas State did its best to put a season-opening 55-6 loss at USC behind it. Knighten, a week after throwing a pair of interceptions against the Trojans, made a pair of touchdown passes on highlight-worthy catches by Tres Houston. The first, a high-reaching one-handed grab, put the Red Wolves up 7-3 early in the second quarter.
Houston's second touchdown came with only 8 seconds remaining in the first half, a diving 5-yard catch that was initially ruled incomplete. However, following a review, officials saw the senior was able to drag his feet through the back of the end zone on his way out of bounds -- giving Arkansas State a 17-10 halftime lead.
The Red Wolves had 180 yards of total offense in the first half, but they were held to only 37 in the second. Knighten left the game late in the third quarter and was seen limping on the sideline, giving way to backup quarterback James Tabary.
