POST-BAKE COOKIE SHEET ON THE STOVE: MATY MAUK

Have you ever grabbed a scalding cookie sheet without realizing it’s still hot? Mauk’s numbers against Indiana don’t reflect how well the quarterback played. After watching every Mauk throw, his first half was nearly flawless. He absorbed hits, bought time with his legs, made some terrific throws into tight windows and made great decisions with the football.

Other than one bad throw that resulted in an interception (not a bad decision) and two dangerous throws that resulted in incompletion, Mauk made something out of nothing over and over. He would’ve had even more impressive numbers if not for a few drops, including an egregious one on third-and-25 by Marcus Murphy. He controlled 11 high snaps from C Evan Boehm and mostly avoided a relentless pass rush that tossed around the interior of the offensive line.

SEMI-WARM DAY, SNAKE ON A ROCK: SEAN CULKIN

The tight end caught a career-high four passes and scored his first touchdown of the season. His seven catches through four games equal the season-long reception total for tight ends in 2013. He’s also drawn two pass interference calls and probably could’ve caught at least three other passes. (On one swing pass, Mauk laser-beamed a ball at his knees that he dropped.)

Like a snake on a rock on a day not quite hot enough to warm him up immediately, Culkin slowly is going from cold to lukewarm to toasty. Expect him to be a significant part of Missouri’s pass offense Saturday with receiver Darius White out.

WET AND IN DANGER OF HYPOTHERMIA: RUN DEFENSE

Tre Mason’s record SEC Championship seemed like a fluke cloaked in Auburn’s super system. Then this season started and Missouri has allowed three 100-yard rushers in four weeks.

Granted, it’s come against a player who may finish the year as the all-time leading rusher in the FCS in Zach Zenner and two of the NCAA’s best Kareem Hunt (seventh in the NCAA) and Tevin Coleman (third in the NCAA). But with South Carolina’s Mike Davis coming up this weekend, the team’s run defense will be under further scrutiny.

The defensive tackles haven’t fared well, but the defense has been most vulnerable against speed on the edges.

PRE-GLOBAL WARMING ARCTIC: MISSOURI OFFENSIVE LINE

This has been quietly simmering for some time, but Mauk has done a good job of hiding it (as have Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough, acting like human joysticks in the backfield and finding invisible creases). But losing Anthony Gatti to a torn ACL while Boehm, the veteran anchor, suddenly went Chuck Knoblauch sent it over the edge.

In the third quarter, Mauk finally backslid, bailing early and throwing high on a few passes. Other than two spectacular Hansbrough runs, Missouri’s backs had nowhere to go all game. If this team wants to compete in a decent bowl game, let alone compete for another SEC East title, the offensive line must play better.