ASTEROID ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE HOT: MISSOURI AGAINST SEC TEAMS

The Tigers are 8-1 against the SEC in the regular season dating to the beginning of last season. The lone loss? To South Carolina in overtime. And Missouri went into Williams-Brice Stadium and basically put the Gamecocks out of their misery for the 2014 season. Would anyone have predicted this run within the conference entering 2013?

BLACK ROCK ON A SUNNY DAY: BUD SASSER

You know you’re having a good season when your coach tells you he should’ve played you more last year. With Jimmie Hunt and Darius White out against South Carolina, Sasser was crucial. His 41-yard catch broke the offense out of its paralysis and sprung two late touchdowns. But he’s been the best receiver all season, despite Hunt getting so many targets early. He’s not a game-breaker, but he runs terrific routes, wins plenty of 50-50 balls and has terrific hands.

PACIFIC OCEAN COOL: MATY MAUK

If you’ve never been to the Pacific Ocean — in San Diego, say — take my word for it. Even in July, you’ll want a wetsuit. It’s unexpectedly cold. Which brings us to Missouri’s quarterback. The South Carolina defense has proved vulnerable all season. The offensive line wasn’t great, but it did play much better Saturday. The inexperienced receivers didn’t get open enough. But Mauk also bailed from the pocket too soon and too often, and his accuracy didn’t follow him to Columbia, S.C. He wasn’t in position to have his best game. But whereas he played excellent in spite of his teammates in the first half against Indiana, he was part of the reason for the struggles against South Carolina. Maybe the team just has his number.

COLORADO IN JANUARY: RUN DEFENSE

Lucky for the Tigers, LB Michael Scherer has developed into a bona fide playmaker. Granted, he still needs to work on being physical with blocker and shedding them at the right moment. But he’s always around the football and he’s wracking up huge numbers of tackles. That said, Missouri’s running game is consistently cold. Even Mike Davis, who to one man’s eyes looks chunky and not nearly as explosive as he was last season, rushed for 100 yards. That’s four 100-yard rushers in five games this season. It’s nearly automatic. Which should make fans nervous with Georgia RB Todd Gurley and company next on the schedule.