Here are some quick thoughts on Missouri’s 27-20 win against Arkansas State.

What it means: The Tigers avoided an upset in a road game they didn’t necessarily want to play. Mizzou wanted to move this game to St. Louis, and with good reason given the energy from Red Wolves fans in Jonesboro and the way Arkansas State played after getting demolished at USC last week. While Missouri didn’t look great, the Tigers held on for a win while also starting previously injured C Evan Boehm and RB Russell Hansbrough. Hansbrough was limited, though, and may be questionable for next week.

What I liked: Maty Mauk running the ball. Look, Missouri’s quarterback wasn’t accurate Saturday night. Mauk finished 16-of-36 with two interceptions. For reasons listed below, that stat line isn’t entirely Mauk’s fault, but he made up for his inaccuracy with his productive scrambles. Mauk rushed 10 times for 75 yards, often extending drives with his feet while making up Hansbrough’s limitations.

What I didn’t like: Receiver drops. I counted at least a half-dozen of them by Missouri receivers, including really bad ones by Nate Brown and J’Mon Moore. The Tigers new receivers showed in Week 1 that they’re athletic enough to make up for their inexperience. That inexperience, though, showed when they couldn’t catch the ball in Jonesboro.

Who’s the man: Kentrell Brothers, again. A week after putting up 16 tackles, the middle linebacker added to his stat line with 16 more against Arkansas State. Especially in the first half, Brothers was the star of a Missouri defense that had some struggles. Brothers also helped seal the game with two fourth-quarter interceptions.

Key play: Brothers’ second interception. Given Arkansas State’s offensive woes in the second half, it didn’t seem likely that they would come back to tie the game. But the Red Wolves did have the ball with 90 seconds left, and Tigers fans have seen some bad last-minute losses in recent years. With the help of great coverage and a tip from Missouri’s secondary, Brothers helped clinch things for the Tigers.

What’s next: Missouri just needs to get healthy in preparation for UConn next week. There may be some shuffling on the offensive line, and the receivers will want to put in some extra reps, but Gary Pinkel’s team looks pretty capable in its current capacity to get through the rest of its non-conference schedule.