Quarterback play was down in the SEC this season. In the SEC East, two of the top signal callers were dual-threat passers. Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs and Missouri’s Maty Mauk have several comparable traits as mobile sophomore quarterbacks. Here’s a look at how the two players matchup in SDS’ player showdown.

THE CASE FOR JOSHUA DOBBS

Dobbs made his first appearance in Week 9 against Alabama and remained the Vols’ starting quarterback. Dobbs led Tennessee to a 3-1 record as a starter, ending the team’s four-year bowl drought. The sophomore threw for 1,077 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions on 96-of-156 passing, while rushing for 393 yards and six touchdowns on 91 attempts. Dobbs looks to be Tennessee’s quarterback of the future and continues to show progress in his development after just eight career starts. But the sophomore has also shown struggles to find his consistency at times, much like his counterpart.

THE CASE FOR MATY MAUK

Maty Mauk just finds a way to win. Despite struggles at the beginning of the season, Mauk led the Tigers to their second consecutive SEC East championship. He is also 2-0 against Dobbs in head-to-head matchups. After failing to throw a touchdown pass in each of his first three SEC games, Mauk ended the season with 2,551 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 209-of-395, while rushing for 355 yards and a touchdown on 97 attempts. Mauk failed to throw for 300 yards against a single SEC opponent, but holds an edge based on his success in the win-loss column. However, unlike Dobbs, the sophomore played a full season, including games against non conference opponents.

VERDICT

It’s a close comparison given that both players seem to rely on natural raw ability more than anything else. Dobbs seems to be the more talented of the two, but Mauk has a better win-loss record thus far. However, there are several factors to consider, including Dobbs’ lack of protection from his offensive line. In limited action, Dobbs looked more impressive individually than Mauk. The Tigers also relied on a heavy rushing attack, which had strong depth with Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough. Dobbs, on the other hand, had Jalen Hurd and an otherwise depleted depth chart at running back. On even teams, Dobbs is the better quarterback between the two.

Winner: Joshua Dobbs