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When Maty Mauk stepped on the field last year against Georgia, replacing an injured James Franklin, no one knew how long he’d play. Just that he needed to keep the Tigers afloat on top of the SEC East until Franklin returned.
He’ll walk behind center Evan Boehm this afternoon as the unquestioned engine of the offense. This time, the only way he’s coming off the field in 2014 is if he gets hurt or if the team holds a big lead in the second half.
After comparing himself to Johnny Manziel this summer, Mauk has been pretty low-key since the coaching staff ended his quest to grow a mullet.
The Tigers, aiming to win back-to-back division titles in just their third season as a member of the SEC East, are more than Mauk. But the opener against South Dakota State represents the sophomore’s first as the true starter.
Backup running back Morgan Steward is expected to miss the game due to a hip injury, but Missouri enters the game relatively healthy.
If things go as planned, the biggest question Saturday will be whether Missouri retains that health and how soon the Tigers will start rotating in its young backups.
The kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET from Columbia, Mo.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
