In what could be his last start of the season, freshman quarterback Maty
Mauk will attempt to help Missouri maintain sole possession of the SEC
East lead.
After bouncing back nicely from their first loss, the
ninth-ranked Tigers will try for another dominant performance Saturday
at Kentucky.
Mauk has started the past three games, but James
Franklin is on the verge of returning from a sprained shoulder.
Missouri's coaches used Franklin's improving health as motivation for
their freshman backup before last week's game against Tennessee.
After
being told he was on a tight leash, Mauk threw three touchdown passes
and ran for 114 yards in a 31-3 rout of the Volunteers. That victory
helped Missouri (8-1, 4-1) remain just ahead of South Carolina in the
SEC East after a 27-24 double-overtime loss to the then-No. 20 Gamecocks
on Oct. 26.
Mauk is expected to start again this Saturday with Franklin considered questionable.
"I
feel fortunate that Maty has done a good job," coach Gary Pinkel said.
"I think what has helped Maty without question is that up front we are
playing really well. The offensive line that helps him, and having the
receiving corps intact allows him a greater shot of being successful."
Franklin
was expected to miss three to five weeks after suffering his injury in a
41-26 win at then-No. 7 Georgia on Oct. 12. With a bye week coming up
after the visit to Kentucky, Missouri might opt to give its senior some
more rest.
That would give Franklin time to get even healthier
for seemingly tougher games to wrap up this season, a visit to
Mississippi on Nov. 23 and a home game against No. 11 Texas A&M on
Nov. 30.
To earn a spot in the SEC championship, the Tigers will
likely need to win their final three games. They could make it if they
go 2-1 and South Carolina drops its conference finale against visiting
Florida next Saturday.
First, Missouri needs to get past Kentucky
(2-6, 0-4), which has yet to beat a major conference team this season
and has dropped 12 straight in SEC play. Pinkel, however, isn't taking
the Wildcats lightly.
"With the SEC, there is so little drop-off
in the talent in this league. Every team is good. I think this also
applies to Kentucky," he said. "They are a good football team, and we
are going to work very hard to play our best football game Saturday."
The Wildcats snapped a five-game skid last Saturday with a 48-14 rout of Alabama State.
Jalen
Whitlow shook off nagging shoulder and ankle injuries to run for 101
yards and two touchdowns -- including an 88-yard scoring dash -- and
pass for two more TDs. Whitlow is part of a two-quarterback rotation
with fellow sophomore Maxwell Smith.
That hasn't been too
effective as Kentucky ranks 12th in the conference with 24.0 points and
357.6 yards per game. The Wildcats are also 12th in total defense,
allowing an average of 421.0 yards.
Missouri ranks second in the
SEC in total offense with 500.0 yards per game and third with an average
of 40.6 points. It's also fourth with 20.6 points allowed per game and
leads the league with 27 sacks.
"Their defense has been the
biggest improvement for them. Just playing extremely good defense this
year," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. "Top four in our league in
scoring defense, so very active, very disruptive. It'll be a great
challenge for us."
That would indicate that the Tigers are poised
for an even better performance than in their 33-10 win over Kentucky
last season. Missouri shook off a slow start by scoring the final 23
points in its first SEC win.
The Tigers are making their first visit to Kentucky since a 12-6 loss Sept. 21, 1968.
