SE Missouri State Redhawks vs Missouri Tigers Box Score on Sep 05, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Sep 5, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Junior quarterback Maty Mauk threw two first-quarter touchdown passes and senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers led a stingy defense with a career-best 16 tackles, helping No. 24 Missouri to a 34-3 season-opening victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday at Faurot Field.

Since the beginning of the 2007 season, Missouri has won 77 games, trailing only Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU during that period.

The Tigers marched 64 yards in five plays on their opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead on Mauk's 27-yard TD pass to sophomore wide receiver J'Mon Moore with 11:28 on the clock.

Mauk's 23-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Nate Brown extended the advantage to 14-0 with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter. That drive covered 54 yards in five plays.

Mauk finished 12 of 22 for 181 yards and the two scores. He was intercepted once.

The Tigers played the final three quarters without starting running back Russell Hansbrough and starting center Evan Boehm, each of whom suffered a sprained right ankle early in the game.

Hansbrough, who rushed for 1,084 yards in 2014, was injured on his first carry, a 20-yard sweep of right end. Boehm rolled an ankle in the early going.

Brothers helped keep the Redhawks out of the end zone, making tackles all over the field. During the first three quarters, he had 14 tackles, including 1.5 for loss.

In the third quarter, Brothers blocked a Southeast Missouri State punt that cornerback Aarion Penton returned 41 yards for a touchdown. Brothers' previous career best for tackles was 14.

Missouri, which travels to Arkansas State on Sept. 12, extended its lead to 17-0 in the second quarter on Andrew Baggett's 39-yard field goal with 9:54 left in the half. Southeast Missouri State got a 35-yard field goal from Ryan McCrum with 2:19 remaining in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 17-3.

The Tigers got a 23-yard field goal from Brothers with 10:55 left in the third quarter to take a 20-3 lead, then iced the victory with 22 seconds left in the third quarter when Brothers blocked Alex Knight's punt, and Penton scooped it up and went the final 41 yards for the TD.

It was Missouri's first blocked punt resulting in a touchdown since Oct. 24, 2009, when Malcolm Williams fell on a blocked punt in the end zone against Texas.

Freshman quarterback Drew Lock's 78-yard touchdown pass to reserve running back Tyler Hunt with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter capped the Missouri scoring. Lock finished 6 of 10 for 138 yards, giving the Tigers 319 combined passing yards from Mauk and Lock.

NOTES: QB Drew Lock played one first-half series, directing an eight-play, 48-yard drive that led to a Missouri field goal, completing 4 of 5 passes for 51 yards. Lock returned to the field to direct a drive with 7:04 remaining in the game. ... Once RB Russell Hansbrough left the game in the first quarter, the Tigers' first-half rushing attack consisted of six carries for 11 yards ... Missouri WRs Brown and J'Mon Moore got involved in the offense quickly, combining for five catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns during the opening 30 minutes. ... Southeast Missouri State's defense was hampered when OLB Kendall Donnerson was ejected with 9:48 remaining in the first quarter after a roughing the passer penalty that was ruled targeting. ... The Tigers improved to 4-0 all time against teams from Missouri, also beating Southeast Missouri 52-3 in 2008 and 20-0 in 1936, along with a 10-0 victory over Missouri State in 1923. ... Announced attendance for Saturday's game was 64,670, the largest for a home opener at Faurot Field since 2009.