Missouri’s Mauk, Cuellar suspended indefinitely

The freshman played two snaps that night, rotated with Perry Orth the following week in a 52-20 loss at Georgia, and is now the unquestioned starter behind center for the Gamecocks.

Mauk has completed 57 of 110 passes for 654 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions this season.

For now, Drew Lock’s emergence adds intrigue to what’s been a somewhat disappointing start to the season for Missouri (3-1). The team will evaluate his status after the game, so apparently Mauk may miss more than one game.

The University of Missouri suspended starting quarterback Maty Mauk on Tuesday for disciplinary reasons.

Missouri averages 6.49 yards a play when Lock is in the game and 4.75 yards a play with Lock. Against Kentucky, Lock’s only drive pushed the Tigers into field-goal range before a 15-yard sack on third down. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Lock presents a different challenge in that he’s much more of a traditional pocket passer than the fleet-footed Mauk, who was the Tigers’ second-leading rusher with 145 yards and the team’s lone rushing touchdown on 34 carries.

Drew Lock will start vs South Carolina. What the Gamecocks have to do is throw something at Lock they haven’t shown.

“When you are devoid of proven playmakers, you look first for consistency, then for potential”, Connelly wrote. “He has to instinctively do what he has to do and focus on doing his job”.

“What we do, and I think our players have great respect for it, is I protect the integrity of the program”, Pinkel said. “Or, more specifically, Lock’s right arm”.

That much was clear Wednesday when Pinkel made his first public comments since suspending junior Maty Mauk on Tuesday.

“I think he’s real excited about it”, Pinkel said. “See how he does, then he might be the guy….”

Lock told his parents he was surprised people in Columbia already knew who he was.