No. 24 Missouri 34, Southeast Missouri State 3

That drive covered 54 yards in five plays.Mauk finished 12 of 22 for 181 yards and the two scores.

Missouri misplaced operating again Russell Hansbrough and middle Evan Boehm within the first half with sprained ankles. Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers read the play and got in the backfield immediately off the snap, blocking the kick.

Coach Gary Pinkel compared the two players to another quarterback duo from a different era in Mizzou football history: Blaine Gabbert and Chase Daniel. Lock played three series and completed a 78-yard pass to Tyler Hunt for his first touchdown as a Tiger.

The Tigers outrushed the Bears 317 yards to 18 yards, with Cooper gaining 102 yards on 18 carries, including two 4-yard scoring runs.

In the first half of this one, Mauk dropped to pass and he was able to get the throw off. Rushing on the play was Kendall Donnerson, who made a pretty dumb decision and it cost him dearly. Fuente’s ire was drawn early in the third quarter when Tiger lineman Ricky Hunter was flagged – and ejected from the game – for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bears quarterback Breck Ruddick, a violation that helped Missouri State to its only touchdown of the game. Missouri won the last meeting 52-0 in 2008. Announced attendance for Saturday’s game was 64,670, the largest for a home opener at Faurot Field since 2009. Bender is a transfer who led Iowa Western Community College to the NJCAA national championship game.

“They have a bunch of influences there”, Fuente said of Missouri State’s offense.

“I was really thinking this week a Pick-6 and a punt return”, Penton said. They put me out there to see what I could do (Saturday) and I feel like I showed that I could do some things. Not quite three minutes later, Frazier caught a 44-yard touchdown pass, this time from fellow wideout Phil Mayhue on a reverse option. “I just don’t know how smart they played”. He needs tons of work. Missouri went 7-1 in the SEC in 2014 for another division title, then lost in the conference championship game to No. 1 Alabama before a Citrus Bowl victory over Minnesota to finish 11-3 overall. “Learning from that and bringing some of his own skillset to this offense makes him a great player”.

“Sure there is a lot of uncertainty there and you try your best to figure out what their scheme is going to be”, Fuente said.