No. 21 Mizzou escapes Arkansas State with 27-20 win

With a young team facing its first road game of 2015, No. 21 Mizzou needed its veterans to step up.

Maty Mauk and Kentrell Brothers were happy to answer the call.

Mauk threw for three touchdowns while Kentrell Brothers had 16 tackles and two interceptions, including the game-sealing pick with 1:20 left in the game.

Mizzou (2-0) went down 7-3 when Fredi Knighten found Tres Houston in the endzone. The Tigers could not find an answer until John Gibson intercepted Knighten in the second quarter. That led to a 11-yard touchdown pass from Mauk to Nate Brown.

In the third quarter, the offense got hot. Mauk tossed a 32-yard score to Wesley Leftwich to help Mizzou tie the game at 17 a piece. Later in the quarter, Mauk scrambled when the pocket broke down and completed a pass to Sean Culkin. The tight end ran into the endzone to give MU a 24-17 lead.

Mauk closed the day 16-36 and 148 passing yards. The redshirt junior also had two interceptions to go along with his three TD tosses.

Drew Lock only had one pass attempt. Lock darted a throw over the middle, but it deflected off Thomas Richard and into the hands of Arkansas State defender Bo Sentimore.

Brothers made his case for SEC player of the week. He finished with 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Through the first two games of the year. He has 32 tackles for loss.

Mizzou returns to Faurot Field next week to face UConn. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.