SEC GAMEDAY

Saturday was stressful enough for Mike and Gwyn Mauk.

Their youngest son, Maty, was thrust into one of college football’s most hostile environments — asked to salvage Missouri’s victory at Georgia’s deafening Sanford Stadium. Starting quarterback James Franklin had injured his shoulder early in the fourth quarter.

With the Tigers nursing a two-point lead, Mauk’s time had arrived.

“I looked down and saw Maty had his helmet on,” said Mike, who watched from the crowd. “I knew he’d be ready.”

The Mauks’ weekend was just getting started.

Gwyn suffered a kidney-stone attack on the family’s trip back to Ohio and underwent surgery Monday in Cleveland. On Tuesday morning, she was still in recovery.

“It’s been a really hectic week so far,” Mike Mauk said.

Hectic, yes, but with the pesky stone removed, the Mauks can soon focus their attention on the next challenge. Maty, a redshirt freshman, makes his first college start Saturday against Florida (4-2, 3-1), and its frothing herd of Gators defenders.

When Missouri (6-0, 2-0) kicks off Saturday, it will be 686 days since the 2011 Ohio High School Athletic Association Division IV championship game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon — the last time Mauk started a game.

No pressure, right?

“This is why he’s at the University of Missouri,” Mike said, who doubled as Maty’s head coach at Kenton High School. “He wanted to play in these situations and be a part of that team and that program and compete against the teams he’s going to compete against. He’s well-prepared.”

At Georgia, Mauk set up Missouri’s game-clinching touchdown with a 20-yard pass to Dorial Green-Beckham. The pass, Mauk’s only downfield throw in his relief appearance, helped ease offensive coordinator Josh Henson’s mind as he watched from the coaches’ booth.

“If I was more impressed with anything, I thought his demeanor out on the field was calm,” Henson said. “I thought he kept his head. I thought he stayed poised.”

Having thrown only three passes in his other cameos this season, Mauk entered Saturday’s game with 10:35 left, facing third-and-6. Henson gave Mauk a five-wide formation and called for a quarterback draw.

“Honestly, I think that was the perfect play-call for Maty,” center Evan Boehm said. “Just say, ‘Hey, welcome to the big show. It’s time to go out there and play.’ He did just that.”

The offense won’t change much with Mauk behind center. Throughout the week, the staff will tailor the game plan to plays that Mauk handles well in practice, Henson said, but the Tigers won’t change their base attack against a Florida defense that ranks among the nation’s top 10 in most categories.

Mauk insisted he can handle the team’s entire playbook, but he knows his teammates have his support. With Florida coming to town Saturday — Mike and Gwyn will be here, too — Mauk’s ready for his shot.

“I’m not nervous or anything,” he said. “I just know I have to come out and give everything I have to be focused, get a good week of practice and come out Saturday … and be me.”

— Dave Matter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

No. 24 Auburn at No. 7 Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Malzahn: Manziel is like Newton

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn knows the luxury of having that rare quarterback who can take over games and abuse defenses with his arm or his feet.

For Malzahn, it was Cam Newton, an electrifying Heisman Trophy winner who led the 24th-ranked Tigers to the 2010 BCS championship. The new and maybe even improved version of Newton is No. 7 Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, an equally dazzling Heisman winner trying to lead the Aggies (5-1, 2-1) to a win over Auburn (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday.

“I would say probably those two are probably two of the best that ever played the game in college football,” said Malzahn, who was Newton’s offensive coordinator.

“We only got to see Cam Newton for one year, but this guy, he’s in the same element. They’re different, but they’re still some of the best to ever play.”

Both quarterbacks were seemingly unstoppable forces in No. 2 jerseys, putting up crazy numbers in fast-paced SEC West offenses.

For his part, Newton is a fan of Manziel and other athletic college quarterbacks, and not just for their physical gifts.

“Johnny is a great football player, and he’s playing at a level that people don’t even really see, as well as Clemson’s Tajh Boyd,” the Newton said. “When you get a person playing with confidence who knows what they’re capable of? That goes to show you, when I was at Auburn I played with confidence.”

Newton, of course, said he thinks Auburn will win the game. Asked if he voted for Manziel for the Heisman, he responded: “War Eagle.”

Besides Newton, Manziel and ex-Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) is the only other FBS quarterback to post 20 touchdowns both rushing and passing in the same season.

Those kind of players let coordinators expand their playbooks and throw them out the window when improvisational magic better serves.

“When you’ve got a special player, you can call anything and it usually works,” Malzahn said. “They get you out of bad plays, and they can make stuff right that’s not right. Special ones can do that.”

— John Zenor, Associated Press

No. 11 South Carolina at Tennessee, noon, ESPN

Childhood foes Worley, Clowney reunite

Perhaps no quarterback understands the challenge of facing South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney better than Tennessee’s Justin Worley.

Worley and Clowney both grew up in Rock Hill, S.C., though they went to different high schools. That allowed Worley to watch Clowney mature into one of the nation’s feared pass rushers. Worley remembers Clowney as an elementary school running back who was taller than faster than all his peers.

“I played against him in middle school, and it was the same thing,” Worley said. “He played defensive end and running back and ran all over the place. … The rest is history now. He’s a great, great, great player.”

Worley will spend his Saturday afternoon trying to make sure he doesn’t get a face-to-face reunion with Clowney in Tennessee’s backfield.

Clowney clinched South Carolina’s 38-35 victory over Tennessee last year by sacking Tyler Bray and forcing a fumble with the Volunteers driving in the final minute. Tennessee’s (3-3, 0-2) chances of gaining revenge Saturday against the 11th-ranked Gamecocks (5-1, 3-1) depend in part on whether Worley can maintain the momentum he established in his previous game, a 34-31 overtime loss to Georgia.

“He’s gained a lot of confidence, but you’re only as good as your last game,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “We’re going to need a lot from him Saturday. He’s going to be challenged with his pocket presence and just overall management and leadership of the offense.”

— Steve Megargee, Associated Press

No. 6 LSU at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. ESPN2

Potential shootout with Mettenberger, Wallace

LSU’s Zach Mettenberger and Mississippi’s Bo Wallace were quarterbacks who appeared on the brink of stardom last season.

Mettenberger has made the jump. Wallace isn’t quite there yet.

The two will meet in a potentially touchdown-filled showdown when No. 6 LSU (6-1, 3-1) travels to face Ole Miss (3-3, 1-3) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Mettenberger has been one of the better quarterbacks in the country through seven games, throwing for 1,890 yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s helped by two elite receivers — Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. — and an elite running game led by Jeremy Hill.

Wallace hasn’t been bad, it’s just the Ole Miss coaches want more. He’s thrown for 1,444 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions, but his decision-making has been suspect at times.

LSU coach Les Miles said Wallace is better than a year ago. The Tigers’ pass defense is third in the SEC this season, giving up 196.3 yards per game.

“I think with age he’s developing very well,” Miles said. “He’s always had kind of a really live arm, and I think he always makes really good decisions. Just with a little bit more age you make those decisions more comfortably, and it comes out of your hand in a right fashion.”

The Rebels have lost three consecutive games. LSU needs one more victory to set up a clash with Alabama on Nov. 9 that could decide who wins the Western Division.

— David Brandt, Associated Press

Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama, 7 p.m. ESPN

Bama freshman Robinson impressing

Defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson is the latest freshman to make a splash for Alabama’s defense.

Robinson is the only freshman defender who has played in all six of the Crimson Tide’s games. He has worked his way into the Tide’s rotation, registering a start against Georgia State two weeks ago when junior Jeoffrey Pagan nursed his shoulder injury.

Tide coach Nick Saban raved about Robinson during the preseason as one of the younger players who could have an impact, and he hasn’t disappointed his coach. Robinson was named one of the Tide’s coaching staff players of the week after having six tackles and two sacks in Alabama’s win over Kentucky.

Robinson leads the team in both tackles for loss with five and sacks with four, which is tied for fifth in the SEC. He’s tied for sixth on the team with 17 total tackles and also has has two quarterback hurries.

So what makes Robinson so good?

“He’s a big, powerful guy who does a really job of pushing the pocket in the middle, and that’s something that we really need,” Saban said. “He’s fit a need for us, and he’s done a nice job of working hard to improve. I think some of the older players on the team have enhanced his development with their leadership and the example that they’ve set and how they’ve sort of adopted him and helped him to continue to improve.”

Robinson’s development helps the entire team, particularly the secondary.

“We don’t have to cover as long,” safety Vinnie Sunseri said. “Getting pressure up front really helps us out. When the quarterback can’t see or isn’t standing still it helps us out in coverage because he doesn’t get a clean look at the coverage.”

Coming out of Arlington Heights High in Fort Worth, Texas, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Robinson played both offensive and defensive line. He was considered an elite defensive linemen in the 2013 signing class.

“What we saw in him was a very big, athletic guy that had tremendous potential,” Saban said. “We didn’t know how he would develop. We’re very pleased with the way he’s developed. I think he’s played better each and every week as he’s gained confidence in what’s expected of him and what his assignments are and plays faster.”

— Marq Burnett, Anniston Star