LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Wildcats defense tried to take away the run game to make Missouri’s redshirt freshman quarterback beat them.
After a 48-17 win in which that quarterback, Maty Mauk, threw for a school-record five touchdowns, the strategy may have backfired.
Four of those passes went to sophomore Dorial Green-Beckham who set a school record with those four touchdown catches.
Offensive coordinator Josh Henson said it was Mauk’s most complete game of the season.
“I’m just really proud of the way the team has rallied around him and the way he has responded,” Henson said.
Mauk has put up 136 rushing yards in his first three collegiate starts. This was the first game that he made multiple plays with his arms. With those five touchdown passes, Mauk tied a school-record set by former-Missouri legend Chase Daniel.
“I couldn’t have done it without the five guys in front and the five guys that made stuff happen,” Mauk said.
One of those was Green-Beckham, whose seven catches for 100 yards made Mauk’s outing much easier. The receiver had not scored a touchdown in the last three games.
Many of Green-Beckham’s catches could make the highlight reel, from a one-handed catch for 35 yards or fighting for yards after the catch to make a first down. For Mauk, Green-Beckham’s first touchdown was his favorite.
“His hands had to be at least 12 feet in the air,” Mauk said of the catch. “It was unbelievable when I saw him go up.”
Pinkel said there is a physical mismatch against anyone Green-Beckham plays against. Green-Beckham caught on touchdown pass by going around Wildcat safety Eric Dickson, who stands 5-foot-11.
“We are fortunate he is on my team,” Pinkel said with a laugh.
For Green-Beckham, he said he feels that there is not a corner who can stop him on the fade route.
“I am a 6-6, 230-guy,” he said. “That’ just my mindset. I have got to think that. Then, I have to go out there and back it up like I did today.”
Green-Beckham was Mauk’s favorite target today, but that’s not a surprise considering Mauk helped recruit the wide receiver. When Mauk went to visit Green-Beckham two years ago, he knew today’s game was in their future.
“It was definitely going through my mind that I am going to throw some touchdowns to this guy and we came out and did not that tonight,” he said.