(Photo by David Richard/The Associated Press)
Well so much for Missouri QB Maty Mauk returning to the team and competing with Drew Lock for the final four games of the season. On Sunday, less than a week after Mauk was reinstated after sitting out the previous four games, it was announced that he would be suspended for the rest of the year.
This short press release didn’t go into detail on the sudden change:
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “University of Missouri junior quarterback Maty Mauk has been suspended from the team for disciplinary reasons, as announced today by Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel. The suspension is in place for the remainder of the 2015 season. Mauk had been reinstated to the team on October 25th after missing the previous four games for a violation of program policies.
Per department protocol, further details of the disciplinary action will not be discussed.”
However @Mizzodcast tweeted out a scoop on why Mauk was suspended:
SCOOP: Hearing Mauk was super wasted at Fieldhouse Wed. night. Got on bar trying to pick a fight. Kicked out by bouncers. Drove home drunk.
— Mizzodcast Podcast (@Mizzodcast) October 31, 2015
Now no one from the school has confirmed this, but if true then should be facing more than just suspension from the football team.
This is terrible news for the football team. After working (and struggling) with Lock at QB, the offense was told Mauk was coming back and going to compete for playing time. The bye week gave a couple extra practices for the offense to get used to both QBs, now all repetitions with Mauk have all gone to waste.
Now Lock has only a couple practices to get ready for the Thursday night contest against No. 24 Mississippi State that has been rolling the past couple weeks. Given how inept this offense is, they need all the practice time they can get with the starting quarterback.
This just Mauk did something egregious enough to warrant a four game suspension, showed some sort of contrition to Gary Pinkel to reinstate him, only to mess up and get sent away from the team for the rest of the season.
So now Pinkel looks like a fool for taking him and this offense will continue to be dysfunctional. Mauk hasn’t been kicked off the team, so he could be back next year. However I would find it hard to believe that he could muster up another chance to get back in Pinkel’s good graces.
Drew Lock is the future, for now he at least doesn’t have to worry about Mauk returning and taking his job back. The best thing for him is that since no one expects much (or anything) from this offense the rest of the year, he’s playing with almost no pressure.
I didn’t expect for Lock’s job to relinquished by Mauk, but thought he was going to have some role. With him gone, Missouri is officially in the Drew Lock era. It hasn’t been pretty at all, but it will get better.
As for Mauk, he will be reevaluated at the end of the year and has an opportunity to graduate in the spring. Given this turbulent year and the Tigers looking toward the future, he may consider transferring and playing immediately at a different school for his senior year. Either way hopefully this is a wake-up call for him and hopefully he’ll learn his lesson and become a better person.
If this season hasn’t been ugly enough, it got a little uglier today. Luckily for all Missouri fans, there are only four more games left and basketball is starting soon. If all goes well, this was the peak of dysfunctionality in Missouri sports this year. At least one can hope.
