Missouri managed to upend Arkansas and Georgia on the same afternoon Friday, and in so doing, punched its ticket to the SEC Championship Game for the second consecutive season. Led by quarterback Maty Mauk and a late-awakening rushing attack, the Tigers engineered a 21-14 comeback win over Arkansas that clinched the SEC East.
Georgia would have reached the SEC title game as the East Division representative if Arkansas had held on to win.
Arkansas carried a 14-6 lead into the fourth quarter, but Mauk connected on two huge completions covering 44 and 28 yards to set up a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Hunt with 12:41 remaining. A trick play for the two-point conversion -- a pass by wide receiver Bud Sasser -- tied the game 14-14. Missouri drove 85 yards on its next possession for the go-ahead score without a single passing yard as running backs Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough carried the drive with four rushes of at least 10 yards, including a 25-yarder by Hansbrough.
Mauk finished 25 of 42 for 265 yards and a touchdown. Sasser led all receivers with nine receptions for 127 yards.
Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers, the Razorbacks' top NFL prospect, had an outstanding game in picking up two sacks in the first half. One of Missouri's top prospects, defensive end Markus Golden, recovered a fumble with less than two minutes remaining to seal the victory.
Missouri will face either face Alabama or Mississippi State in the SEC title game.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
