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College Football: Five teams on upset alert in Week 2

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Sep 20, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Taveze Calhoun (23) talks with LSU Tigers wide receiver Malachi Dupre (15) following the game at Tiger Stadium. Mississippi State defeated LSU 34-29. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Taveze Calhoun (23) talks with LSU Tigers wide receiver Malachi Dupre (15) following the game at Tiger Stadium. Mississippi State defeated LSU 34-29. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 5, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ish Witter (21) runs the ball during the second half against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Faurot Field. Missouri won 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ish Witter (21) runs the ball during the second half against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Faurot Field. Missouri won 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

The Missouri Tigers are used to being disrespected. After floundering in the program’s first season in the SEC in 2012, in which they posted a losing record for the first time since 2004. Mizzou was immediately labeled as a fraud, and it’s been a difficult reputation to shake. Never mind the fact that the Tigers won 12 games in 2013 and 11 last season, and claimed the SEC East both years, we just can’t seem to get over that 2012 campaign. Missouri just isn’t that good … right? I mean, they did lose to Indiana last season. Indiana.

Well, Mizzou is once again a threat to win the SEC East, though nobody really expects them to beat out Georgia for the top spot in the conference, and the Tigers currently sit at No. 21 in the AP Top 25.

Missouri is also making a semi-regular, yet still very odd, trip to a Group of Five program’s home stadium. On Saturday Mizzou will travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas for a tricky Week 2 date with the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Yes, the same Arkansas State team that lost 55-6 to USC in Week 1.

Despite last week’s dreadful performance – in which the Red Wolves allowed 506 yards of total offense to the Trojans – this is a team that could prove problematic for Missouri. A-State has posted four consecutive winning seasons, and it appears that they finally have some continuity at the head coaching position with Blake Anderson. On the field, Fred Knighten is a slippery dual threat quarterback and Michael Gordon ran for 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

As for the Tigers, a couple of starters (in fact, two of the team’s best players) are already banged up. Top running back Russell Hansbrough and center Evan Boehm are questionable to play because both suffered ankle injuries in last week’s 34-3 warm-up victory over Southeast Missouri State. Another red flag: even when taking Hansbrough’s 23 yards on two carries into account, Mizzou had just 88 rushing yards as a team on 33 attempts (2.7 yards per carry). Plus, quarterback Maty Mauk was average at best in his 2015 debut with 181 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 12-for-22 passing.

Mizzou should win. But then again, they should have beaten Indiana last season.

Next: Arizona

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