ORLANDO – About midway through the first half, no one would have blamed Maty Mauk for feeling like the Citrus Bowl was going to be one of those days.
Minnesota picked off two of Mauk's first four passes, including one that saw Briean Boddy-Calhoun rip the ball from a receiver's grasp in the end zone. Later, a helmet to the calf left the Missouri quarterback on the ground for an extra minute trying to work out a bad cramp.
Oh, and Mauk also threw up on the sideline somewhere along the way.
"Well, I don't want to say 'throw up,' " Mauk said, flashing a sheepish grin. "I drank too much electrolytes. My stomach was too full and I had to let some of it back up."
Suffice to say it wasn't a good start.
Contrast that, though, with Mauk's emphatic display as he put the Tigers ahead for good in Thursday's 33-17 victory.
Scrambling when no one was open, Mauk bowled over Gophers defensive back Derrick Wells as he crossed the goal line on an 18-yard run. Then came the exclamation point, throwing the ball to the ground as something else came up from deep within.
"He just yelled, like a tiger in the jungle," said running back Marcus Murphy.