Double on the combos: OSU and Mizzou have 1-2 punches

October 09, 2008 12:50 am

— STILLWATER (AP) — After leading Missouri to the No. 1 ranking and a Big 12 North championship last season, Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin have received all kinds of accolades and national attention for their role in one of college football’s top offenses.
But No. 17 Oklahoma State (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) has its own quarterback-receiver tandem that’s been putting up impressive stats too.
Zac Robinson ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency (204.6), two spots ahead of Daniel (196.4), and Dez Bryant is fifth in the country with 110 yards receiving per game while Maclin (96 ypg) is 17th.
This week’s game at No. 3 Missouri (5-0, 1-0) provides Robinson and Bryant the chance to show off their talents on the same stage as the Tigers’ tandem, and maybe even steal some attention if they’re successful.
“I know that they’re a top 5 team, so they’re obviously going to be talked about a lot,” Robinson said. “They have a great offense. As long as we keep winning, we know that that recognition will kind of take care of itself.”
Coming into the game, Missouri has the second-highest scoring offense (53.4 points per game) while Oklahoma State (52.6) is right behind in third.
Bryant has played as big a role as anyone in that total, scoring 11 touchdowns for a personal 13.2-point average. That’s the second-highest total, right behind Missouri running back Derrick Washington (14 ppg). Twice this season, Bryant has had games in which he caught three touchdown passes and also scored on a punt return.
Maclin, meanwhile, has five receiving touchdowns and a kickoff return TD.
“They make a difference not only on the offense but in special teams, and they’re a threat,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. “I’d say that both of them are worthy of the national recommendations that they’re getting for all the awards. Those guys are making a lot of plays.”
Having Bryant to go against in practice doesn’t necessarily prepare the Cowboys to face Maclin, though.
“I feel that they’re different kind of receivers. Dez is more of a down the field, go in the air and get the ball. Maclin is more of a screen-type player, make you miss in space,” linebacker Patrick Lavine said. “I feel that they’re both really good receivers.”
Bryant did get some national recognition earlier this season, when he was named the Walter Camp Foundation national player of the week after his 236-yard receiving game against Houston. But it hasn’t yet compared to the attention received by Maclin and Daniel, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season.
“He’s a little younger than Maclin, but I think his time’s going to come,” Lavine said. “His time’s definitely going to come.”
And Gundy said the Cowboys aren’t done with finding ways to keep Bryant, who already returns punts and kickoffs, involved.
“We experiment every week with doing things with Dez — flipping a reverse to him, actually bringing him in the backfield to pitch the ball to him some and doing some other things,” Gundy said.
“He’s been pretty valuable to us out on the perimeter. We just try to look each week and find different ways to get him to touch the football.”

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