Oklahoma State’s high-scoring offense mirrors Missouri’s
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
C OLUMBIA | Nearly every coach and player at Missouri had played along, more or less agreeing that their offense and Oklahoma State’s are more or less mirror images.
Both run the spread as few others in college football can.
The Tigers are third nationally in total offense at 568.8 yards a game, the Cowboys sixth at 530.2.
MU is second nationally in scoring average at 53.4 points a game, Oklahoma State third at 52.6.
Mizzou’s big three — quarterback Chase Daniel, receiver/return man Jeremy Maclin and running back Derrick Washington — are all highly ranked nationally in their specialties. As are Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson, receiver/returner Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter.
But Maclin wouldn’t play nice in the comparison game as No. 3 Mizzou, 5-0, prepared to play host to No. 17 Oklahoma State, 5-0, at 7 Saturday night.
“I’m a Missouri Tiger,” Maclin said. “I’m not really worried about what they bring on offense. It’s not really my job to worry about that.
“Me and Dez Bryant are two different types of receivers. He’s more of a taller guy. I can do different things with the ball in my hands.”
And then there was the QB comparison.
“Chase Daniel is the best quarterback in the nation,” Maclin said. “If you ask me, nobody is a counterpart to him.
“I’m going to say that now, I’m going to say that at the end of the game, I’m going to say that at the end of the season.”
Got that up on the bulletin board down in Stillwater, Okla., yet?
The thing is, while both Missouri and Oklahoma State have proven to be offensive juggernauts, they do launch from differing platforms.
“Our passing yards are higher,” MU coach Gary Pinkel said. “Their rushing yards are phenomenal.”
Missouri ranks No. 3 nationally with 375.6 yards passing a game. Oklahoma State stands No. 2 nationally with 315.2 yards rushing a game.
“Their time of possession is No. 1 in the Big 12,” Pinkel noted. “Ours is last in the Big 12.”
That — in large measure — is a reflection of the run-first versus pass-first philosophies.
But either team is capable of changing things up.
“They run, run, run, run,” Pinkel said. “You load up, load up, load up, and all of a sudden (Robinson) pulls the ball out.”
When Robinson does, he often finds Bryant with a TD pass — Bryant has nine scoring receptions.
Daniel spreads his TD tosses around a lot more. Maclin has five scoring catches, tight end Chase Coffman three and Tommy Saunders, Jared Perry, Danario Alexander and Washington two each.
Washington, meanwhile, has also scored 10 rushing touchdowns and is a threat that keeps defensive coordinators from selling out to stop the pass and taking their chances against the rush.
Missouri has a decided edge, as far as offensive production, at tight end in Chase Coffman over Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew.
Coffman leads MU in receptions (33) for 450 yards. Pettigrew hasn’t played the last two games and has caught only 10 passes for 109 yards.
Still — looking in that offensive mirror — it creates visions of a 1997 Tigers-Cowboys game in Stillwater. Missouri won 51-50 in two overtimes.
“We don’t want it to be a shootout by any means,” Daniel said. “But we feel that every time we touch the ball that we’re going to score.”
Missouri feels no pressure to actually do that, although in the last four games the Tigers have threatened to.
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To reach Mike DeArmond, Missouri reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4353 or send e-mail to mdearmond@kcstar.com
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