Just looking over the facts and figures in the official News and Notes from Mizzou, and I'm realizing just how scary Mizzou's offense is.

I think most of us would agree that our offense is loaded with talent, and that's not really groundbreaking information.  But I also think most of us would agree that the most dangerous playmaker on the offense is Jeremy Maclin.  He was amazing last season on offense (not to mention special teams) with over 1400 yards from scrimmage and 13 offensive TDs in his first 14 games of collegiate football.  With him, and our other playmakers, our offense was held below 31 points in a game just a single time all year and we averaged 39.9 ppg.  Just an amazing 2007.

So far in 2008, we're averaging 52 ppg but we've had a defensive TD in each game.  Taking that away, we're averaging a mere 45 ppg.  Take away Maclin's KR TD against Illinois and we're "down" to a 41.5 ppg from the offense.  That's above last year's average, which of course still includes special teams and defense.  But what is it that makes it so scary?

It's because so far Jeremy Maclin has been almost absent statistically.  The biggest playmaker on our team has been, in a word, uninvolved so far in the offensive orgy that is 2008.  He has 13 rushing yards so far this season, a number which would have been his 3rd worst game in 2007.  He has 52 receiving yards this season, which ties his 2nd worst game from 2007.  His total offensive numbers this year in 2 games (well...1.5 games) are lower than any single game he had in 2007.  And our scoring is up?

Jeremy Maclin has everyone's attention, and should expect to see 2 guys covering him wherever he goes on the field basically for the rest of the season.  Any defensive coordinator that doesn't do this is just begging to be fired.  As such, it's obvious that Maclin's numbers are going to be down a bit because he's going to have to work so much harder to get them.  But for this offense to lose Will Franklin, Martin Rucker and Tony Temple, then have their best playmaker basically nullified, you would think given all of that we would be seeing a lower scoring team.  It just isn't happening.

This offense is scary.  And we haven't even added Danario Alexander into the mix yet.  If you're a defense and you see Chase Daniel surveying the field, sending signals to Jeremy Maclin, Danario Alexander, Chase Coffman, Tommy Saunders and Derrick Washington...what exactly is your first thought?

Mine would be:

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