Sophomore receiver Dez Bryant is second in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards and has scored seven touchdowns in his past eight quarters of play. The Cowboys face a receiver surrounded by even more hype than Bryant when they travel to Missouri on Saturday to face sophomore Jeremy Maclin.
No. 1 is No. 1.
Unless you are a Missouri Tiger fan, in which case you may say that No. 9 is No. 1.
Any way you break it down, Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant (who wears No. 1) and Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin (No. 9) are two receivers with unique and game-altering ability.
When the 17th-ranked Cowboys take on the No. 3 Missouri Tigers in Columbia this weekend, the performances of these young do-it-all playmakers will be compared to each other.
The statistics are similar.
Bryant has 27 catches for 550 yards and nine touchdowns, and Maclin has 31 catches for 480 yards and five touchdowns.
Those stats are just the tip of the iceberg when you evaluate what other skills these young superstars bring to the table.
Return kicks and punts. Bryant has two punt returns for touchdowns and averages 23.5 yards per punt return.
Maclin averages 10.3 yards a punt return but holds the advantage in kickoff returns, averaging 30.3 yard per return and having returned a kick for a touchdown.
Overall, Bryant has 11 touchdowns and 892 all-purpose yards. Maclin has seven touchdowns and leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yards with 934.
Even fellow Cowboy players see the eerie comparison.
“I would compare [Maclin] to Dez,” linebacker Andre Sexton said. “They are real explosive when you get the ball in their hands, and you know something great is going to happen. We use Dez on special teams like they use him.
“You can’t stop a person like that. You just have to try and slow them down as much as you can and get in their head and always be in their face when they catch the ball and be ready to hit them.”
Although media outlets everywhere are making the comparisons between the two, Bryant said he thinks there is not much to compare.
“I feel a lot different than him,” Bryant said. “We are two different types of wide receivers. I go up and get the ball, and he is a receiver that will run and go get it. He is more of specialist guy, a punt returner and kick returner.
“He is good a wide receiver, but I feel like I am more of a wideout, and I am doing punt return because I can do it, but that’s not my primary position. I am a lot bigger, too. I am 6’2, 210 pounds, and he is about 6’0, 180, and we are just totally different.”
Cowboy players said stopping Maclin is one of the keys to beating Missouri, and it will be a team effort to try to shut him down.
“He is definitely a dangerous guy,” senior corner Jacob Lacey said. “We just got to do a good job of having play recognition and watching film and studying so we know what he is going to do.”
Players said they know a special talent when they see one, and Maclin fits the bill.
“I am very familiar with him as a player,” Bryant said. “I have to give the man his props — he is good. He is the real deal, the total package, but we have a lot of playmakers on our team, so it will be a battle.”
Maybe one of the few differences between the two is the national media attention each is receiving.
Although Bryant has won Big 12 player of the week and Big 12 special teams player of the week awards, as well as national player of the week award after his performance against Houston, Maclin is the one currently catching the national buzz.
Maclin is in seventh place in voting for the Heisman Trophy award, according to an ESPN.com experts poll, and is the highest-ranked wide receiver. Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel is first in the poll.
Seeing Maclin getting a lot of national media attention doesn’t bother Bryant, though.
“That’s not what motivates me,” said Bryant. “What motivates me is that we are 5-0, and I feel like if we keep playing the way we do we can get through anybody. If I was in that mix, it would be all good; I feel if I keep on playing and doing what I am doing, I probably will be.
“Right now I am not really concerned about that. I am just concerned about us being 5-0 and trying to get to 6-0 and getting to our goal and beyond.”
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