Missouri's standout rookie boasts a nose for the end zone

~ Maclin smashed the freshman record for all-purpose yards with 2,309 so far.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Jeremy Maclin has outrun schools all season, setting an NCAA freshman record for all-purpose yardage.

Missouri's big-play threat is not so impressed with himself, however, heading into Saturday night's showdown for the Big 12 North title against No. 2 Kansas. Eliminate the mistakes he cannot forget, and his school-record 360-yard day in last week's victory at Kansas State might be untouchable.

"I don't look at the 360," the redshirt freshman said. "I look at the punt return I muffed, I look at the kickoff return I muffed, I look at the pass I dropped, I look at the fumble I had.

"You put all those together, that 360-yard day could have been 500 yards."

Fans celebrated on the sideline as Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin, left, ran toward the end zone on an 82-yard reception during the second quarter against Texas A&M. (L.G. PATTERSON ~ Associated Press)

Those who've seen Maclin stretch defenses to the breaking point are concentrating on the plays he's made, not the ones that got away. Like the play on which Maclin broke the single-season record, a 99-yard kickoff return in the first quarter that also was the Tigers' first kickoff return for a touchdown in 25 years.

He's been dazzling the opposition from the start, leading No. 3 Missouri (10-1) with 16 touchdowns. Maclin, who missed the 2006 season after undergoing knee surgery, scored two touchdowns in his college debut against Illinois -- one of them on a 66-yard punt return, and also had a 29-yard end-around in that game.

Illinois State was burned for a 67-yard punt return, he had a 56-yard kickoff return against Oklahoma, a 57-yard reception against Texas Tech, an 82-yard sprint down the sideline against Texas A&M on a routine sideline pattern.

And on and on.

"That dude is the real deal, ain't he?" Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib said. "I enjoy just watching him on SportsCenter.

"He probably won't play all of his years in college, he'll be out early."

Last week, Maclin was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation national offensive player of the week for the second time this season. Maclin has 2,309 all-purpose yards, smashing the previous freshman record of 2,026 by Terrell Willis of Rutgers in 1993.

He ranks second in the NCAA with 209.9 all-purpose yards per game, and is the only player in the country with touchdowns receiving (9), rushing (4), punt returns (2) and kickoff returns (1), while leading the Tigers with 885 yards receiving.

"He's playing at an unbelievable level right now," Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said. "One thing about him, he prepares as well as anyone I've ever known. That's a main reason for his success."

Daniel is Missouri's Heisman Trophy candidate this season. The school unveiled its Web site, ChaseTheHeisman.com last week, and Daniel has no shortage of assets to work with.

It'll be the biggest challenge thus far for Kansas, which is second in the nation in points allowed at 14 per game and eighth overall with 300 yards per game.

"We can't just focus on Maclin, we have to focus on all of them," Kansas' Talib said. "They have so many weapons that there's nothing we can do to just game plan on Maclin."

As his resume grows and if the fourth-ranked Tigers prove to be more than a one-year wonder among the elite, it's not far-fetched to think Maclin's turn might be coming. In assessing Daniel's chances, coach Gary Pinkel said the keys were consistent individual excellence combined with team success.

"You play at the highest level each and every week, and he's doing a lot of those things now," Pinkel said. "Fundamentally, he'll get a lot better.

"That's kind of exciting to think about."

Maclin injured his right knee in one of the final summer drills before Missouri began fall practice in 2006. Along with the necessary rehab, the year off allowed him to prepare properly for the next level.

Now, high school football seems like such a sandlot activity.

"I'm a lot smarter, I'm a lot stronger," Maclin said. "I'm 100 times better than I was as a senior in high school."

And he's hungry for the perfect game.

"I've got to be that way," Maclin said. "If I want to be the best player I can be, I've got to correct the errors."