NU's McNeill, Mizzou's Maclin friends off the field
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska’s Mike McNeill and Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin, friends since kindergarten, commonly text message each other before games. This week, they’ve spoken on the phone, too.
The talk, McNeill said, has been good-natured ribbing. Most of it by Maclin.
“I think he has the upper hand in talking smack right now,” McNeill said. “I can’t really say quite as much.”
Hasn’t McNeill mentioned his touchdowns of the last two games, or his career-high 66 receiving yards against Virginia Tech?
“I haven’t really said that,” McNeill said. “I can’t really say much when it comes to comparing stats. I think in one game he put up more yards than I have the whole year, so I don’t want to get into a stat battle with him.”
Fair enough.
So what’s Maclin said?
“He said we need to be ready,” McNeill said.
That’s probably an understatement. Missouri is undefeated and heavily favored to win its first game in Lincoln since 1978 when the No. 4 Tigers visit Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
Maclin is a key weapon. He can be electrifying on returns — when teams aren’t kicking away from him — and he’s caught 20 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns in Missouri’s last three games.
McNeill, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end, isn’t quite as established in Nebraska’s offense. He is, however, progressing.
“He can stretch the field and make plays,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “He’s put that on film and has done a nice job for us. He’s still developing physically, but he’s really getting better. Every week he takes another step. I think he’s more comfortable playing now.”
McNeill’s 32-yard touchdown reception against Virginia Tech is more proof he’s a receiving threat the Huskers have lacked at his position in recent seasons.
“It made me feel a lot better getting into the end zone again, knowing that I can make plays in the offense,” said McNeill, who has six catches for 126 yards and a team-leading three touchdown receptions. “But catching the ball is one thing. I still need to work on blocking. That’s what I really need to improve.”
It’d probably couldn’t hurt a Nebraska running game that’s sputtered. Running the football successfully and eating clock on Saturday night is one way of keeping Maclin and his teammates off the field. Perhaps mixing in some passes to the tight end, too.
“Sounds like a good game plan to me,” McNeill said, smiling.
McNeill and Maclin played together at Kirkwood, Mo., High School. They took visits together to Colorado, Illinois and Missouri. Maclin originally committed to Oklahoma. McNeill had already developed a relationship with Nebraska’s staff by the time Missouri offered, he said, and he stuck with the Huskers.
Yes, there were some Missourians who didn’t approve.
“I know they’re not the biggest fans of kids leaving the state and going to Nebraska,” McNeill said. “I caught a little flak for that.”
McNeill said he wasn’t a huge football fan growing up and didn’t attend many Missouri games. The same can’t be said of family members.
McNeill expects “Uncle Ted” to be wearing Missouri gear, perhaps underneath a red shirt, when he attends Saturday’s game from St. Louis.
“Some of my family are real big Mizzou fans, so they said it’d be the only game of the year they’d hope Nebraska wouldn’t win,” McNeill said. “They’d root for me, but not the team.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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