Sept. 2, 2008
Columbia, Mo. – A pair of Mizzou football standouts were honored Tuesday for their play in the 6th-ranked Tigers' 52-42 season-opening win over 20th-ranked Illinois last weekend. Senior DE Stryker Sulak (Rockdale, Texas) and sophomore WR/KR/PR Jeremy Maclin (Kirkwood, Mo.) were named the Big 12 Conference Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively, as announced by the league office.
Sulak was cited for his outstanding performance that saw him wreak havoc in the Illini backfield all night long Saturday in the Edward Jones Dome. Sulak was credited with five tackles for loss, including three quarterback sacks. He also forced a fumble and blocked an extra point, to add to his eight overall tackles. Sulak had the most tackles for loss, as well as most quarterback sacks, in the NCAA in week one, as he stands on top of the charts in both categories nationally heading into Saturday's game against Southeast Missouri State. This is the first Big 12 weekly honor for Sulak, who was a 2nd-Team All-Big 12 pick in 2007 by both league coaches and media.
Maclin was honored for his game-changing performance on special teams Saturday, which featured a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Illini that came just :13 seconds after Illinois had taken its only lead of the game. Maclin's touchdown made it 17-13 in favor of MU in the 2nd quarter, and the Tigers never looked back. The 2007 consensus 1st-Team All-American return man also had a 46-yard punt return in the 3rd quarter that he nearly took the distance, and which eventually set up another Tiger score that upped MU's advantage to 45-20. Maclin had 234 all-purpose yards for the game, including 145 yards in kickoff returns, and 56 yards in punt returns, to go with 33 yards from scrimmage (31 receiving, 2 rushing). This marks the third time that Maclin has won the weekly Big 12 Special Teams award, after he took it home twice in 2007, for performances against Illinois State and Kansas State.
Sulak, Maclin and the Tigers are continuing preparations for their 2008 home opener, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. Tickets are available for purchase at www.mutigers.com, over the phone at 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Columbia) or in person at the MU Athletic Ticket Office, located at Mizzou Arena.