They're silent but deadly.
Playing under the guise of a short pass, long-drive offense, MSU has been inordinately potent early this season.
With receivers darting in and out, zigging and zagging through defenses, players smaller than 6 feet have been catching touchdowns at an elevated rate.
"We weren't moving the ball really well and all of the sudden, bam, we had a big one," senior quarterback Jeff Smoker said. "Maybe that's the type of offense we have. Our guys are making plays. They're making plays on the short screen pass and the throw back and the one with Agim (Shabaj) where they blew the coverage."
Shabaj, listed at 5-foot-10, has led the team's aerial assault, catching five-yard passes and turning them into long-distance touchdown sprints. He has had three such receptions so far this season, turning short gains into 62-, 50- and 21-yard touchdown catches.
"I don't know if he's the go-to guy, but he's just making plays right now," Smoker said. "I try to spread it around, but I think each week maybe you'll see a guy come out like that. If he's going to make big plays like that, then obviously as the season goes on we're going to try to keep getting him the ball."
The sophomore receiver's explosiveness has meant that the MSU team has tried to use him in more and more plays. Head coach John L. Smith has indicated that Shabaj might also be used as a punt returner this weekend.
"I want to do the punt return, I've been hit plenty of times," Shabaj said. "I'm not afraid of getting hit. I know I can get blindsided, but I want to return."
The Spartans' most time-consuming touchdown drive this season lasted two minutes and 16 seconds. Their touchdown drives have averaged a snappy 52 seconds and spanned an average of 67 yards.
The quick-strike attack has led many Spartan fans to believe that the team will have to depend on outscoring opponents in offensive battles all season.
But Smith would like to see his defense improve enough that the games would not completely depend on the team's offense.
"Hopefully you have the capability to outscore people every week, but doggone it, we don't want to go into games doing that," Smith said. "We've got to become a better defensive team and that comes down to doggone discipline."
With all of the concentration on the passing game, the interesting part of the offense is that the team has run the ball 70 times and passed only 68 times but have yet to score a rushing touchdown.
The disparity also shows up when looking at the yardage gained. The Spartans have run for 231 yards but gained 675 yards passing.
Smith believes that might have a lot to do with the fact that both teams they have faced so far this season have played attacking defenses, which are prone to give up big passing plays.
"I think that's combined with the team that we were playing that time," Smith said. "Offensively, we have to run the football a lot better."
