COLUMBIA - Barry Odom was hesitant to get excited about Missouri's offense this season.
He was excited about the unit's potential during training camp, but Missouri's head coach wanted to see it during competition on Saturdays before truly becoming a believer. Four games into the 2016 season, the Tigers' offense has surpassed Odom's expectations.
"I thought we had a shot at doing some of the things we're doing," Odom said. "I needed to see it with the lights on. I hope we continue to progress because there's still a lot out there that side can do."
Things might feel a bit topsy-turvy while watching Missouri's offense.
The Tigers (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) have totaled the fourth most yards in the country this season. Last season they had the fourth fewest. Missouri's offense leads the SEC in yards and passing yards. The Tigers were in the conference's basement for both last season.
So what's changed?
Sophomore quarterback Drew Lock's natural maturation is a key element. He was thrown into the starting job just as Missouri was starting SEC play last season, and admitted it was overwhelming without having a full offseason to prepare.
Last season, Lock and Missouri's inexperienced receivers were out of sync. Miscommunication on routes was common, and at times Lock looked visibly frustrated after an incompletion.
J'Mon Moore ended up being Missouri's leading receiver, catching 29 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. No one had more than 100 receiving yards in a game.
During the offseason, Lock spent valuable time practicing with his receivers, including Moore. Wide receivers coach Andy Hill said Moore spent extra time in the offseason working on routes, plays and just overall developing better practice habits.
Lock predicted a breakout season for Moore this fall. Moore described the connection with his quarterback a little differently.
"Me and Drew are like peanut butter and butter," Moore said in August. "Shoot, like ranch dressing on salad, like, we good. Me and Drew are getting there. Every day we're getting better and better, and we got a good connection, on and off the field."
Neither of them is the same player as last year. Coaches said they are practicing better.
The two have connected on passes Lock admitted they might not have last season. Both are becoming more vocal with their teammates as leaders.
The result of their growth is perhaps the best quarterback-to-wide receiver combination in the SEC.
Lock is second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards and touchdowns with 1,508 yards and 14 touchdowns. Moore leads the SEC with 434 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Both have set career-highs across the board.
"I knew I had the skill set to do it," Lock said last week. "I just had to apply myself more. I knew I had the guys around me to make plays and get to that level of competing. I'm excited about it."
He might have the skill set, but Lock also needed a coordinator to make the most of it. Last season's offensive coordinator Josh Henson was clearly not seen as the answer when Odom didn't retain him after being hired as head coach.
Enter Josh Heupel.
Heupel was Oklahoma's quarterbacks coach from 2006-10, and the Sooners' co-offensive coordinator from 2011-14. In that span he mentored Heisman winner Sam Bradford and NFL draft pick Landry Jones.
Yet things turned sour in 2014, and Heupel was fired after Oklahoma's 40-6 loss in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl. Heupel spent as year as Utah State's offensive coordinator before latching on with Missouri.
"Me and him played against each other and I had just a great respect for him as a competitor," Odom said of Heupel. "I think that since Josh was a good quarterback and he's coached some really, really good ones over the years, he's got a pretty good plan on what those guys need to get done."
He has Lock and Moore are on a record-setting pace.
Lock is on pace to finish the regular season with 4,524 passing yards and 42 touchdowns, both single-season school records. Moore is on pace to finish with 18 touchdown catches, which would shatter Danario Alexander's single-season record of 14.
That's about as good as ranch dressing on salad.