Turnover-prone Illini come up empty

ST. LOUIS -- Remember how Illinois, as part of its campaign to become a legitimate bowl contender, vowed to do better on turnovers and special teams?

Remember how Illinois, after so many last-minute losses last year, vowed it was time to start winning the close games?

Those vows went achingly unfulfilled in the Illini's season opener Saturday afternoon, which left them empty once again despite a sterling second-half comeback.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Eddie McGee, playing because Juice Williams suffered a head injury in the second quarter, committed his fourth and final turnover with 51 seconds left to bring the heightening Arch Rivalry drama to a jolting halt.

Safety Pig Brown's leaping interception at the goal line -- McGee lobbed a deep out into double coverage from the 22-yard-line -- protected Missouri's 40-34 non-conference triumph before an announced crowd of 62,352 at the Edward Jones Dome.

Immediately afterward, McGee, with a towel draped over his head, choked back tears on the sideline as Tigers quarterback Chase Daniel sneaked out the clock.

"Just knowing I had the chance to win the game …" McGee said. "It's tough to lose. It's a tough thing to do, but I've got to stay level and keep my head."

McGee took turns elevating and deflating each team's hopes in his riveting collegiate debut.

The Washington native entered with 10:15 left in the first half when Williams suffered blurry vision after suffering nearly simultaneous hits to his head.

On his second drive, McGee led the Illini to the shadow of Mizzou's goal line and prepared to erase the Tigers' 7-6 edge.

But on a quarterback draw, McGee had the ball knocked out of his hands as he prepared to reach it over the goal line.

Brown picked it up 2 yards deep in the end zone and raced untouched the other way for a 13-6 lead.

"If I've heard (offensive coordinator Mike Locksley) tell Eddie McGee a thousand times about not reaching out … he's said that 1,000 times," Zook said. "You know, that's a 14-point turnaround. That's a momentum thing there. You just can't have it."

But wait, there was more.

Brown recovered another McGee fumble on Illinois' next drive, this time at Mizzou's 31.

Daniel (37 of 54, 359 yards, 3 TDs) marched the Tigers for a score as he hit Will Franklin with a 2-yard pass with 20 seconds left in the half.

But wait, there was more.

Chris Duvalt fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Tigers turned that into a 27-yard field goal and a 23-6 lead at the halftime horn.

McGee gathered himself at halftime, sensed the game slowing down, and let it rip just when all seemed lost for the Illini.

With Illinois down 37-13 and 6:11 left in the third, McGee led a long drive that ended with his 16-yard rush for a score.

Then, on the first play after Antonio Steele's fumble recovery, McGee led Kyle Hudson perfectly into the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown bomb.

But wait, there was more.

Justin Sanders' safety blitz caused a Daniel fumble that Derek Walker returned to the Mizzou 4. From there, Rashard Mendenhall slashed for his second score of the half to bring Illinois within 37-34 with 13:48 left.

But the Illini could get no closer as McGee (17 of 31, 257 yards) closed out their last two drives with ill-advised throws for interceptions, both of them in Mizzou territory.

That meant Illinois, which committed an appalling 35 turnovers last season, finished with 5 turnovers and a minus-3 margin.

"I'm not going to say it's the same this season," said senior middle linebacker J Leman, who piled up a game-high 20 tackles. "But a loss is a loss. We need to win games."

Said Zook: "Until we stand up and say, 'That's enough,' we're going to still have this sick feeling."