Illinois follows same script in loss to Missouri

ST. LOUIS - Dig huge first-half hole. Check.

Allow Jeremy Maclin a special-teams return for a touchdown. Check.

Let Missouri's offense do whatever it wants to do. Check.

Unleash massive second-half comeback that nearly pulls out the victory. Well, that check mark depends on your definition of massive.

In Saturday night's long-awaited opener, Illinois followed the same outline as last year's Arch Rivalry game at the Edward Jones Dome.

That includes some fourth-quarter intrigue after a rather lopsided opening 45 minutes.

With senior quarterback Chase Daniel looking like a legitimate contender for Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy throne - and Illinois' defense looking just as sickly as its record-setting Rose Bowl loss eight months ago before gaining traction late - the sixth-ranked Tigers held on for a 52-42 nonconference triumph over the 20th-ranked Illini before 66,441.

Illinois lost its fourth consecutive opener against Mizzou (dating to 2002) despite Juice Williams' career-high 5 touchdown passes and 451 yards.

"I'm probably a little more upset than I was last year," said Illinois coach Ron Zook. "That's a good football team. It's not a sin to lose to a team like that, but we've got to play the way we're capable of playing.

"Our last two games, we haven't done that. And that's my fault. And I'm going to do everything in my power to get it corrected."

Missouri rolled up 549 total yards as Daniel completed 26 of 43 passes for 323 yards and 3 scores. Illinois' youthful back seven, which featured four sophomores making their first college starts, found themselves flunking a rigorous final exam when everyone might have preferred an easy quiz for an opener.

But Zook also blamed his prime-time defensive line that racked up zero sacks for the night.

"Honestly, I think the strength of our football team did not play very well," Zook said. "The secondary, a lot of the things we've been coaching that you can't do - we did."

Meanwhile, Missouri's back seven made the plays when necessary.

Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon clinched matters when he ripped a reception out of Dan Dufrene's hands - Williams' short pass was thrown behind Dufrene - and returned it 35 yards for a score with 3:18 to go.

Until that point, Illinois fans kept hoping Williams' rocket right arm would lift the underdogs to victory.

With the Illini trailing by as much as 25 in the second half, Williams dropped back and let fly again and again.

"Keep shooting and hope your bullets don't run out," Williams said.

The junior kept finding Will Judson and Chris Duvalt behind the Tigers secondary to account for the third-highest single-game yardage total in Illini annals.

When Judson blew past Castine Bridges for a 65-yard fly pattern with 13:24 to go, Illinois pulled within 45-35.

Williams even found Judson behind everyone on Illinois' next possession, but the 5-foot-7 senior had no choice but to fall to the turf at Mizzou's 20 after leaving his feet to snag Williams' 53-yard bomb.

With all of the momentum going the Illini's way, they proceeded to kill it when Williams had to call a timeout to avoid another delay of game with the new 40-second play clock.

After Mizzou's defense caught its breath, Williams suffered a 9-yard sack and then fired his first interception when Weatherspoon dived in front of Duvalt for a pick at the Tigers' 26.

Illinois never got close enough to score again when it mattered.

This time the Illini took their only lead with 9:25 left in the second quarter when senior defensive end Derek Walker got off a chop block, jumped up to intercept a screen pass and returned it 34 yards for a score.

But the high generated by the Glenbard East graduate's first career touchdown lasted only as long as one of ESPN's interminable commercial breaks.

Maclin, who returned a punt 66 yards for a score in last year's game, took Matt Eller's ensuing kickoff 99 yards untouched to give the Tigers a 17-13 lead.