Illini have yards; MU has Smith

ST. LOUIS -- Illinois couldn't stop Brad Smith forever.

Darius Outlaw caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Smith with 4:12 remaining to cap Missouri's longest drive of the game, and a defense that allowed nearly 30 points last year held on at the end of a 22-15 victory over Illinois on Saturday.

Smith was 12-for-18 for 101 yards and two touchdowns and added 66 yards rushing on 17 carries plus a two-point conversion run. In the opener against Illinois last year, Smith had 290 yards total offense in his first career start as a redshirt freshman.

Coach Gary Pinkel was perturbed at Smith for throwing an incomplete pass that stopped the clock late in the game, giving Illinois more time on its last-gasp drive. But the team knows his value.

"They told me they were going to put it in my hands, and that's the way I like to have it," Smith said. "That last drive we kind of put it together a little bit."

Illinois paid extra attention to Smith all day.

"He's a great, great competitor, a great player," Illinois coach Ron Turner said. "You're not going to shut a guy like that down. You've just got to minimize the big plays."

Freshman Ibrahim Halsey had 139 yards on 20 carries, a school record for a season opener for Illinois. Jon Beutjer was 31-for-45 for 281 yards and a touchdown.

But the team lacked the finishing touch.

"We get in the red zone, we need to put it in the end zone," Beutjer said. "There's no excuse not to. We want touchdowns."

Illinois outgained Missouri 422-224 but missed a chance to tie it late, running out of downs at the Missouri 23 when Beutjer's pass went in and out of Melvin Bryant's arms at the 5. Missouri has five first-time starters on defense.

"We've certainly got to get better, but we hung in there," Pinkel said. "The last drive, you just try to keep the ball in front of you."

Missouri's defense had another big play, stopping Illinois on a fourth-and-1 at the Tigers 15 at the start of the fourth quarter when Russ Bell stuffed Halsey for no gain.

"I just had a feeling it was coming my way," Bell said. "I'll remember that forever."

Missouri also beat Illinois 33-20 last year in the neutral-site opener. Both teams were 5-7 last year.

Missouri struggled on offense most of the day. But the Tigers saved their best for late in the game with a 13-play, 79-yard game-winning drive. Smith added a 2-point conversion run from an unusual swinging gate alignment, winning a foot race to the right corner of the end zone.

Smith took the snap from the 8 on the play, called "Polecat," after a false start.

Smith was 3-for-4 for 40 yards on the winning drive. Outlaw caught two of the passes for 21 yards, and Zack Abron caught a 19-yard swing pass and had a 17-yard run.

Missouri, which is 6-1 in its last seven openers, responded after Illinois took its first lead of the game on a 6-yard pass from Beutjer to Kelvin Hayden with 10:36 to go.

"This one is going to sting a little bit," offensive tackle Bucky Babcock said. "This one definitely hurts. We've got to take little baby steps and get better."

Missouri led 14-6 at the half despite getting outgained 167-103 in total yards.

The big play of the half came when Michael Harden nearly blocked a punt deep in Illinois territory, forcing Steve Weatherford to run. Derrick Ming tackled Weatherford at the 3 to set up Abron's 1-yard run for a 7-3 lead.

Smith hit J.D. McCoy for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 14-3, capping Missouri's only sustained drive of the half.

Illinois settled for field goals of 44 and 48 yards by John Gockman in the first half, and Gockman added a 31-yarder in the third quarter.

Noteworthy

Illinois FB Carey Davis, who underwent minor surgery on his left knee earlier this week, caught 10 passes for 66 yards and had two carries for 7 yards after being cleared to play on Friday.

Abron has 174 career points, tied with Devin West for sixth in Missouri history.

Brock Harvey of Missouri had a 63-yard punt in the first quarter. ... Illinois WR Lonnie Hurst, who caught five passes for 76 yards, was the first true freshman at the school to start his first game since 1980.

Illinois dressed in all-orange uniforms for the first time since 1979, when Gary Moeller's teams wore orange tops for home games.