By R.B. FALLSTROM
Associated Press
St. Louis —
After stumbling for a half, Missouri distanced itself from a distressing preseason.
Blaine Gabbert rallied the Tigers from a 10-point deficit with two touchdown passes and Carl Gettis made a leaping one-handed interception and downed a punt at the 1 in the fourth quarter of a 23-13 opening victory over Illinois on Saturday.
“We showed our guts,” Gabbert said. “We came out in the second half and dominated.”
Missouri won without Derrick Washington, the school’s leading rusher the last two seasons, who was kicked off the team earlier in the week after being charged with sexual assault. The school also had a handful of DUI arrests during the summer.
Coach Gary Pinkel said in the days leading up to kickoff, those off-field topics were pushed to the background.
“It doesn’t matter,” Pinkel said. “We had to focus on playing football.”
T.J. Moe had 13 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, and the Tigers’ defense shut out Illinois in the second half. Kenji Jackson also intercepted Nathan Scheelhaase in the fourth quarter to help seal it for Missouri, which finished the neutral-site Arch Rivalry series with six straight victories.
Missouri, 8-5 last year, has won 18 straight against non-conference opponents. It shut out its opponent in the second half for the first time since blanking Colorado 58-0 Oct. 25, 2008 in Columbia, Mo.
“We just needed to get a little momentum,” Gabbert said. “We were killing ourselves, they were all internal problems. It was nothing they were doing.”
Mikel Leshoure had 112 yards on 20 carries for Illinois, coming off a 3-9 season. Scheelhaase, a redshirt freshman, was 9 for 23 for 81 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He also rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries in his first career start.
“This is not the kind of game he would have liked to have had,” coach Ron Zook said. “Nathan will learn from his mistakes. Some of the things that maybe weren’t quite the way you wanted was because he was trying too hard.”
Missouri was a 12-point favorite and totaled 129 points the previous three meetings, but scuffled in the first half. Illinois controlled the clock for nearly 18 minutes and scored twice in the final 2:10 to take a 13-3 lead on A.J. Jenkins’ 10-yard catch and Derek Dimke’s career-best 52-yard field goal to end the half.
“We soul-searched a little bit,” Pinkel said. “I thought we were very poised. The defense, they were the ones that really set the tone.”
Illinois didn’t have to punt in the first half. In the second half, the Illini were held to 85 yards and four first downs.
“We just came out flat, I’m not sure what it was,” Leshoure said. “Maybe some people were a little comfortable and thought the game was over.”
Gabbert was 34 for 48 for 281 yards, 167 of them coming in the second half.
Gettis leaped high to steal the ball away from Jenkins at the Illinois 45 early in the fourth quarter, halting Illinois’ first possession after Michael Egnew’s 6-yard catch put the Tigers ahead 17-13.
After Missouri’s ensuing drive stalled, Gettis downed Matt Grabner’s punt at the 1. That led to a three-and-out for Illinois.
“Everyone came in and did their job and stepped up,” Gettis said. “Everyone had a great game.”
Illinois took advantage of a terrible two-play sequence in the first half. A wide open Wes Kemp dropped a pass at the Illinois 25, a gain that would have been at least 25 yards, and Gabbert was sacked for a 14-yard loss to force a punt.
Illinois’ last drive ended after Leshoure was ruled out of bounds on a potential first-down catch at the Missouri 46 after officials reviewed the play. Grant Ressel added a 35-yard field goal in the final minute.
Missouri had 98 yards rushing, including 78 on 16 carries by De’Vion Moore.
