Recent News | Popular News | Subscribe

FACTS & STATS: Site: Edward Jones Dome (66,965) -- St. Louis, Missouri. Television: ESPN. Home Record: Missouri 0-0, Illinois 0-0. Away Record: Missouri 0-0, Illinois 0-0. Neutral Record: Missouri 0-0, Illinois 0-0. Conference Record: Missouri 0-0, Illinois 0-0. Series Record: Missouri leads, 15-7.

GAME NOTES: For the second straight season, the Missouri Tigers and Illinois Fighting Illini will open the season against one another in St. Louis.

Last year, the Tigers won a shootout over the Illini by a 52-42 final. A star- laden Missouri squad went on to win its first five contests in 2008, but national title aspirations quickly disappeared after back-to-back losses to Oklahoma State and Texas. The Tigers lost another regular season game but still managed to win the weak Big 12 North. Unfortunately, they were crushed by Oklahoma in the league's title game. Missouri, which has won its last seven season openers, has lost 40 seniors the last two seasons, so coach Gary Pinkel's squad is very young. Most of the star power from '08 is gone, so expectations heading into this 2009 opener are tempered.

Armed with dangerous playmakers and coming off a Rose Bowl bid, the Fighting Illini were supposed to take another step forward in 2008. Instead, they regressed, missing the postseason entirely after losing their final three games. Coach Ron Zook's team seems to be in the middle of the Big Ten pack in regard to talent as this new season begins, but there is no doubt that a win over Missouri would do wonders for the confidence of the Illini, who are 0-5 all-time in neutral-site openers.

Missouri increased its all-time series lead over Illinois to 15-7 with last season's win. This is the fifth of six scheduled meetings between the two programs in the Edward Jones Dome, and all four previous encounters have been won by the Tigers.

Taking over for Chase Daniel under center is Blaine Gabbert, a 6-5, 235-pound sophomore with the athleticism and skill set to become the next great Mizzou signal-caller. Time will tell if that is his reality, but he won't have to go it alone as the Tigers welcome back leading rusher Derrick Washington (177 carries, 1,036 yards, 17 TDs). The coaching staff has already vowed to run the ball more in 2009, so Washington may be one of the nation's most productive backs. Replacing Jeremy Maclin at the receiver position/returner positions is impossible, but senior Jared Perry caught 41 balls for 567 yards and four TDs a year ago and should serve Gabbert well when he looks down field. Another guy to keep an eye on is 6-5 senior Danario Alexander. With three-fifths of last year's offensive line back, keeping the quarterback upright and opening holes in the run game should be a task the Tigers are able to master, or at least consistently deliver upon.

While there are some questions offensively for Missouri, the Tigers boast some of the more talented defenders in the Big 12, starting with senior LB Sean Weatherspoon. At 6-2 and 245 pounds, Weatherspoon is a gifted athlete who always seems to be around the ball (155 tackles in '08). The line is a bit green in that only senior DT Jaron Baston has much in the way of game experience, but one guy to watch is redshirt freshman Aldon Smith, who at 6-5 could wreak all kinds of havoc from his DE position. Junior Carl Gettis is the only returning starter in the secondary, but that might be a good thing considering the Tigers ranked 117th in the country in pass defense (286.6 ypg) a year ago.

Never short on ability, Illinois quarterback Juice Williams has a pretty deep cast of receivers with which to work. When he joined the program as a freshman, Williams was an electrifying runner who needed to develop his passing skills to be an effective quarterback in a major conference. Though critics point to his mediocre 58 percent completion percentage last season, others look at his 3,173 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, in addition to his team-high 719 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. Williams gave the Tigers fits last season, and nothing figures to change in this contest. To aid his case, top target Arrelious Benn (67 rec, 1,055 yds, three TDs) returns. Whereas last year Benn lacked a complement (he caught 37 more passes than the second-leading receiver), players like Jeff Cumberland and Florida transfer Jarred Fayson will take some of the pressure off and give Williams added options. Unfortunately, there is no sure thing at the tailback position.

Big Ten leading tackler Brit Miller and lockdown corner Vontae Davis have both moved on for the Illini, and three key defensive players sat out practice during the spring as they recovered from surgery. Clearly, the Illinois defense has questions to be answered in this opener. The defensive line is the biggest area of concern, as fresh faces will exist in every position. At linebacker, Martez Wilson is a talented player who was recently named to the Butkus Award watch list. Wilson failed to live up to the hype in 2008, and in December was the victim of a stabbing incident, but he is back in place, healthy and seemingly motivated to excel. Despite the loss of Davis to the NFL, Illinois has a deep and talented group of cornerbacks, highlighted by senior leader Dere Hicks. However, it is not known how much, if any, safety Donsay Hardeman will be able to contribute following a serious neck injury.

Expect Illinois to get its revenge on Missouri by the slimmest of margins. Williams will be the difference, as his experience and play-making ability will put the Illini over the top.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Illinois 31, Missouri 30