ST. LOUIS – Total yards: 1,081. Total points: 94.

When put together, Illinois and Missouri put on an offensive spectacle in St. Louis on Saturday night, but the No. 6 Tigers’ more balanced attack overwhelmed the No. 20-ranked Illini 52-42 in the State Farm Arch Rivalry Game.

“I thought we had a football team, and I still believe that we have a football team that thought they could win, but we didn’t do the things necessary to win,” Illinois coach Ron Zook said.

Missouri senior quarterback Chase Daniel’s 323 yards passing and three touchdowns began his Heisman Trophy campaign in earnest, while Derrick Washington ran for 130 yards and two scores in front of 66,441 fans at the Edward Jones Dome.

“Everyone played exceptionally well, and we were very lucky to come out with the win,” Daniel said. “(Illinois is) a great team, and they’re going to win a lot of games.”

For his part, Illinois signal caller Juice Williams was also stellar in the passing game, throwing for 451 yards and five touchdowns, but the rushing attack could not complement the pass, and the Illini came up short in a spirited comeback bid.

Illinois trailed 45-20 early in the third quarter, but scored 15 unanswered points and had three late drives to reduce the lead to a field goal. However, an interception, a punt, and another interception returned for a touchdown by Tigers linebacker Sean Weatherspoon made the score 52-35 and dashed any comeback hopes.

Williams would throw for one final touchdown as time expired. The defeat was Illinois’ fourth straight to Missouri.

“We can’t make the mistakes that we made and get behind a team of that caliber and expect to be able to come back,” Zook said.

The Tigers’ 549 total yards shredded the Illinois defense, particularly the line, which was hoped to blossom into a team strength.

Offensively, the Illini ground attack was also lackluster in its first game since Rashard Mendenhall’s departure. Williams was sacked five times and netted just 10 yards on 19 carries, while Daniel Dufrene rushed for 75 yards. None of the Illinois touchdowns came with the run.

In contrast, the Missouri offense gained yardage both through the air and on the ground with unwavering consistency. The game’s breakneck pace was meshed well with the Tigers’ hurry-up, “super fastball” offense.

“We’re getting to the line, trying to snap it in 30 seconds or less. It’s hard for defenses to get lined up,” Daniel said.

The scoring barrage began early, as the Tigers strolled down the field on the game’s opening possession. A 10-play, 67-yard drive included completions of 26 and 29 yards by Daniel before a seven-yard rush by Washington put Missouri on the board 4:42 into the game.

Despite a shaky start, Williams found his footing late in the first quarter and put together a four-play, 64-yard drive culminating with a 30 yard TD completion to Will Judson. Matt Eller’s subsequent extra point attempt was blocked, making the score 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.

However, the Illini struggled to keep the game close. After a 51-yard field goal by Tigers kicker Jeff Wolfert, an unlikely 35-yard interception return by defensive lineman Derek Walker briefly gave Illinois a 13-10 lead. However, Tigers wideout Jeremy Maclin returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, nullifying the score.

“No question, that let the air out of the tire,” Zook said. “I really want to look at that very, very closely to some things that happened there.”

With the Illinois offense frequently stalling in their own territory, the Tigers’ passing game took full advantage of favorable field position. In the second quarter, Daniel hit receiver Jared Perry in stride for a 38-yard gain before Washington rushed 40 yards for his second touchdown on the very next play, giving Missouri a 24-13 lead.

Daniel netted his first touchdown pass five minutes later, finding tight end Chase Coffman on a 17-yard pass. The score capped off a 24-point second quarter and gave Missouri a 31-13 lead at the half.

From there, the Tigers never lost the lead.

“It’s not a sin to lose against a team like that, but we’ve got to play the way we’re capable of playing, and our last two games, we haven’t done that and that’s my fault,” Zook said.