COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Chase Daniel threw three touchdown passes and No. 25 Missouri had 581 yards of total offense Saturday in a 38-17 win over Illinois State.
Daniel was 21-for-34 for 294 yards and two interceptions. He has thrown 13 touchdown passes this season after setting a school record with 28 in 2006 in his first year as a starter.
Jeremy Maclin scored on a second-quarter pass and a 67-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. Tony Temple also scored twice, on a first-quarter pass and third-quarter 1-yard run, and rushed 18 times for 101 yards.
Luke Drone was 22-for-37 for 242 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Illinois State (2-2) of the Football Championship Subdivision — the former Division I-AA. Geno Blow gained 116 yards on 21 carries. Eyad Salem caught seven passes for 106 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Missouri (4-0), worked quickly on offense. The Tigers scored on drives lasting 17 seconds, 3:11, 2:40, 3:33 and 2:04, and on Maclin's punt return. On 24 scoring drives this season, the Tigers' average time of possession is 2:08.
Daniel's receivers did most of the work on the scoring passes.
On the first play from scrimmage, Will Franklin caught a pass on a wide receiver screen at the Missouri 43 and ran the distance. Later in the quarter, Daniel threw a short pass to Temple, who ran in for an 11-yard score.
Missouri drove 97 yards after Illinois State failed to convert on fourth-and-goal from the 3 early in the second quarter. The 8-yard touchdown to end the drive came as Daniel appeared to run, then flipped forward to Maclin, who ran it in.
Illinois State's Parrish Fisher scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter.
Jeff Wolfert had a 26-yard field goal for Missouri and Tyler Funk had a 21-yarder for Illinois State.
The game was Missouri's final non-conference game. After an off week, the Tigers host Nebraska Oct. 5.
Missouri came into the game tied for seventh nationally averaging 532 yards of offense. But the Tigers were ranked 97th in total defense, allowing 447 yards per game. Illinois State had 397 yards.
Eleven different receivers had catches for Missouri, led by Maclin's five.
Maclin, a redshirt freshman, became the first Missouri player in 32 years to return two punts for touchdowns in a season. He also had a 66-yard score in the opener against Illinois.
Illinois State has put a scare in other Big 12 opponents in recent seasons. Two years ago, the Redbirds were tied 15-15 with Iowa State late in the third quarter before losing 32-21. And last season, Kansas State stopped Drone on a 2-point conversion late in the game to preserve a 24-23 win.