In the roller coaster of college football, momentum can change a game - with a kick of the ball.

"There's a lot of good things with our kicking team and I'm pleased for making progress there," said Gary Pinkel, Missouri football coach.

As the Missouri Tigers battled Fighting Illini in Saturday's arch rivalry game, momentum was just what they needed after Illinois took a 13-10 lead in the second quarter.

"Obviously we were a little down, but we've got a lot of veterans on this team, after they returned that interception for a touchdown and they did a great job with that play," commented Chase Daniel, Missouri Sr. Quarterback.

The Tigers answered right back with J-Mac and a trip to the endzone.

"He can change a game with one play, and he did," said Chase Coffman, Missouri Sr. Tight end. "Just change the momentum back to our side with J-Mac scoring that touchdown. It was a great play and the kickoff return team did a great job of getting blocks for him."

It wasn't a first for Maclin though.

In last year's game against Kansas State, J-Mac became the first Tiger in 25 years to return a kickoff for seven points.

Four games later, he did it again.

"That was probably the biggest play of the game...took it, I don't know how many yards, 99-100, I mean it was just a big play for us, helped our team emotionally," said Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri Jr. Linebacker.

And so with Maclin momentum under their pads, the Tigers never looked back.

Edited by Lara Montague