2015 Memphis Tigers

[kwc]

From the Commercial Appeal:

 

Memphis 53, Cincinnati 46

 

Cincinnati 10  20   3  13 - 46

Memphis   14  14   3  22 – 53

 

First Quarter

 

Cin – Kiel 4 yd run (Gantz kick), 1316

Mem – Maulet 59 yd INT return (Elliot kick), 10:34

Cin – FG Gantz 35 yd, 5:07

Mem – Miller 82 yd pass from Lynch (Elliot kick), 4:42

 

Second Quarter

 

Cin – C. Moore 68 yd pass from H. Moore (Gantz kick), 14:11

Mem – Frazier 9 yd run (Elliot kick), 11:03

Cin – FG Gantz 49 yd, 9:14

Cin – FG Gantz 32 yd, 5:02

Mem – J. Cooper 4 yd run (Elliot kick), 4:07

Cin – Washington 21 yd pass from H. Moore (Gantz kick), 1:46

 

Third Quarter

 

Mem – FG Elliot 40 yd, 3:36

Cin – FG Gantz 36 yd, 1:27

 

Fourth Quarter

 

Mem – Cross 8 yd pass from P. Lynch (Elliot kick), 13:30

Cin – Morrison 40 yd pass from H. Moore (Gantz kick), 10:02

Mem – Craft 5 yd run (lynch run), 7:07

Cin – Morrison 30 yd pass from H. Moore (Gantz), 5:56

Mem – Craft 3 yd run (Elliot kick), :53

 

Attendence – 45,172

 

                                    Cin                  Mem

First Downs                 38                    22

Rushes – yards            36-132             37-158

Passing                        620                  412

Comp-Att-Int                38-64-3            24-36-0

Return Yards               14                    63

Punts-Avg                    3-44.7              6-52.7

Fumbles-Lost               0-0                   2-1

Penalties-Yards            11-101             9-100

Time of Possession     33:43               26:17

 

Individual Statistics

 

Rushing – Cincinnati, Williams 12-50, Green 12-41, Kiel 4-28, H. Moore 7-7, C. Moore 1-6, Memphis, Lynch 11-52, Craft 12-50, J. Cooper 9-49, Frazier 1-9, Henderson 1-1, Dorceous 2-(minus 1), Team 1-(minus 2).

 

Passing – Cincinnati, H. Moore 31-53-2-557, Kiel 7-11-1-63, Memphis, Lynch 24-36-0-412

 

Receiving – Cincinnati, Morrison 9-162, Washington 9-120, C. Moore 5-153, Chisum 5-77, McKay 2-32, Holton 2-25, T. Johnson 2-23, Dowdy 1-12, Cole 1-9, Cogswell 1-5, Green 1-2. Memphis, Miller 5-156, Te Jones 4-64, Mayhue 4-50, Proctor 3-78, Cross 2-17, Frazier 2-16, Craft 2-5, Oglesby 1-22, Henderson 1-4.

[kwc]

The next game on the U of M 2015 schedule is against the University of South Florida (USF). They are currently 1-2 with a one loss by Florida State and the other loss by Maryland. The game is to be televised on ESPN 2. The U of M then has a BYE week, and then play Ole Miss at the Liberty Bowl. If the U of M wins against USF, they will go into the Ole Miss game 5-0 and they may very well be ranked in the AP. Time will tell on the ranking part. Ole Miss next plays the University of Florida, and then they play Memphis. If Memphis and Ole Miss win their next games, they will come into the game both undefeated.

 

The schedule has the time slot as TBD ... which tells me that ESPN may try ti air that game. If that's the case ... the U of M will have it's next three games aired.

 

That is freakin awsome. If Ole Miss comes into the game undefeated ... their current AP rank of #3 could even go higher.

 

Stay tuned!

[kwc]

From the Commercial Appeal:

 

AAC rankings: Temple and Memphis still 1 and 1a

 

By Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal

Posted: 1:00 p.m.

 

It's the middle of October, and the American Athletic Conference has settled into three tiers. There's a handful of teams at the top — Houston, Memphis and Temple — that still have dreams of playing in a New Year's Six bowl game, then a huge middle tier of teams hovering around .500, then the bottom-feeders. (Looking at you, Central Florida.)

There will be plenty of moving and shaking over the next few weeks, as most teams dive headfirst into conference play and begin jockeying for position in their respective divisions. For now, though, here's a look at the lay of the land in the AAC entering this week's games.

 

1. Temple (5-0, 2-0 AAC): It's a good time to be an Owls fan. Temple routed Tulane last week, 49-10, to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1974. Then, on Tuesday, the university announced that it has sold out its Halloween home game against Notre Dame. In addition to its opener against Penn State, that's two sellouts for Temple this season. The Owls may not run away with the AAC East division, but they're certainly in the driver's seat. They'll host a disastrous UCF team on Saturday.

 

1a. Memphis (5-0, 2-0 AAC): The Tigers climbed three spots in the coaches' poll after a bye week, but they remain stuck at 1a in our conference rankings. Next week, they will be in a different spot, one way or the other. I promise. A win over No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday would be the biggest win for the AAC this season, much bigger than even Temple's victory over Penn State. It will also be the most talented opponent Memphis will face all season.

 

3. Houston (5-0, 2-0 AAC): A 49-28 win over SMU on national television propelled the Cougars into the Associated Press Top 25 this week. Detractors will point to the team's light schedule and lack of quality wins. Supporters will point to quarterback Greg Ward Jr. as a fringe Heisman candidate. The bottom line is that Houston has been, and will continue to be, a tough matchup for everyone on its schedule. This week, that's Tulane on Friday night.

 

4. Navy (4-1, 2-0 AAC): The Midshipmen got the conference's first crack against Notre Dame over the weekend and came up short, losing 41-24. (Temple hosts the Irish in two weeks.) Though Navy is no longer unbeaten, it has an open week to recover and recharge for the stretch run, beginning with a game against Tulane on Oct. 24.

 

5. Cincinnati (3-2, 0-2 AAC): The Bearcats were idle last week and will be the third AAC team in three weeks to travel to BYU. Friday's game against the Cougars will also mark the third game in a row that Cincinnati has not played on a Saturday. The most interesting development here is at quarterback, where the once-injured Gunner Kiel has returned to practice and now finds himself in an open competition with freshman Hayden Moore. Tommy Tuberville has said he will wait until just before kickoff to decide who will start.

 

6. Tulsa (3-2, 0-1 AAC): The Golden Hurricane ran a conference-record 107 plays in a 34-24 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. Quarterback Dane Evans has thrown for 300 yards in every game he's played this season. Tulsa may not be able to keep pace with Houston, Memphis and Navy in the West division this year, but the future is bright under Philip Montgomery. The Golden Hurricane will travel to East Carolina on Saturday.

 

7. East Carolina (3-3, 1-1 AAC): Say what you will about the Pirates' .500 record, but their three losses have ranged from reasonable to impressive. Last weekend against BYU, for example, they rallied from a 38-21 deficit entering the fourth quarter to tie the game with four minutes left. They wound up losing, 45-38, on a touchdown with 19 seconds left, but the comeback spoke volumes. East Carolina will be in for a sneaky good game this week against Tulsa.

 

8. Connecticut (3-3, 1-1 AAC): The so-called "Civil Conflict" didn't really have a lot of conflict. The Huskies built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and cruised to a 40-13 win over Central Florida over the weekend, thereby winning a trophy that their own coach, Bob Diaco, had created. Strange. That said, Connecticut's defense continues to look strong. We'll see how it handles Marlon Mack and South Florida on Saturday.

 

9. South Florida (2-3, 0-1 AAC): The Bulls beat Syracuse over the weekend, 45-24, to give the AAC a winning record against Atlantic Coast Conference teams this season. South Florida racked up 535 yards of offense, led by a career-high 259 passing yards from quarterback Quinton Flowers, in an uncharacteristically high-scoring game. Next up: A trip to East Hartford on Saturday for a meeting with the Huskies.

 

10. Tulane (2-3, 1-1 AAC): There was a brief moment over the weekend when the Green Wave looked like it was actually going to challenge Temple. Tulane forced two early turnovers and led 10-7 in the second quarter. Then the Owls scored 42 unanswered points, and that was about it. The road doesn't get easier for Tulane, either. After hosting Houston on Friday, it'll play at Navy, then at Memphis on Halloween.

 

11. SMU (1-5, 0-2 AAC): The Mustangs have won two of their past 18 games. Not very good. They've shown glimpses of improvement under first-year coach Chad Morris, especially on offense, but that improvement hasn't resulted in many wins. SMU's most recent loss was more of the same: A 49-28 defeat against Houston in which the Mustangs trailed by a touchdown at halftime and struggled in the second half. They're off this week and will play at USF on Oct. 24.

 

12. Central Florida (0-6, 0-2 AAC): George O'Leary stepped down as the Knights' interim athletic director this week, but he did not fire himself as head football coach before doing so. He should have at least considered it. Saturday's lopsided loss to UConn was the most recent chapter in UCF's steep football decline. Injuries have played a role in the team's struggles, but they're not solely to blame. And Temple's up next this week. Good luck with that.

Edited October 14, 2015 by kwc

[kwc]

From the Commercial Appeal:

 

Breaking down the Memphis-Ole Miss game

 

 

By Tom Schad and Phil Stukenborg of The Commercial Appeal

Posted: Yesterday 5:43 p.m.

 

 

It's been nearly a century since Memphis and Ole Miss first met on a football field, in Oxford on Oct. 1, 1921. The Rebels won that game, 82-0.

 

On Saturday morning, they will convene at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the latest installment of their rivalry. No. 13 Ole Miss will aim to win its seventh straight against the Tigers, who last beat the Rebels in 2004. Each team recognizes the challenges that the other will create.

 

"They can really run on both sides of the ball, special teams," Memphis coach Justin Fuente said of the Rebels. "Their defensive line jumps off the film at you. And then their quarterback seems in control of what's going on and (is) doing a pretty darn good job of getting the ball to their various playmakers."

 

"I know the excitement level and enthusiasm they have around their program right now," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said of the Tigers. "It is a quality football team. They are playing with great confidence. They have what a lot of us desire in a sound, good quarterback. He's one of the better ones I've seen on film."

 

As Saturday's game creeps closer, we're taking a look at how Memphis and Ole Miss stack up against one another in every facet of the game, including key matchups and players to watch.

 

When the Tigers pass

 

Memphis: The key here will be Paxton Lynch, Paxton Lynch and Paxton Lynch. In last year's meeting, he completed 41.9 percent of his passes and finished with a 5.1 quarterback rating. He's a different quarterback this season, but the Ole Miss defense will present similar challenges, specifically when it comes to rushing the passer. Lynch will need to make smart decisions under pressure, and take advantage of big-play opportunities when they arise. If he plays out of his mind, the Tigers will have a really good chance of winning this game. A poor performance, on the other hand, could doom them.

 

Ole Miss: The Rebels rank first in the SEC with nine interceptions, three of which they have returned for touchdowns. While there is not an All-American in the secondary with the skill set of Senquez Golson, last year's leader in the defensive backfield and a second-round pick of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, there is some experience. Preseason All-SEC selection Mike Hilton moved to nickel back last weekend and responded with three tackles for loss and an interception. Tiger QB Lynch may fare better than last year when he was limited to 81 passing yards and 13-of-31 passing, the worst output of his career.

 

When the Tigers run

 

Memphis: For Memphis' offense, the threat of running the ball is as valuable as actually running it. That's why the Tigers have run nearly as many times this season when they've been tied or trailing (115 carries) as they have when they've been in the lead (123 carries). And it's worked. Certainly the foursome of Sam Craft, Doroland Dorceus, Jarvis Cooper and Jamarius Henderson would like to run the ball a bit more effectively than it has through five games, but it has still been plenty good enough to fuel the misdirection in this offense.

 

Ole Miss: When he's not lining up in the offensive backfield, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, at 6-4 and 296 pounds, has been an anchor, and a beast, on the defensive front. Nkemdiche, a preseason All-American, will be a challenge for an improved Memphis offensive line and double-teams may not be effective. Nkemdiche leads the Rebels with 5.5 tackles for loss and was the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week in the team's early season win at then-No. 2 Alabama, a performance that likely boosted his already glowing NFL Draft status.

 

When the Rebels pass

 

Ole Miss: Transfer Chad Kelly, Hall of Famer Jim Kelly's nephew, has had a solid first half of the season. And he's been fortunate, too (see the touchdown catch off a defender's helmet at Alabama). But, most of all, he has stepped in and been consistent. In last weekend's lopsided win over winless New Mexico State, he completed 24 of 33 passes for a career-high 384 yards. He leads the SEC in passing yards (1,862), yards per completion (15.39), total offense (332.08) and touchdown passes (14). At midseason, he is already tied with Bo Wallace and Eli Manning for most games of 300-plus yards in a season (four). He has tossed nine of his touchdowns (with only two interceptions) in the Rebels' three nonconference games. And he has a trio of receivers — Laquon Treadwell, Cody Core and Quincy Adeboyejo — who are averaging between 14.6 and 20.2 yards per reception.

 

Memphis: This is Memphis' biggest question mark entering the game, hands-down, without question. First and foremost, how will the Tigers put pressure on Kelly while simultaneously preventing big plays on the back end? How will they cover Treadwell and the Rebels' other explosive receivers? Who will cover Treadwell, specifically? Should Memphis force a few turnovers or take a significant step forward in pass coverage, it will have more than a fighting chance to win this game. But if the secondary struggles early, it could get out of hand fast.

 

When the Rebels run

 

Ole Miss: The emphasis, before the season began, was for the Rebels to become more of a running threat, to get what players called "the dirty yards." So far the results have been mixed, mostly due to losing All-America tackle Laremy Tunsil for the season's first half because of an NCAA violation. (Tunsil returns next week vs. Texas A&M.) The Rebels rank 13th in the SEC in rushing in their three conference games (104-yard average) and last (tied with Vanderbilt) at 2.9 yards per carry. In those nonconference blowouts over UT Martin, Fresno State and New Mexico state, the Rebels are averaging 273 yards per game. Memphis products Jaylen Walton and Jordan Wilkins, who have combined for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns, may be motivated by making their Liberty Bowl stadium debuts.

 

Memphis: For all of Memphis' defensive warts, it's been relatively stout against the run thus far, holding opponents to 131.6 yards per game on the ground. That ranks 37th in FBS. Another bright spot: The run defense has improved later in the game. Opposing running backs are averaging only 3.2 yards per carry in the second half (compared to 3.81 in the first) and only 2.17 yards per carry in the fourth quarter. Slowing down Ole Miss' rushing attack, and making the Rebels one-dimensional, would give the secondary a slight advantage.

 

Special teams

 

Memphis: It's hard to fairly compare or rank entire special teams units, but it's become clear in recent years that Memphis has one of the best special teams groups in the country. Most Power Five schools would love to have a kicker like Jake Elliott. The Tigers' punting tandem of Spencer Smith and Nick Jacobs, while unorthodox, has resulted in a net average of 42.21 yards, ninth-best in the FBS. And coverage on kickoffs and punts have been reliable. All told, Memphis will have a special teams advantage in most, if not all, games it plays this year — including this one.

 

Ole Miss: The Rebels have one of the better kicking teams in the SEC. They lead the league in net punting with a 42.3-yard average, while Will Gleeson, like Jacobs an Australia native, ranks fifth overall at 44.1. Memphis University School product Gary Wunderlich, ejected (in error) from last year's game, is 8-of-10 on field goals with a long of 45. A sophomore, he's never missed a field goal from between 30 and 49 yards. As far as their return game, it's not at the same level. The Rebels rank last in the SEC with a 6.1 average on 15 punt returns and 11th in the league in kickoff returns (18.2 average).

 

Memphis vs. (13) Ole Miss
When, where: 11 a.m. Saturday, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
TV, radio: WATN Channel 24, WHBQ-AM 560, WREC-AM 600

Edited October 14, 2015 by kwc

[BlackHavenSenator]

I'm calling for the upset... Memphis 38 - Ole Miss 35

 

Take the under and bet U of M

[kwc]

I'm calling for the upset... Memphis 38 - Ole Miss 35

 

Take the under and bet U of M

Memphis is making believers out of everybody. We still have a long way to go, but we control our destinty. Who would have thought that Memphis would beat Ole Miss by a scor of 37-24 on national television. Coach Freeze is going to get roasted for those two stuffed 4th down attempts.

 

The Tigers are now 6-0 with a win over 13th ranked Ole Miss.

Edited October 18, 2015 by kwc

[BlackHavenSenator]

Memphis is making believers out of everybody. We still have a long way to go, but we control our destinty. Who would have thought that Memphis would beat Ole Miss by a scor of 37-24 on national television. Coach Freeze is going to get roasted for those two stuffed 4th down attempts.

 

The Tigers are now 6-0 with a win over 13th ranked Ole Miss.

Did you see Mose Frazier getting off tho? Yes sir! I saw this coming during the preseason... After Watching the Vandy Game I KNEW Memphis was going to beat them. Ole Miss got a FLUKE win against Bama... We'll (Bama) will NEVER have another 5 TO game this season.

[cardsfan]

I didn't know Dodson had transferred out; was figuring he was enjoying that game. What happen there? and good call BHS!

[kwc]

I didn't know Dodson had transferred out; was figuring he was enjoying that game. What happen there? and good call BHS!

 

I don't know what happened with that. All i know is that he's a Murry Racer now.

 

I think Memphis can win out. It's not going to be easy though. Temple and Houston are still undefeated. Navy only has one loss. Memphis plays all three in the regular season. heck ... Tulsa, their next opponent can put points on the board.

[BlackHavenSenator]

Memphis wanted Mark Dodson to pay for school before he was eligible to get on the field and he wasn't with that. Murray is paying for his school like U of M should have.

[kwc]

Memphis wanted Mark Dodson to pay for school before he was eligible to get on the field and he wasn't with that. Murray is paying for his school like U of M should have.

 

So that's what happened. Smart move by Murry State. Seems that the U of M didn't feel the need.

[kwc]

From ESPN:

 

U of M 37, Ole Miss 24:

 

Individual Game Stats:

 

Team Stats:

 

Game Summary and Conversations:

 

Video Highlights: