Tigers Back in Action On the Road At SMU

Nov 06, 2008 | Football

Nov. 6, 2008

MEMPHIS, TENN. - After having a weekend off, the Memphis Tiger football team is back in action for a key Conference USA matchup with SMU in Dallas on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

The Mustangs were also off last weekend and they are hosting the Tigers for their Homecoming 2008 meeting. The game will not be televised, but fans who subscribe to the CBS College Sports Online All-Access package can watch live streaming of the game through www.GoTigersGo.com or www.SMUMustangs.com.

The Tigers will be off again next weekend before returning to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the final two league games versus UCF (Nov. 22) and Tulane (Nov. 29). Fans are asked to bring canned goods to benefit the Memphis Food Bank for the UCF game, and 25 Tiger seniors will be honored the following week prior to the Tulane kickoff for Senior Day. Both game times are set for 1 p.m. at this point.

The Tigers enter Saturday's contest with a 4-5 overall record; 2-3 in C-USA, after defeating Southern Miss, 36-30, in Memphis on Oct. 25. SMU is 1-8 overall; 0-5 in C-USA, with their only win being over Texas State early in the season. This weekend's game between Memphis and SMU is the third time the two schools have faced off on the gridiron. The Tigers hold a 2-0 series advantage. Last season, Memphis and SMU met for the first time as conference foes, and the Tigers pulled out a thrilling 55-52 victory in triple overtime at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Tigers and Mustangs also played in the 1976 campaign, with the U of M posting a 27-13 victory on Oct. 2, 1976, in Memphis.

TIGERS VERSUS TEXAS TEAMS
Memphis has had some pretty good success against teams from the Lone Star State. In their history, the Tigers have a 40-20-1 record against Texas collegiate foes. In the Tommy West era, the Tigers have a 9-4 record against teams from the state of Texas. Earlier this season, Memphis dropped a heart-breaking 42-35 decision to Rice in the Tigers' Conference USA and home opener. Prior to the Rice setback, Memphis had a three-game win streak against teams from Texas with victories over SMU (2007), Rice (2007) and UTEP (2006). The most memorable recent Memphis victory over a team from Texas came in the 2003 New Orleans Bowl. The Tigers ended the program's 32-year bowl drought and defeated North Texas 27-17 in the Louisiana Superdome.

ON A ROLL VERSUS C-USA WEST
When Conference USA realigned prior to the 2005 season, the league separated the football members into two six-team divisions (East/West). In doing so, each C-USA squad plays all teams in its division (five games) and three opponents from the other division. The two-division format has been good for the Tigers, especially when looking at what they have done against their C-USA West foes. Overall, Memphis is 6-4 versus opponents from the C-USA West Division. The Tigers swept their inter-divisional games in 2007, defeating Rice 38-35, Tulane 28-27 and SMU 55-52 (3OT). Going back to the end of the 2006 campaign, Memphis has won four of its last five against the C-USA West.

TIGER SUCCESS IN NOVEMBER
Since the 2003 campaign, head coach Tommy West has had his Tigers playing winning football in the month of November. Memphis has a 12-8 record in the month of November since 2003. In the 2003, 2004 and 2007 campaigns, the Tigers posted 3-1 records in those stretch runs. Memphis opens play in the month of November this Saturday at SMU. The Tigers then host UCF Nov. 22 and Tulane Nov. 29 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to close out their November slate.

TONEY HANDLES FIRST COLLEGIATE SNAPS
Junior Brett Toney was called into action during the Tigers' second series against East Carolina after Arkelon Hall left with a fracture in his thumb and Will Hudgens injured his knee. Toney, who came to Memphis as a walk-on in 2005, lettered during the 2007 season as the holder on special teams and has been holding for kicks again this season. He had not seen game action for the Tigers at quarterback up until this point. Toney is a native of Germantown, Tenn., who prepped at Briarcrest Christian. Toney's first collegiate pass completion was a 24-yard toss to Earnest Williams in the second quarter. Toney finished the game 11-of-15 for 65 yards. Toney made his first start a week later and helped the Tigers to a 36-30 win over Southern Miss. He completed 8-of-16 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown.

STREAKING TIGER
Junior receiver Duke Calhoun extended his receiving streak to 33 games after totaling two receptions for 22 yards against Southern Miss. He has caught a pass in each of his 33 career games played. He missed the UCF game last season with a knee injury. The 33-game streak is a school record, as Calhoun surpassed Russell Copeland, who lettered for the Tigers from 1989-92 and tallied 27 straight games with a catch. Calhoun ranks tied for 11th nationally in active receiving streaks. The current leader is Rice's Jarrett Dillard with 45 consecutive games with a reception. Junior Carlos Singleton etched his name in the Tiger record book as No. 2 all-time behind Calhoun with his 28-game streak that was snapped against East Carolina.

STEELE MAKING HIS WAY UP THE CHARTS
With his 178 yards rushing versus Southern Miss, Curtis Steele made a huge jump from 18th to ninth in the Memphis record books for single season yardage. Steele is just 121 yards from becoming only the fourth Tiger in school history to amass 1,000 yards in a season. All-American DeAngelo Williams did it in three straight seasons (2003-05); Gerard Arnold tallied 1,059 yards in 1998 and Dave Casinelli logged 1,016 yards in 1963.

SINGLETON NEARING TD RECORD
With his two touchdown receptions against Southern Miss, Carlos Singleton now totals four in 2008 and 18 for his career. He is one TD away from tying record holder Tavares Gideon who totaled 19 TD receptions in two seasons (2002 & 2004).

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