Tigers Drop Conference USA Opener to Marshall, 27-16

Saturday, September 26

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

Marshall

Duke Calhoun logged 141 yards and a touchdown Saturday.

Tigers Drop Conference USA Opener to Marshall, 27-16

Sep 26, 2009 | Football

Sept. 26, 2009

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Final Stats

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

By Joshua Wilkins
Graduate Assistant

For the first time in the two schools' five-year C-USA rivalry, the road team won when Memphis played Marshall. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it was on their home turf in a 27-16 loss at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in both teams' conference openers.

"We didn't do our job good enough to win the game," Memphis Coach Tommy West said. "We didn't deserve to win the game. Give Marshall credit; I thought they deserved to win the game."

The Tigers' second straight loss to the Thundering Herd drops their season record to 1-3, 0-1 in C-USA.

For the second straight season, Herd tailback Darius Marshall had a big game against the Tigers, as Marshall ran for 203 yards and three scores. Marshall had 100 yards in the second period alone. He ran for 140 yards and a touchdown against Memphis last season.

Memphis sophomore quarterback Tyler Bass, who accounted for five touchdowns against UT Martin a week earlier, did throw for 232 yards and a score. However, he also threw two interceptions, one in the Marshall end zone to the Herd's Omar Brown. Bass also ran for 64 yards.

"I thought our defense played lights out again," Marshall Coach Mark Snyder said. "How about those cornerbacks? They rose to the challenge, I thought."

"Right now we are not a good enough offensive football team to win games," West added. "Then when you throw on top of it special teams, it's disastrous. That's kind of what happened today."

Marshall scored first on a 36-yard field goal by senior Craig Ratanamorn, making the score 3-0 with 4:37 left in the first.

Memphis' longest play of the game occurred on their first play of the next drive when Duke Calhoun took a Bass offering 80 yards for Calhoun's 16th career touchdown, which was set up by a key Deven Onarheim block. The score ties him with Bill Robertson (1947-50) for fourth on the school's all-time receiving touchdown list. Calhoun is Memphis' all-time reception and receiving yardage leader.

The 80-yard catch by Calhoun is the second 80-plus yard touchdown reception in two weeks for the senior after catching an 85-yard touchdown strike against UT Martin. It is the first time since 2003, and only the third time ever the Tigers have scored two touchdowns of 80-plus yards in the same season.

The Herd would re-take the lead on the second play of the second quarter on a two-yard run by Marshall. Ratanahorn's ensuing PAT made the score 10-7.

With 2:48 left in the first half, Marshall added to the Herd lead with a 69-yard touchdown run through the Memphis defense, making the tally 17-7.

A 20-yard field goal by Matt Reagan would close out the first half with the score 17-10. Reagan was 3-3 on field goals for the game, his first game with three field goals since the Tigers faced Marshall last year. It is also Reagan's second straight game with 10 or more points kicking.

Another Reagan field goal, this time from 22 yards, in part set up with a 44-yard pass from Bass to Carlos Singleton, cut the Herd lead to 17-13 with 9:17 left in the third period.

On the fourth quarter's second play, Marshall completed the hat trick for the Herd with a five-yard run.

Reagan's third field goal, from 25 yards, split the uprights with 8:20 remaining in the game. It pulled the Tigers to within 24-16.

Ratanahorn would close out the scoring with an 18-yard Herd field goal with 1:56 to play.

The Tiger defense improved their pass defense, holding the Herd to just 97 yards through the air. Defensive end Josh Weaver had 1.5 sacks for the Tigers, while Dontari Poe and Tim McGee both added sacks, and Justin Thompson half a sack. McGee had two TFLs.

Darius Davis led the Tiger defense with a career-high 12 tackles, while Greg Jackson registered seven, and Deante' Lamar and Winston Bowens both six. D.A. Griffin, Weaver, and Poe all forced fumbles. Jackson recovered one.