University of Memphis Athletics
Notes and Quotes from Memphis-UT Football
Nov 04, 2000 | Football
Nov. 4, 2000
MEMPHIS, TENN. -
RIP SCHERER QUOTES:
"I can't tell you how proud I am of this football team. These kids are good kids and they deserve better. I wouldn't trade this football team for any other team in the country. This week we circled the wagons and hung in there and competed. We didn't let this negative stuff bother us, divide us or create doubt. They fought right down to the end. "Our goals are still there This game proved it. "Our kicking game let us down. We had the drop snap in the end zone which gave them good field position. The kickoff when we went ahead and we didn't punt particularly well.
About Scott Scherer "He's a tough kid. We thought about putting Suber in towards the end. We thought we could do more things with our offense with Scott. I am proud to be his coach and I am proud to be his father."
On Casey Clausen "He's a gutty kid and he's a great player. Tennessee made the plays they needed to make today."
* RAIN, RAIN , GO AWAY: The University of Memphis plays its first rain game of the season today against Tennessee. The last time the Tigers had to battle the weather was in the 1999 season against UAB in Birmingham, Alabama. The last time the Tigers played a rain game in Memphis was the 1994 season. The Tigers defeated Tulane 13-0 in that game.
* BASHIR GETS EARLY PICK: Junior free safety Idrees Bashir picked off his second pass of the season when he grabbed a Casey Clausen pass on the opening series of the game. Bashir's last interception, which he returned 100 yards, came against Army this season.
* BASHIR GETS EARLY PICK: Junior free safety Idrees Bashir picked off his second pass of the season when he grabbed a Casey Clausen pass on the opening series of the game. Bashir's last interception, which he returned 100 yards, came against Army this season.
* SCHERER STARTS AGAIN: Sophomore quarterback Scott Scherer started his fourth consecutive game today against Tennessee. Scherer, a walk-on, was pressed into service against East Carolina after Neil Suber had injured his shoulder a week prior against Southern Mississippi. His touchdown pass to Dernice Wherry in the second quarter was his third of the season.
* WHERRY GETS FIRST CAREER TD: Junior taqilback Dernice Wherry scored his first career touchdown today against Tennessee when he caught a 10-yard screen pass from Scott Scherer and raced into the end zone. Wherry, who lettered as a linebacker in 1999, was moved back to tailback in the spring of 2000. The Munford, TN, native had six pass receptions entering today's game.
* WHERRY CONTRIBUTES IN BIG WAY: Junior tailback Dernice Wherry, who scored the Tigers first TD of the day, recovered a fumbled Tennessee punt return by Rashad Baker (fumble was forced by tight end Jeff Cameron) as the second quarter was coming to a close. The recovery was converted into a 43-yard field goal by Ryan White and gave Memphis a 10-3 lead at halftime.
* ATTENDANCE IS 5TH HIGHEST EVER: Today's crowd of 63,121 was the 5th largest in Memphis history. The largest crowd to ever view a Memphis game in the Liberty Bowl was the 65,885 fans who attended the 1996 Memphis-Tennessee game.
* SLATON RECOVERS FIRST FUMBLE OF SEASON: Senior defensive tackle Jarvis Slaton recovered his first fumble of the season in the third quarter of today's game. Slaton picked up a ball dropped by Tennessee receiver David Martin at the Memphis 18 yard line. Slaton has one other fumble receovery in his career, that coming in 1998 against Cincinnati.
