University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Bowling Green
Tigers Fall In GMAC Bowl
Dec 22, 2004 | Football
MOBILE, Ala. — In an aerial battle before a rain-drenched 29,500 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Memphis' Danny Wimprine and Bowling Green's Omar Jacobs put on a show for the ESPN national television audience. In the end, Jacobs won the shootout in leading the Falcons to a high-scoring 52-35 GMAC Bowl victory over the Tigers.
Jacobs, the GMAC Bowl MVP, connected on 26-of-44 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns. Not to be outdone, Wimprine was just as impressive. The Tigers' senior quarterback was 26-of-39 passing for 324 yards and four touchdowns. Each signal-caller had one interception.
Wimprine and Jacobs received help from each team's running game. For the Tigers, DeAngelo Williams, the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, carried the ball 18 times for 120 yards, including an impressive 31-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Williams missed the final quarter after breaking his right fibula in the third period. P.J. Pope aided the Falcons' cause with 151 rushing yards on 28 carries and two scores.
The offensive fireworks started almost from the opening kickoff. After Bowling Green held the Tigers on their first possession, the Falcons took over on their own 41. Nine plays later, Pope found the end zone from a yard out for a 7-0 Bowling Green lead.
However, the Falcons were not done. On the ensuing kickoff, Bowling Green pulled some trickery out of the playbook early with an onsides kick. The Falcons recovered the kick, and the Bowling Green offense was back in business. Jacobs directed a four-play, 52-yard drive in only 45 seconds to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead just over five minutes into the contest. The score came when Jacobs connected with Charles Sharon from 18 yards out.
Memphis got its second possession of the game and took little time cutting the Bowling Green lead in half. The Tigers went 80 yards in seven plays, and the drive culminated in a Wimprine-to-John Doucette 42-yard touchdown toss with 6:51 left in the first quarter.
With the game taking on a back-and-forth nature, the Falcons answered immediately. Jacobs led Bowling Green on a six-play, 68-yard drive over the next 2:05 to put the Falcons ahead 21-7. Jacobs hooked up with Sharon for a 36-yard scoring toss.
In the second quarter, the Tigers scored 17 seconds into the period on a Wimprine 60-yard pass to Chris Kelley. The score began a five-touchdown quarter that ended with the Falcons holding a 35-28 halftime lead. Memphis was able to pull even at 28-all on a Williams' 31-yard touchdown scamper with 3:37 left. Bowling Green, though, had one final answer before halftime. Jacobs threw his fourth touchdown pass of the first half when he found Steve Sanders in the end zone with only :37 on the clock. The score gave the Falcons a 35-28 lead and the momentum heading into the second half.
After the break, Bowling Green took control of the game. The Falcons scored the lone touchdown in the third quarter -- Jacob's fifth touchdown pass -- and added 10 points in the final quarter before Memphis' last score with under five minutes to play for the 52-35 final.
Tim Goodwell finished the game with 10 total tackles (five solo), two TFL and a quarterback sack to lead the Tiger defense. Jovon Burkes led the Bowling Green defense with 11 hits (six solo) and two TFL.
Wimprine went over 10,000 yards passing and finished his career with nearly every Tiger passing record. The Tiger quarterback tops the Memphis record book for career passing yards (10,215), completions (808), attempts (1,469) and touchdowns (81).
Before his third quarter injury, Williams went over 4,000 career rushing yards. The 100-yard GMAC Bowl performance was the 24th 100-yard rushing game of his career.
