University of Memphis
East Carolina
Memphis Slips Past East Carolina, 27-24
Oct 22, 2005 | Football
Oct. 22, 2005
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Opposing defenses know Memphis is going to depend on running back DeAngelo Williams. The problem is stopping the school's top rusher in history.
The Tigers (4-3, 3-2 Conference USA) leaned on Williams more than ever Saturday. The senior carried the ball a career-high 39 times for 226 yards and two touchdowns to lead Memphis to a 27-24 win over East Carolina.
"I thought DeAngelo took the game over, and you have to keep feeding him the ball," Memphis coach Tommy West said. "We challenged our offensive line to help DeAngelo out, but I did not think they did that, and DeAngelo put the game on his shoulders."
Williams scored on a pair of 1-yard runs as the Tigers snapped East Carolina's two-game winning streak.
The Pirates (3-4, 2-2) had cut the Tigers' lead to 20-17 on James Pinkney's 6-yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson with 10:25 left.
But the Tigers answered with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 8:08. Quarterback Maurice Avery's 1-yard sneak capped the drive and preserved the Memphis victory.
"It was pressure," Avery said. "But the kind of guy I am, I love the pressure it brought to us, and I knew that everybody was counting on me to stay focused and call the right (plays)."
In the drive, Williams carried nine times for 47 yards, including a 20-yard run to the East Carolina 17.
"If I had a horse like him, I'd give it to him," Pirate coach Skip Holtz said. "I'd put the saddle on him and say: 'You know what? You're the best player on the field, and we're going to ask you to win it. And he did."
Pinkney hit Phillip Henry with a 2-yard scoring pass - his third touchdown pass of the game - with 10 seconds left for the final score.
Pinkney finished 26-of-46 passing for 297 yards, the bulk of the Pirates' 343 yards of offense. It was Pinkney's seventh consecutive game with 200-plus passing yards tying a school record.
Aundrae Allison had 10 catches for 108 yards, his fifth game of the season with more than 100 yards in receptions.
Memphis led 17-0 at the half behind a stingy defense and Williams' two touchdowns.
The Tigers held the Pirates to only 82 yards in the first two quarters, including 33 on the ground. Pinkney, who entered the game completing 62 percent of his passes, managed only 6 completions in his first 13 for 49 yards.
The Pirates entered Memphis territory on only two series with the deepest penetration reaching the 33 yard line, where they failed to convert a fourth-and-1 situation.
"It was like one guy here. One guy there," Holtz said of the offensive problems in the first half. "It wasn't the comedy of errors it looked like when we went in at halftime."
Meanwhile, Avery threw enough long passes to loosen the East Carolina defense, providing more room for Williams to run. Avery was 5-of-8 in the half for 82 yards. He finished the game 10-of-14 for 117 yards.
"He said just keep giving it to me and don't get me killed. Let's keep going," Avery said of Williams.
Williams scored on runs in each of the first two quarters, and had 86 yards rushing at the half.
Stephen Gostkowski booted a career-long 51-yard field goal to open the Memphis scoring. The Pirates blocked another Gostkowski attempt - from 39 yards - at the close of the half.
Memphis held a 20-10 lead entering the fourth after the Pirates scored on a 27-yard field goal by Robert Lee and a 27-yard pass from Pinkney to Allison.
The Pirates scored 24 points after the break to put pressure on the Tigers.
"In the second half, I said forget the run. Forget the play action," Holtz said. "I'm getting in four wide (receivers) and going to spread the field.
"I told (Pinkney) at halftime, 'I'm putting the ball in your hands, and if we're going to win, it's going to be because you're going to get it done.'"
