University of Memphis Athletics
Tigers Set for Meeting with UCF
Oct 06, 2005 | Football
Oct. 6, 2005
MEMPHIS, TENN. -
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The Tiger Football team will travel to Orlando, Fla., this weekend to challenge UCF on Saturday at the Citrus Bowl. Game time is slated for 6:07 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast back to Memphis on WLMT-UPN30. Greg Gaston and Rob Fischer will provide the commentary. The game is also part of the CSTV All-Access package that fans can get through their local cable/satellite provider.
For information on how to view the game on-line, click on http://allaccess.cstv.com/help/faq.jsp.
Saturday's game will be only the second meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. The two teams last played in the 1990 campaign. The Tigers won that encounter 37-28 in Memphis. In that game, the Tigers jumped out to a 24-10 halftime lead and held off a UCF second-half rally en route to the win. Memphis QB Keith Benton passed for 197 yards on only seven completions, and also ran for 75 yards. Benton had two touchdown passes of 46 and 76 yards. Tiger WR Russell Copeland had four receptions for 123 yards and one score.
TIGERS OPEN DIVISIONAL PLAY: With the Conference USA realignment, the league now has East and West divisions for football. After opening C-USA play with two-straight West Division opponents the past two weeks, the Tigers finally meet a East Division foe in UCF Saturday. Memphis will be the next-to-last team in the East to play a divisional opponent. UAB will play its first East Division contest Oct. 15. On the West side, the lone team that has yet to play a divisional opponent is Rice, which will do so Oct. 15 against Tulsa.
THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Although this is the second all-time meeting between the two squads, it will be the first match-up as Division I-A opponents. UCF was an NCAA Division I-AA team in 1990 when the Tigers won that meeting 37-28.
A HOMECOMING FOR THREE TIGERS: Saturday's contest will be a homecoming for three Tigers, as they return to play in their home state of Florida. Carlton Baker (Belle Glades), Cato Mott (Orlando) and Andrew Handy (Miami) all call Florida home. There are no players listed on the UCF roster from the state of Tennessee.
ON THIS DATE: Since World War II, Memphis has a record of 6-1 when its plays on Oct. 8. The Tigers had won six straight on Oct. 8 before a narrow 38-32 setback to Louisville in 2002. The biggest win on this date came in the state of Florida in 1988. Memphis upset the No. 17-ranked Gators in Gainesville 17-11.
HEY, I KNOW YOU!: When Memphis and UCF meet Saturday, the teams may be a little unfamiliar with each other. However, the head coaches know each other quite well, as Tommy West (then at Clemson) and George O'Leary (then at Georgia Tech) faced off five times in the 1990s. West holds a narrow 3-2 lead in the five-game series, and the average margin of win in the series is 8.0 points. In the series, three games were decided by three points. The following shows the results of those meetings:
GIVE ME A 'D': The Memphis defense has recorded an interception in each of the last five games, which includes the GMAC Bowl in 2004. Seven different Tigers total an interception this season, including Tim Goodwell, Wesley Smith, Rod Smith (2), Brandon McDonald, Brandon Patterson, O.C. Collins and Derek Clenin. The Tiger defense has also recorded 12 sacks this season, with Marcus West leading the way with three sacks, and LaVale Washington and Carlton Baker close behind with two sacks apiece.Year West vs. O'Leary Result 1998 O'Leary (GT) 24-21 1997 O'Leary (GT) 23-20 1996 West (CU) 28-25 1995 West (CU) 24-3 1994 West (CU) 20-10
GIVE ME ANOTHER 'D': Senior running back DeAngelo Williams, who ranks No. 1 nationally in rushing with 187.25 yards per game, has run for more than 200 yards in the last three consecutive games. He totaled 205 in the win over Chattanooga and returned a week later to roll off 223 yards against Tulsa. Just one week beyond that, Williams lifted Memphis to victory over previously-undefeated UTEP with 236 yards on 35 carries. Williams is the only player in C-USA history to rush for 200 or more yards in three straight games. He totals seven career games of 200-plus yards.
WILLIAMS AND CLENIN RECEIVE C-USA HONORS: DeAngelo Williams received the sixth Conference USA Player of the Week of his career after his 236-yard performance in the upset win over UTEP. Defensive back Derek Clenin was honored by the league for the first time after totaling a fumble recovery and an interception that set up two key DeAngelo Williams touchdowns.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Tigers have proven to be quite tough on the road since 2003, which is a welcome change since the Tigers were 1-10 combined for 2001 and 2002. In fact, the four road wins in 2004 was the most since 1983 when Memphis was 4-2 under Rex Dockery. This season, Memphis opened with an overtime loss while traveling to Tulsa for the first time since 1995. In the last two-plus, Head Coach Tommy West has guided his squad to a 7-5 road record, and the Tigers have won seven of their last 10 road meetings. Memphis has not lost two consecutive road games since 2003 when it dropped back-to-back decisions to USM and UAB.
WILLIAMS CLIMBS NCAA CHARTS: DeAngelo Williams is not only a great Memphis and C-USA player, but is also on pace for his name to appear high on the charts in the NCAA record book. Currently, Williams is 18th all-time in career rushing yards with 4,811. He is just behind Steve Bartalo who totaled 4,813 yards on 1,215 carries for Colorado State from 1983-86. The record holder is Ron Dayne who amassed 6,397 yard on 1,115 carries at Wisconsin from 1996-99.
Williams also ranks 14th all-time in all-purpose yards with 6,268. In that category, he is just behind LaDainian Tomlinson who tallied 6,337 yards at TCU from 1997-2000. Ricky Williams, who played at Texas from 1995-98, holds the record with 7,206 yards, none of which were on kick/punt returns.
