Tigers Suffer Loss to Southern Miss 41-19

Saturday, October 16

Memphis, TN

11:00 AM

University of Memphis

1-6 , 0-4

University of Southern Mississippi

5-2 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Southern Miss

MEMPHIS

Quarterback Ryan Williams was 11-of-21 passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Eagles.

Oct 16, 2010 | Football

Box Score

Oct. 16, 2010

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tiger linebacker Jamon Hughes had a stellar performance for the University of Memphis Saturday, but the home team's effort came up short in a 41-19 Conference USA loss to longtime rival Southern Miss. The game was the 61st overall meeting between the "Black & Blue" rivals, the longest series against a single opponent in Tiger football history.

Hughes posted 21 total tackles, including 15 solo stops and one quarterback sack. The 21 total tackles are tied for the second-most in a single game in school history and are the most since Pete Scatamacchia posted a school-record 25 tackles against Louisville in 1979.

Despite Hughes' game, Southern Miss rolled up 41 points and 515 yards of total offense en route to the victory. It was the third-straight game the Golden Eagles scored 40 or more points and the fifth time they scored 30 or more points in a game in 2010.

Leading the Golden Eagle offense was quarterback Austin Davis, who was 19-of-30 passing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Davis' favorite target was Kelvin Bolden, who posted career highs with eight receptions for 154 yards to go with one score. Kendrick Hardy led the Southern Miss ground attack with 101 yards on 11 carries.

The Memphis offense came alive late in the second half and finished with 269 yards of total offense in the contest. Tiger quarterback Ryan Williams was 11-of-21 passing for 237 yards and two touchdown tosses. Marcus Rucker caught four passes for a career-best 155 yards and two scores. Rucker's 155 receiving yards is tied for the 11th-best single-game performance in school history.

Most of the offensive fireworks came late in the game with the outcome already decided. With the Golden Eagles leading 27-9 entering the fourth period, the visitors from Hattiesburg increased their advantage to 34-9 with 12:28 left in the game. Southern Miss drove 59 yards in four plays, and the Golden Eagles hit paydirt when Davis hit Bolden from 28 yards out.

On the next possession, the Tigers took over on their own 16 yard line. After a Jerrell Rhodes three-yard gain moved the ball to the 19, Williams found Rucker across the middle for an 81-yard touchdown that pulled the Tigers to within 34-16. The 81-yard connection is the Tigers' longest this season, and it is also the 12th-longest pass play in school history. The 81-yard score was career longs for Williams (pass) and Rucker (reception).

Southern Miss had another answer on its next possession. The Golden Eagles went 80 yards in six plays, and Hardy capped the drive with a 59-yard scamper to the end zone. The touchdown increased Southern Miss' lead to 41-16.

The Tigers ended the scoring on the ensuing possession, driving 44 yards to set up Paulo Henriques 47-yard field goal. The 47-yard field goal is Henriques career long, besting his previous long set earlier in the game when he converted a 45-yarder.

In the third period, the only scoring came when the teams exchanged field goals, before the offensive shootout took place in the fourth quarter.

The second quarter had little offense as neither team had a possession of more than eight plays, including Southern Miss' scoring drive. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 24-6 with 6:09 left in the second quarter on a Desmond Johnson two-yard touchdown run. Southern Miss' scoring drive was only two plays and 19 yards, and the Golden Eagle offense was set up with a short field when Roshaad Byrd recovered a Williams' fumble deep in Memphis territory.

Southern Miss opened the game's scoring on its first possession of the contest. The Golden Eagles took over on their own 20 and drove inside the Tiger 20, where the drive stalled. Danny Hrapmann capped the six-play, 61-yard drive with a 36-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

The Tigers responded on the ensuing possession with a confident five-play drive that ended with a Williams-to-Rucker 22-yard touchdown connection. Williams accounted for all 67 yards on the possession, going 3-of-4 through the air for 67 yards.

Memphis maintained its lead until late in the opening period. The Golden Eagles began the second scoring drive with 8:50 left in the first quarter on their 27 yard line. On the drive's seventh play, Davis found Johdrick Morris from six yards out to give Southern Miss a 10-6 advantage. The big gain on the drive came on the play prior to the score when Davis hit Bolden for a 41-yard gain to the Memphis 6 yard line.

After the kickoff, Memphis started on its own 23 and moved the ball to the 44. The turnover bug, though, bit the Tigers on a 2nd-and-1 from the 44 when Rhodes fumbled, and Southern Miss' Cordarro Law recovered the Memphis miscue. Set up at the Tiger 41 yard line, the Golden Eagles used 10 plays to increase their lead to 17-6 at the end of the first quarter. Davis picked up his second touchdown toss of the game when he hit Desmond Johnson on an 11-yard scoring strike.

In addition to Hughes, the Tiger defense got solid performances from Frank Trotter (nine tackles, two TFL) and DeRon Furr (eight tackles, one TFL).

Korey Williams paced the Golden Eagle defense with a team-high six tackles.

The Tigers have an open date next Saturday, but return to action Oct. 30 when they host Conference USA West Division foe Houston at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Game time for the Memphis-Houston match-up is 6 p.m. (CT), and Comcast Sports Southeast is televising the contest.