University of Memphis Athletics
Nov 15, 2014 | Football
Nov. 15, 2014
- Memphis had three players from the state of Louisiana see significant playing time against Tulane including two who played their last collegiate game in their home state. Senior cornerback Bakari Hollier (Acadiana HS, Lafayette) and senior linebacker Derek Howard (Hahnville HS, Kilona), along with sophomore defensive tackle Donald Pennington (Amite HS, Amite) all played against the Green Wave.
- Memphis' four-game winning streak equals the longest since 2003 when the Tigers won five straight the second half of the season en route to a 9-4 final record. The five-game streak in 2003 included a 41-9 road win at Tulane (second win of five straight). The 2003 team became the first Memphis squad to receive a bowl invitation since 1971 (Pasadena Bowl), winning the 2003 New Orleans Bowl 27-17 over North Texas.
- The Tigers' four-game win streak also equals the team's number of wins from the 2012 season, Memphis head coach Justin Fuente's first year at Memphis. Prior to Fuente's arrival, Memphis won a combined five games from 2008-11.
- Memphis improved to 5-1 in league play and heads into the final two weeks of the season with a half-game lead in the conference standings. The Tigers have the outright lead in the conference standings for the first time since the 1969 Tigers went 5-0 and won the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Memphis has gone 4-0 on the road in the American Athletic Conference. It is the most conference road wins and the best conference, road winning percentage.
- Memphis registered its sixth, 20-point game of the season in the third quarter (21).
- Memphis' 38 points scored against Tulane gives the Tigers 344 for the season. The 344 points ranks seventh all-time at Memphis.
- Memphis entered the weekend ranked sixth in Red Zone Offense, scoring on 37-of-40 trips into the red zone (26 TDs, 11 FGs) for a 92.5 success rate. The Tigers were 3-for-3 against the Green Wave.
- QB Paxton Lynch moved to third on the Memphis career passing yardage list. Completing 14-of-25 passes for 175 yards, Lynch has now passed for 4,355 yards. He passed Lloyd Patterson (1975-78) who had 4,201 career passing yards and Danny Sparkman (1983-85) who had 4,311 career passing yards.
- Lynch, who at Temple last week, became just the third quarterback in school history to pass for over 2,000 yards in multiple seasons has now passed for 2,299 yards in 2014.
- Lynch's 12 touchdown passes this season ties for 14th in school history.
- Lynch has now been responsible for 31 career touchdowns (10 rushing & 21passing), tying Billy Fletcher (1963-65) for eighth all-time. Steve Matthews (1992-93) was responsible for 32 and ranks seventh all-time.
- This year, Lynch has rushed for eight touchdowns and thrown for 12. His 20 touchdowns responsible for this season currently ranks for seventh with Bernard Oden (1997).
- RB Robert Davis had a career-long rush of 39 yards and also scored his first career touchdown.
- Memphis went into the weekend ranked fourth in Red Zone Defense, allowing opponents to convert on just of 16-of-23 trips into the red zone (13 TDs, 3 FGs). Opponents had converted on just 70 percent of their red zone series.
- Tulane was 1-2 in the red zone against Memphis, missing a 22-yard, second-quarter field goal before scoring a 19-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
- Memphis has now held eight of 10 opponents scoreless this season on opening drives. The Tigers picked off Tulane QB Tanner Lee on the Wave's first two offensive series. The Tulane game marked the third time this season the Tigers intercepted an opponent (Austin Peay, Houston, Tulane) on the opening drive.
- CB Bobby McCain's 15-yard interception return for a touchdown marked the fourth career pick for a score for the senior. The interception was the 12th of his career, which ranks tied for fifth.
- McCain had a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown at Tulane his rookie year.
- McCain has now scored 30 career points. He has 248 career interception return yards which ranks second to Keith Spann's 267 (1993-96).
- CB Andrew Gaines picked off Lee to end Tulane's second offensive series, the second straight game the senior has picked off a pass. Gaines now has four career interceptions.
- LB Leonard Pegues registered his second career forced fumble and DE Latarius Brady had his second career recovery in the first quarter of the game.
- CB Bakari Hollier registered his 20th career pass breakup on Tulane's last offensive series of the first half. He was also credited with his first tackle for loss of the season on the half's final play after an errant hold on a field goal attempt.
- CB Dontrell Nelson recorded his first career interception, returning it 58 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and giving the Tigers a 24-0 lead with 2:56 to play in the quarter.
- DE Ricky Hunter recorded tackle for loss No. 6.5 and 25.5 for his career to force a third-quarter Tulane punt.
- DT Donald Pennington recorded his first career tackle for loss in his home state of Louisiana.
- SAF Fritz Etienee established a new career high for tackles in the game with seven.
- Memphis place kicker Jake Elliott, who entered weekend as The American's leading scorer with 81 points, added to his scoring total with eight points against Tulane.
- Elliott's 89 points this season ranks seventh on the Memphis individual season chart.
- With eight points against Tulane, Elliott now has scored 161 career points and ranks 10th on the Memphis career chart.
- Elliott ranks fourth in season PATs with 41.
- Elliott ranks tied for fifth with 16 fields goals on the season. For his career, Elliott ranks seventh with 32 makes.
- Punter Nick Jacobs has currently placed all 10 of his punts inside opponents' 20-yard line.
- Punter Spencer Smith entered the game with three punts of 50+ yards. He had four against Tulane, including a career-long, 58-yard punt in the game.
- Keiwone Malone had four punt returns and moved to second all-time at Memphis behind Ryan Johnson's all-time total of 76 (1999-2001). Malone now has 71 returns.
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/ FootballFriday, November 13
Friday, November 13
Friday, November 13
Friday, November 13