University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis Postgame Notes at Temple
Nov 07, 2014 | Football
Nov. 7, 2014
        For the first time under head coach Justin Fuente, the Tigers wore gray pants on the road (along with blue helmets & white jerseys)
- For a large contingent of Memphis Tigers' friends and family, Friday night's game was the first time to see players from the Northeast. Playing in Friday's game were OL Taylor Fallin (Bowie, Md.), WR Phil Mayhue (Atco, N.J.) and LB Noah Robinson (Worcester, Mass.).
- Friday's game featured two of the youngest coaches in FBS football. Justin Fuente is the sixth-youngest head coach in FBS football at 38 (July 30, 1976) while Temple's Matt Rhule is the seventh-youngest at 39 (Jan. 31, 1975).
- Temple's opening-drive field goal marked just the second time this season an opponent had scored on its opening series (Cincinnati score a touchdown on its first drive).
- Memphis has now won its last three games, a first since the final three games of the 2012 season. At 6-3, the Tigers are better than three games over .500 for the first time since finishing the year 8-4.
- Under Fuente, Memphis won for the first time when tied at the half. The Tigers were previously 0-2 when tied at the half of games since 2013. The win marked the Tigers' first win after being tied at the half since a 31-10 victory over Nicholls State (Sept. 20, 2008). That game was also tied 10-10 at the break.
- With the win, moved improved to 6-3 and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2008.
- The Tigers won for the second time in an NFL stadium (Memphis beat Cincinnati 41-14 at Paul Brown Stadium last month). Friday's victory at Lincoln Financial Field gives the Tigers nine wins in NFL stadiums in its last 10 outings.
- QB Paxton Lynch became just the third Memphis quarterback to pass for over 2,000 yards in multiple seasons.
- In the first half of the game, Lynch also surpassed the 4,000-yard passing mark for a career. He moved past Steve Mathews for fifth all-time.
- Lynch finished the game 21-of-28 for 230 yards. He has now thrown for 2,121 yards this season and 4,177 yards for his career.
- RB Brandon Hayes became the eighth Memphis player to rush for better than 2,000 yards in a career. With 75 yards in Friday's game, Hayes has rushed for 2,042 yards.
- Hayes also caught a 17-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 10-10 in the second quarter. The touchdown reception was the second of the season and fourth of Hayes' career.
- WR Mose Frazier established new career highs with eight catches for 110 yards. Frazier is first Tiger player with 100 yards receiving in a game since Keiwone Malone (102) and Marcus Rucker (177) topped the plateau in 2012 against Middle Tennessee.
- WR Keiwone Malone had three catches including a 22-yarder to give him 107 for his career. The receptions moved him to No. 10 on Memphis' all-time reception list.
- DB Dion Witty tipped a pass that was intercepted by DB Andrew Gaines in the second quarter. The play marked Gaines' second interception of the year and third of his career.
- Gaines also had his first solo tackle for loss of his career in the fourth quarter of the game.
- DE Martin Ifedi had a first-half, tackle for lost yardage, which moved him to seventh all-time with 32.5 for his career.
- LB Leonard Pegues registered a second-quarter sack for a 15-yard loss. It was Pegues' second sack (first v Austin Peay). Both of his sacks have been for 10+ yards.
- Senior LB Derek Howard, who has been plagued by injuries this season, saw his most significant playing time of the year. He finished the game with two tackles.
- With a 42-yard, second-quarter field goal, sophomore place-kicker Jake Elliott surpassed his season scoring from 2012 (72). Elliott entered the game with an American Athletic Conference-leading 71 points. He also had a 27-yard field goal to give Memphis its first lead in the third quarter. He finished the game with 10 points.
- Elliott moved into seventh in career field goals made with the game-winning 31-yarder, giving him 31 for his career. With 10 points in the game, Elliott posted his third-straight game with 10-plus points and fifth of the season. He has seven 10-plus point games on his career.
- Tevin Jones' block of a first-half punt was the second blocked kick of the Tiger player's career.
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