University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis Experiences FBS' Third-Biggest Turnaround in 2014
Jan 14, 2015 | Football
The University of Memphis’ seven-win gain from 2013 to 2014 is the third-best improvement for FBS football teams this season. The news comes as the NCAA released its latest statistical report for the 2014 football season.
Memphis equaled a record for program victories with its 10-3 final record. The Tigers were 3-9 in 2013. Both TCU and Air Force had eight-win improvements from 2013 to 2014 to tie for most improved FBS team in 2014. Western Michigan also made a seven-win gain in 2014.
Memphis’ seven-win improvement ties for the ninth-best improvement ever by an FBS program.
On Tuesday, both the Associated Press and the USA Today/Amway Coaches Poll ranked the Tigers No. 25 in their final FBS polls. Additionally, USA Today Sports re-ranked all 128 FBS teams and the Tigers made the biggest climb of any program, finishing at 23rd, 84 positions higher than it was ranked at the end of 2013 and 73 positions higher than its USA Today Preseason Countdown ranking of 96 to begin 2014.
Air Force (113 in 2013, 35 in 2014) and TCU (79 in 2013, 2 in 2014) were the only other FBS programs to have a +70 improvement in USA Today’s season re-ranks.
Memphis finished the season ranked in the top-10 in eight different NCAA Statistics categories including both Red Zone Defense and Red Zone Offense. Ranked third in both Red Zone Offense and Red Zone Defense, Memphis was one of only two FBS programs to be ranked in the top-10 of both categories, finishing with a 68.8 defensive percentage and a 93.3 offensive percentage.
The Tigers’ 106.31 Team Pass Efficiency Defense ranked eighth nationally while the 31 Turnovers Gained during the year ranked ninth.
Memphis also ranked nationally in three special teams categories. The Tigers shared the national lead for Blocked Kicks Allowed and Blocked Punts Allowed with none allowed during the season. Memphis’ 2.77 Punt Return Defense yardage allowed ranked fourth nationally.
Individually, Jake Elliott’s 54-yard field goal at the end of the first overtime period of the Miami Beach Bowl victory over BYU ranked as the fifth-longest field goal of the 2014 season. Elliott’s 56-yard field goal at USF in 2013 tied for the longest of that season.
Elliott’s field goal against BYU tied for the fourth-longest in a bowl game.
One of only two quarterbacks to account for seven touchdowns in a bowl game this year, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch tied a NCAA FBS bowl record with 42 points responsible for. Lynch passed for four touchdowns and ran for three others. His 11-yard touchdown pass to Roderick Proctor in the second overtime proved to be the game-winning score against BYU.
Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush threw seven touchdown passes in the Chippewas’ Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl loss to Western Kentucky.
Lynch and Rush equaled the 42 points responsible for set by Washington’s Keith Price against Baylor in the 2011 Alamo Bowl and equaled by West Virginia’s West Virginia against Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl.
NFL Promotion
Keith Butler, a standout linebacker for the Tigers who led the team in tackles as both a junior and senior before going on to play for the Seattle Seahawks for 10 seasons, has been promoted to defensive coordinator for the Pittsburg Steelers. Butler was teammates at Memphis with Kippy Brown who will be coaching Seattle’s wide receivers in Sunday’s NFC championship game against Green Bay. New England, who will play host to Indianapolis in the AFC championship, has two players on its roster who played for the Tigers – place-kicker Stephen Gostkowski and offensive lineman Jordan Devey.
