Tigers Defeat Ole Miss 37-24

Saturday, October 17

Memphis, Tenn.

11:00 am CT

University of Memphis

6-0 , 2-0

#13 Ole Miss

5-2 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Ole Miss

Memphis

Photo by: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 17, 2015 | Football

Box Score

Lynch leads Memphis to win with 386 yards passing and three touchdowns.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Believe. Memphis. Believe.

Behind a masterful performance from quarterback Paxton Lynch, the No. 22 nationally-ranked Tigers came back from an early 14-point deficit to post a 37-24 non-conference victory over No. 12 Ole Miss, before a crowd of 60,241 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and an ABC network audience.

Lynch was 39-of-53 passing for 386 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1961. Memphis also extended its win streak to 13, which is currently tied for the second-longest in the nation.

Anthony Miller and Mose Frazier were Lynch's two favorite targets versus the Rebels. Miller had a career-high 10 receptions for 132 yards and a score, and Frazier added eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. But, more than their numbers, the tandem came up with key receptions to keep drives alive for Memphis, which was 12-of-20 on third-down conversions in the contest.

Saturday's game did not start as well as it ended for the Tigers. Ole Miss scored touchdowns on its first two possessions of the game, with both coming through the air.

The Rebels wasted little time on their first drive, going 75 yards on two plays that took 20 seconds off the clock. On the scoring play, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly lateraled the ball to Laquon Treadwell, who then tossed a 68-yard scoring strike to Quincy Adeboyejo.

After forcing another Tigers punt, the visitors from Oxford took over on their own 10. Again, the Rebels did not take long to score, putting together a 90-yard, eight-play drive that took only 2:33. The drive was capped off when Kelly hit Damore'ea Stringfellow for a 23-yard score to give Ole Miss a 14-0 lead.

However, that when the Tigers awoke. And Tiger Nation began to believe.

Memphis scored the next 31 points and held the Rebels scoreless the next 32:45 of the game. Ole Miss did not score again until the 6:59 mark of the third period.

The Tigers got their first score late in the first quarter when Lynch hit Alan Cross from a yard out to cut the Rebels' lead to 14-7. The touchdown drive was 10 plays and 70 yards and gave Memphis momentum heading into the second quarter.

After an exchange of possessions early in the second quarter, the Memphis offense revved up and the Tigers defense clamped down, setting up three short-field scoring drives. In that second quarter, the Memphis defense held Ole Miss to only 63 yards of total offense, while the Tigers offense put up 146 yards in the period.

Memphis' first score in the second quarter began at the Ole Miss 40 yard line after a short punt was returned 15 yards by Roderick Proctor. Seven plays later, Jake Elliott kicked a 23-yard field goal to slice the Rebels' lead to 14-10.

On the first play of Ole Miss' next possession, Tigers free safety Dion Witty intercepted Kelly's pass attempt, and he returned it to the Rebels 30 yard line. Three plays later, Sam Craft hit pay dirt from four yards out to give Memphis its first lead of the game at 17-14.

It's a lead the Tigers did not lose. In fact, they added to it.

Ole Miss' next drive ended after four plays when the Rebels decided to go for it on fourth down from their own 34. The Tigers defense stopped Kelly on a 4^th-and-1 rush, and the Memphis offense was set up on a short field for a third-straight possession.

And, for the third-consecutive possession, Memphis scored. This time, the Tigers took six plays, and the drive culminated in a Lynch-to-Miller six-yard scoring strike. The touchdown gave Memphis a 24-14 lead at the break.

The Tigers quickly added another touchdown after the break. After receiving the second-half opening kickoff, Memphis marched 82 yards on 10 plays, and when Lynch hit Frazier on a 31-yard touchdown connection, the Tigers led 31-14 with 11:31 left in the third quarter.

Ole Miss broke its 32:45 scoring drought at the 6:59 mark of the third period when Kelly found Treadwell in the end zone from six yards out. The touchdown cut the Tigers' lead to 31-21. A Gary Wunderlich 24-yard field goal followed to slice the Memphis advantage to 31-24 with :16 left in the third quarter.

However, the fourth quarter – and ultimately the game – belonged to the hometown Tigers. The Memphis defense held Ole Miss to only 60 yards of total offense in the final period, and Elliott added two more field goals for a 37-24 lead.

Then, as they did in the previous two wins over Cincinnati and USF, the Memphis defense wrapped up the game with an interception. Arthur Maulet intercepted Kelly at the Memphis 28 yard line and returned it 12 yards to the 40, dropping to the ground to seal the win and sending the celebration fireworks high in the air over the Liberty Bowl.

The Tigers defense held Ole Miss to 40 yards rushing, the second time this season Memphis held an opponent to under 50 yards on the ground (Missouri State, 18 yards rushing). Chris Morley and Genard Avery led the Tigers defense with seven total tackles each.

Memphis returns to action on a short turnaround week as it travels to Tulsa, Okla., to play the Golden Hurricane Friday, Oct. 23. The game, to air on ESPN, is set for a 7 p.m. (CT) kickoff.