Tigers Defeat Kansas 55-23 Saturday

Saturday, September 12

Lawrence, Kan.

6:00 pm CT

University of Memphis

2-0

Kansas

0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Memphis

Kansas

Sep 12, 2015 | Football

Box Score

Lynch throws for career-high 354 yards; team rolls up 651 yards of total offense.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – University of Memphis junior quarterback Paxton Lynch threw for a career-high 354 yards and senior wide receiver Mose Frazier had a career-high 141 all-purpose yards to lift the Tigers to an impressive 55-23 road victory over the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium Saturday.

Lynch was 22-of-25 passing and tossed two touchdowns. The 354-yard performance bettered his previous career high of 311 yards in last season's 41-14 win at Cincinnati. It also was his fifth career 300-yard passing game.

Frazier had three rushes for 64 yards and a score and added four receptions for 77 yards to account for his 141 yards. He scored one touchdown on a career-long 60-yard scamper.

Memphis piled up 651 yards of total offense, the second-most for a single game in school history. The school record is 659 yards set in a 69-19 rout of rival Louisville in 1969.

The Tigers carried momentum and a 24-13 lead into the second half and pulled away from the Jayhawks. Frazier's 60-yard touchdown run put Memphis up 31-13.

After a Kansas touchdown, Memphis scored the game's next 24 points to grabbed an insurmountable 55-20 advantage. Lynch hit Daniel Monteil for a three-yard scoring strike, and Jarvis Cooper and Jamarius Henderson each hit pay dirt from a yard out for the Tigers' three touchdowns in the 24-0 spurt. Jake Elliott added a 32-yard field goal in the run.

The game, though, got off to a shaky start for the Tigers, as on their opening possession, they fumbled on their first play from scrimmage. The fumble set up the Kansas at the Memphis 10 yard line, but after netting a minus-two yards on three plays, the Jayhawks settled for a Nick Bartolotta 30-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 advantage.

The shaky start continued for Memphis on its second drive. The Tigers went backwards for seven yards on three plays and had to punt. The Jayhawks took over on their own 27 and marched 73 yards on five plays to take a 10-0 lead. Ke'aun Kinner scored on a five-yard scamper around the right end.

That's when the Tigers offense woke up.

Memphis scored on its next three possessions (two TD, one FG) to take a 17-10 advantage. The Tigers combined to rack up 183 of its 267 first-half yardage on the three drives. The touchdown drives ended in scoring runs from Sam Craft and Doroland Dorceus, and Elliott connected on a 27-yard field goal.

Another Bartolotta field goal cut the Tigers' lead to 17-13 midway through the second quarter. Memphis, though, responded just before the halftime horn with a Lynch-to-Tevin Jones touchdown strike for a 24-13 lead. The score helped the Tigers carry momentum into the second half.

Henderson led the Tigers rushing attack with 77 yards on 11 carries. Jackson Dillon led the Memphis defense with eight total hits. Shareef White added seven total tackles.

The Tigers return to action Saturday, Sept. 18 when they travel to Bowling Green, Ohio, to face the Falcons in a 2 p.m. (CT) game. ESPN3.com will televise the match-up.