University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
4-0 , 1-0
Cincinnati
2-2 , 0-2
Tigers Outduel Cincinnati 53-46 Thursday
Sep 25, 2015 | Football
Memphis starts a season 4-0 for first time since 1961.
For the first time since 1961, the University of Memphis football program is off to a 4-0 start after a heart-palpitating 53-46 American Athletic Conference victory over longtime rival Cincinnati Thursday. The Tigers posted the win before a crowd of 45,172 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and an ESPN national audience.
With the victory, Memphis has won 11 straight dating back to mid-October of last season. The Tigers' 11-game win streak is currently tied for the second-best in the Football Bowl Series (FBS). Memphis is tied with TCU (11), and both trail only Ohio State's 16-straight wins.
The victory, however, wasn't easy to come by for the Tigers. In a game in which the two teams combined for 99 points and over 1,300 yards of total offense, it was a defensive play that sealed the win for Memphis.
After taking a 53-46 lead on a Sam Craft 3-yard score with 53 seconds left, Memphis saw Cincinnati march down inside the Tigers 20 yard line. On a 1st-and-10 for the Bearcats, back-up quarterback Hayden Moore was pressured into throwing an errant pass that Tigers middle linebacker Leonard Pegues picked off at the 21 yard line with only :10 on the clock. The interception was Pegues' first of his career.
Memphis snapped the ball once on the ensuing possession, and the celebration in the Bluff City began.
Prior to the game-saving Pegues interception, it was all offense for both teams. Memphis racked up 570 yards of total offense, which was the 10th-most for a single game in school history. Cincinnati, though, outgained the Tigers with 752 yards of total offense, including 620 yards through the air. Both the total offense and passing yards were single-game records for a Memphis opponent. The previous total offense (689) and passing (578) single-game marks were by Houston in the 2009 season.
The two teams also combined for 99 points, the fourth-most in a game in Tigers history. For Memphis, its 53 points tonight versus Cincinnati gave them 215 points in the first four games of 2015. The 215 points are the most by a Tigers squad in the first four games in the program's history.
For the third-straight week, Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch set a career-high passing mark with 412 yards. He was 24-of-36 passing and tossed two touchdowns.
Lynch's 412 yards were just four shy of tying Martin Hankins' school record of 416 yards versus East Carolina in the 2007 campaign. Lynch's previous two career highs this season were 354 yards against Kansas Sept. 12 and then 386 yards versus Bowling Green Sept. 19.
The game did not start well for Memphis. The Tigers fumbled on their first play from scrimmage, and Cincinnati recovered at the Memphis 36 yard line. Four plays later, Cincinnati starting quarterback Gunner Kiel hit pay dirt from four yards out for a 7-0 Bearcats lead.
The Tigers' next possession did not fare any better. Before the drive started, the Memphis special teams put the offense in a hole, catching the Cincinnati kickoff out-of-bounds at the 2 yard line. From there, the Bearcats defense held the home team to a three-and-out and forced a punt.
Cincinnati started its next drive in good field position at its own 35. Lightning, though, struck for the Tigers defense on the fourth play of the Bearcats drive. On a 3rd-and-3 from the Memphis 44, Arthur Maulet intercepted a Kiel pass and returned it 59 yards for a score. The touchdown tied the contest at 7-all and set the stage for a game full of offensive fireworks.
In the back-and-forth affair, Memphis led 14-10 after the first quarter, thanks to an 82-yard Lynch-to-Anthony Miller scoring strike. But, Cincinnati outscored Memphis in the second quarter 20-14 to take a 30-28 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw the scoring subside, with each team managing only a field goal. Cincinnati carried a 33-31 advantage into the final quarter of play.
The final period saw Memphis grab a lead only to see it short-lived after a Bearcats answer each time – except the last.
An Alan Cross touchdown reception gave Memphis a 38-33 advantage, but Cincinnati came back with a score to re-take the lead 39-38. Then, a Craft touchdown run followed by a Lynch two-point conversion rush put the Tigers ahead 46-39. The Bearcats, however, responded again with a Max Morrison 30-yard touchdown catch to knot the contest at 46-all and set up the game's final 2:30.
The Tigers (4-0, 1-0 The American) return to action Friday, Oct. 2 when they travel to Tampa, Fla., to face USF. The Memphis-USF contest is slated for a 6 p.m. (CT) kickoff on ESPN2.
Team Stats
CIN 7, MEM 0
CIN - KIEL, Gunner 4 yd run (GANTZ, Andrew kick), 4 plays, 36 yards, TOP 1:25
CIN 7, MEM 7
MEM - MAULET, Arthur 59 yd interception (ELLIOTT, Jake kick)
CIN 10, MEM 7
CIN - GANTZ, Andrew 35 yd field goal 13 plays, 57 yards, TOP 5:27
CIN 10, MEM 14
MEM - MILLER, Anthony 82 yd pass from LYNCH, Paxton (ELLIOTT, Jake kick) 2 plays, 82 yards, TOP 0:17
CIN 17, MEM 14
CIN - MOORE, Chris 68 yd pass from MOORE, Hayden (GANTZ, Andrew kick) 2 plays, 71 yards, TOP 0:39
CIN 17, MEM 21
MEM - FRAZIER, Mose 9 yd run (ELLIOTT, Jake kick), 9 plays, 77 yards, TOP 2:58
CIN 20, MEM 21
CIN - GANTZ, Andrew 49 yd field goal 9 plays, 43 yards, TOP 1:49
CIN 23, MEM 21
CIN - GANTZ, Andrew 32 yd field goal 12 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:55
CIN 23, MEM 28
MEM - COOPER, Jarvis 4 yd run (ELLIOTT, Jake kick), 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:43
CIN 30, MEM 28
CIN - WASHINGTON, S. 21 yd pass from MOORE, Hayden (GANTZ, Andrew kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:21
CIN 30, MEM 31
MEM - ELLIOTT, Jake 40 yd field goal 8 plays, 29 yards, TOP 3:00
CIN 33, MEM 31
CIN - GANTZ, Andrew 36 yd field goal 10 plays, 56 yards, TOP 2:09
CIN 33, MEM 38
MEM - CROSS, Alan 8 yd pass from LYNCH, Paxton (ELLIOTT, Jake kick) 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:50
CIN 39, MEM 38
CIN - MORRISON, Max 40 yd pass from MOORE, Hayden (MOORE, Hayden passfailed) 9 plays, 93 yards, TOP 3:23
CIN 39, MEM 46
MEM - CRAFT, Sam 5 yd run (LYNCH, Paxton rush), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:55
CIN 46, MEM 46
CIN - MORRISON, Max 30 yd pass from MOORE, Hayden (GANTZ, Andrew kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:11
CIN 46, MEM 53
MEM - CRAFT, Sam 3 yd run (ELLIOTT, Jake kick), 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:34
