Tigers Football Upsets No. 25/24 Navy

Saturday, October 14

Memphis, Tenn.

2:45 p.m. CT

University of Memphis

5-1 , 2-1

#24 Navy

5-1 , 3-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Navy

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Oct 14, 2017 | Football

Box Score Memphis-Navy Stats Gamebook Postgame Notes & Quotes Photo Story - Adobe Spark

Memphis posts second win over ranked foe in 2017.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – If you were one of the 40,177 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Saturday, you, once again, witnessed University of Memphis football history.

With its thrilling 30-27 victory over No. 25/24 Navy, the Tigers won its second game over a ranked opponent in 2017. It is the first time in program history Memphis posted two wins over ranked foes in a season. Earlier this season, the Tigers upset No. 25 UCLA 48-45 at the Liberty Bowl.

Coming into Saturday's game, all the talk was about the two teams' offenses. However, it was the defenses that shined. The Memphis and Navy offenses combined to average over 1,000 yards per game, but the Tigers and Midshipmen defenses stepped up to the challenge and held both offenses to under 400 yards each (Memphis, 397 yards; Navy, 334 yards).

The Tigers defense played especially strong, holding the Midshipmen to 314 yards on the ground. Navy's rushing output Saturday was 100 yards below its season average (414.2 yds/game). Memphis also forced Navy into five turnovers (3 fumbles/2 interceptions), the most Midshipmen miscues in a game since 2002 (Oct. 19, 2002, six total turnovers vs. Boston College).

The leaders for the Memphis defense were Curtis Akins, Genard Avery and Austin Hall. The trio combined for 31 of the team's 80 total tackles. Akins and Hall each logged a fumble recovery, and Hall picked off two Zach Abey passes, including the one that sealed the victory with 1:42 left in the game.

Statistical Leaders	Memphis	Navy
Rushing	Darrell Henderson (12 carries/94 yds)	Zach Abey (37 carries/146 yds)
Passing	Riley Ferguson (24-40/279 yds/3 TD)	Zach Abey (1-7/20 yds)
Receiving	Anthony Miller (10 rec/90 yds/2 TD)	Darryl Bonner (1 rec/20 yds)
Tackles	Curtis Akins (11 total/6 solo/fumble recovery)	D.J. Palmore (8 solo/TFL/forced fumble)

How It Happened

After an unexpectedly low scoring first half (10-all tie at the break), the action picked up after halftime.
Navy received the first possession of the second half, but on its second play from scrimmage, Zach Abey threw the first of his two interceptions.
Austin Hall picked off Zach Abey's pass and returned it to the Navy 12.
Two plays later, Riley Ferguson hit Darrell Henderson from eight yards out to give Memphis a 17-10 lead.
Memphis forced Navy into a 3-and-out on its next possession, and an Owen White 61-yard punt pushed the Tigers back to their own 13-yard line.
On a 3^rd-and-10 from the 13, the Navy defense forced Riley Ferguson into an intentional grounding penalty from the end zone. The penalty resulted in a safety and cut the Tigers' lead to 17-12.
Following the Memphis free punt after the safety, the Midshipmen drove 70 yards on 10 plays (all rushes) to retake the lead at 19-17 with 7:30 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers answered back on its next drive, going 50 yards on nine plays. The possession resulted in a Riley Patterson season-long 42-yard field goal to push Memphis back into the lead at 20-19.
It was a lead the Tigers didn't lose.
After the Memphis defense stopped Navy on its next possession, the Tigers began the ensuing drive from their own 1-yard line after a perfectly-placed Owen White 53-yard punt.
The Tigers quickly moved the ball from the 1 to their own 32 by quarter's end. Memphis continued to move the ball, and the Tigers completed the 99-yard drive when Riley Ferguson hit Anthony Miller from eight yards out. The score extended the Memphis lead to 27-19 with just over 13 minutes left in the game.
The 99-yard scoring drive was Memphis' first since it drove 99 yards at Ole Miss last season.
On their next possession, the Midshipmen began at their own 20, and on the second play of the drive, Zach Abey fumbled. Tim Hart forced the fumble, and Curtis Akins recovered it at the Navy 24.
Memphis turned the Navy miscue into points when Riley Patterson booted another 42-yard field goal for a 30-19 lead.
After an exchange of possessions, Memphis was driving in Navy territory with over six minutes left when D.J. Palmore forced a Tigers fumble. The Midshipmen recovered on their own 18.
Three minutes later, Navy found the end zone and also converted the two-point conversion to pull to within three at 30-27 with 3:25 remaining.
The Tigers attempted to run out the clock, but their drive stalled just inside Navy territory. A Nick Jacobs punt placed Navy at its own 10-yard line.
With 1:58 on the clock, the Midshipmen had the ball with a chance to win or tie the contest, but Zach Abey's first pass attempt was picked off by Austin Hall at the Navy 36. Hall slid down at the Navy 33, and the Tigers had their second win over a ranked opponent in 2017.
The first half went back-and-forth with Navy getting on the board early in the first quarter. A Bennett Moehring 23-yard field goal was the result after Navy recovered the opening kickoff at Memphis 10-yard line.
The Tigers answered with a Riley Ferguson-to-Anthony Miller five-yard strike for a 7-3 advantage.
Just before the first quarter ended, Zach Abey put Navy back in front at 10-7 on a one-yard plunge.
Riley Patterson provided the only scoring in the second quarter with a 30-yard field goal just before halftime.