Tigers Football Preview: ECU

Saturday, November 25

Memphis, Tenn.

11:00 AM CT

University of Memphis

East Carolina

Tickets

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Nov 23, 2017 | Football

2017 Memphis FB Notes 11 25 ECU 2017 ECU FB Notes 1712 2017 American FB release 13b

Memphis senior class to be honored prior to Saturday's kickoff.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For University of Memphis football fans, Saturday may seem anticlimactic. After last Saturday's euphoric win to clinch The American West Division title and next weekend's conference championship game, it would be easy to look overlook the accomplishments of the 2017 senior class that the Tigers will celebrate prior to Saturday's match-up with ECU.

The seniors' #CLIMB has been nothing short of tremendous. A school-record, four-year win total of 36. Four-straight bowl berths. Four-straight wins over ranked teams at the Liberty Bowl. A division title. And a conference championship game berth.

Tiger Nation, let's get out to the Liberty Bowl Saturday and thank these seniors for all the great memories they've provided us for many years to come.

Game Quick Facts

Opponent	ECU
Day/Date	Saturday, Nov. 25
Time	11 a.m. (CT)
Site	Memphis, Tenn./Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Television	ESPNU
Radio (Flagship)	600 WREC AM/Rock 103 (102.7 FM)

Memphis Head Coach Mike Norvell
"Last Saturday was a special day. It was a day of celebration. I'm so proud of our football team, and the work that went into accomplishing one of the goals we set at the beginning of the year. To be able to see the smiles, to hear the crowd, for everyone to be a part of it, it was a great day, and not only for our program, but for the entire city of Memphis. That's not the ultimate goal that we set, but it was definitely a critical step in our journey.

34925 — *Pick up your special Senior Day program at Saturday's game.*

"Moving forward, we have another explosive opponent that's coming to the Liberty Bowl on Senior Day. Saturday's game provides our football team with an opportunity to get our 10th win. That's a big milestone for our program. We also have the opportunity to go undefeated at the Liberty Bowl this year, which is something that's big. But, it's also a day to celebrate the seniors. This is the winningest senior class in Memphis Tigers history, and they love playing at home, they love being able to represent this great community. We've got to continue to make progress, and we've got to play our best game Saturday."

(On his relationship with the seniors)
"Those relationships mean everything. From the day I got here, I asked them for an opportunity to earn their trust. And those guys, they've experienced a great deal of change throughout their career, and they've seen what it's like to be successful. They've seen what it's like to respond to adversity. Those relationships and experiences will last a lifetime. It's been special."

Tigers Tidbits/Five Notes To Know

Saturday's game is the 22^nd meeting between the two programs. ECU leads the series 15-6 and has won the last seven games all by double digits. The Pirates hold a 7-4 series advantage in games played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis' last win in the series and its last victory over ECU at the Liberty Bowl came in the 2005 campaign, 27-24.
As if the Tigers haven't made enough history in 2017, there is more that could take place Saturday. With a win, the 2017 Memphis squad would secure its 10^th victory of the season and become the first Tigers team since 1938 to have 10 wins in a regular season. The 2014 team won 10 games, but its 10^th victory came in the Miami Beach Bowl. In addition, a win would give the Tigers a perfect 7-0 home mark in 2017. The seven home wins would be the most in school history, and the unblemished record would be Memphis' first at home since 1959 (5-0-0).
Saturday's match-up features second-year head coaches facing each other for the first time. However, they have been on opposing sidelines once prior to Saturday. Memphis head coach Mike Norvell and ECU head coach Scottie Montgomery faced off as offensive coordinators in the 2014 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Norvell, then at Arizona State, and Montgomery, then at Duke, put together an thrilling, high-scoring affair in the Sun Bowl. Norvell's Sun Devils defeated Montgomery's Blue Devils 36-31 Dec. 27, 2014.
Saturday's meeting with ECU is not the first time Memphis faces Pirates head coach Scottie Montgomery on the opposing sideline. Montgomery was on the 2013 Duke staff under head coach David Cutcliffe. The Blue Devils posted a 28-14 win over the Tigers in Memphis' 2013 season opener at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Saturday is a "long time, no see" meeting between Memphis and ECU. The two programs have not played each other since 2012, the longest drought between match-ups in the series history. The Tigers and Pirates have played each other nearly every season since 1990. From 1990-2012, Memphis and ECU squared off every year with the exception of the 1999 and 2002 campaigns.

Know Your Foe/ECU Facts-Stats Leaders

Quick Facts	2017 Statistical Leaders
2017 Record: 3-8/2-5 The American	Rushing: Hussein Howe (82 carries/371 yds/3 TD)
Head Coach/Yrs: Scottie Montgomery/2^nd in 2017	Passing: Gardner Minshew (1,789 yds/14 TD)
Starters Returning: 17 (6 Off/6 Def/5 Special Teams)	Receiving: Trevon Brown (53 rec/941 yds/7 TD)
Letterwinners Returning: 50	Tackles: Korrin Wiggins (91 total/51 solo/4.0 TFL/INT)