Football Claims West Division Crown

Friday, November 23

Memphis, Tenn.

11:00 a.m. CT

University of Memphis

8-4 , 5-3

Houston

8-4 , 5-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Houston

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Nov 23, 2018 | Football

Box Score Gamebook/Statistics (UM 52, UH 31)Memphis Postgame Notes Memphis Postgame Quotes

Tigers to play in American Athletic Conference championship game next Saturday.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tiger Nation, celebrate your two-time American Athletic Conference West Division champions!

Say it again: Your two-time American Athletic Conference West Division champions! It sounds sweeter every time the phrase is uttered.

The Tigers used a record-setting rushing performance and a clamp-down, fourth-quarter defensive effort to slam the door on Houston in an impressive 52-31 victory Friday. The win earned the Tigers to a second-straight conference West Division crown and sends Memphis to next Saturday's (Dec. 1) American Athletic Conference championship game in Orlando. The game, to be played at UCF's Spectrum Stadium, is set for a 2:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff on ABC (LocalMemphis24).

A little more than a month ago, the Tigers were left for dead in their pursuit of a second-straight conference West Division title after a heart-breaking 31-30 setback to UCF that left them with a 1-3 league record. At the end of October, Memphis – still 1-3 at the time – was a full three games behind division leader Houston, which brought a 4-0 conference record into November.

The Tigers put together one of the greatest "month" comebacks of all-time. Memphis completed a sweep of November with a 4-0 mark to claim the division crown with a 5-3 record. The Tigers have an 8-4 overall record. Under Norvell, Memphis has a 10-1 record in games played in November.

The Memphis seniors improve their win total to 35 victories, the second-most wins by a four-year class in school history. The group has won eight or more games in each of their four seasons (9 wins in 2015; 8 in 2016; 10 in 2017; 8 in 2018).

In winning the division title and the seniors' 35^th game, two records were set. One was a program record, as the Tigers shattered the school single-season rushing mark of 3,215. Memphis surpassed that mark when Darrell Henderson scampered 60 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with 9:39 left. With their 401 yards rushing Friday, the 2018 Tigers now have 3,311 yards.

On that same 60-yard scoring run, Henderson set the American Athletic Conference single-season rushing record with 1,699 yards.

As for the game itself, the teams battled neck-and-neck through three quarters, and with 15 minutes left, the score was tied at 31-all.

After Houston tied the game at 31-all with 1:34 in the third, Memphis took over on its 35-yard line. The Tigers put together a nine-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a Patrick Taylor Jr. 1-yard touchdown run. On the drive, Memphis ran the ball on eight of the nine plays and gained 64 of the 65 yards on the ground.

The Cougars got the ball after the Tigers' score, and that's when the Memphis defense stepped up. The Tigers defense held Houston to only eight yards on the possession, and the Cougars punted the ball with 10:22 left.

Two plays later, Henderson dashed around the left end for a 60-yard score, giving the Tigers some breathing room at 45-31 with 9:33 on the clock. The run gave Memphis its season rushing record, and Henderson the league season rushing mark.

Houston tried to answer on its next possession, but the Memphis clamped down even harder. The Tigers defense forced the Cougars to go for the first down on a fourth-and-3. Jonathan Wilson, though, ran down Houston QB Clayton Tune for a sack and loss of seven yards, forcing the Cougars to turn the ball over on downs.

Five plays later, Memphis was in the end zone for the final score of the game on a Taylor 1-yard touchdown run for the 52-31 final.

Houston put together one final drive deep into Memphis territory, but a TJ Carter interception in the end zone halted any further Cougars' scoring. The Tigers held Houston to only 81 yards on 22 snaps in the final period.

Memphis outgained the Cougars in total offense 610-394. Houston's 394 total yards was its second-lowest offensive output of the season (365 in loss at SMU). The 394 yards allowed was Memphis' third-straight game in which the defense held an opponent to under 400 yards (252 vs. Tulsa; 366 vs. SMU; 394 vs. Houston).

Henderson finished the game with 178 yards on 24 carries and two scores, and Taylor had 128 yards on 19 rushes and two touchdowns.

Brady White was 21-of-33 passing for 209 yards, and his favorite target was Tony Pollard, who had eight catches for a career-high 116 yards.