Tigers Fall In Birmingham Bowl

Saturday, December 22

Birmingham, Ala.

11:00 a.m. CT

University of Memphis

8-6

Wake Forest

7-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

MEMPHIS

WAKE FOREST

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Dec 22, 2018 | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes Wake Forest 37, Memphis 34

Pollard ties NCAA/FBS record for kick returns for touchdowns in the contest.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Memphis' Tony Pollard piled up a Birmingham Bowl record 318 all-purpose yards (109 rushing/209 kick returns), but it wasn't enough as the Tigers dropped a 37-34 decision to Wake Forest Saturday.

Pollard rushed for 109 yards and added 209 kick return yards, including a 97-yard return for a touchdown. With the kick return for the score, Pollard tied the NCAA/FBS record with his seventh career kick return for a touchdown. He shares the NCAA/FBS mark with three others.

Patrick Taylor Jr. joined Pollard in rushing for more than 100 yards, gaining 110 yards on 30 carries. Pollard and Taylor each ran for one score on the ground, and Taylor's touchdown put the Tigers in front 34-30 with 1:15 left.

The Tigers' offense – playing without unanimous All-America running back Darrell Henderson – was unable to get on track most of the game. Memphis, which averaged over 530 yards of total offense entering the Birmingham Bowl, managed only 378 total yards Saturday, with 138 of those yards coming in the final period.

After a high-scoring first half, the defenses took over after halftime. The Demon Deacons managed just two third-quarter field goals for a 30-28 lead.

The fourth quarter remained quiet with Wake Forest clinging to a 30-28 lead until the final six minutes.

After a Demon Deacons' punt pinned Memphis deep, the Tigers took over on their 12-yard line with 5:51 left. Memphis put together an 88-yard drive that ended with a Taylor nine-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 34-30 lead. The Memphis two-point conversion failed, but the Tigers took 4:36 off the clock on the drive.

Wake Forest struck quickly on its next possession and moved to the Tigers' 1-yard line in 40 seconds. Demon Deacons' quarterback Jamie Newman hit pay dirt on the next play for a 37-34 lead with :34 left.

On the ensuing drive, Memphis moved deep into Wake Forest territory, but was unable to get the go-ahead or equalizing score.

The first half was loaded with fireworks on both sides.

The Demon Deacons began the high-scoring first half with a 10-play, 75-yard drive on the game's opening possession. A Newman to Sage Surratt nine-yard pass gave Wake Forest the 7-0 lead.

Memphis had two answers. The Tigers tied the score at 7-all when Pollard burst through the line for a 41-yard scoring scamper with 10:06 left in the first quarter.

After the Tigers defense forced a Wake Forest punt, Memphis took over at its 2-yard line. The Tigers moved down the field on a season-long 16-play drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown pass from Brady White to Taylor. The drive was 98 yards, the Tigers' longest since a 99-yard drive at Ole Miss in 2016.

The Memphis defense then got in on the scoring when, on the Demon Deacons' next possession, Chris Claybrooks picked off a Newman pass and returned it 37 yards for the score and a 21-7 Memphis lead. It was the Tigers' first pick-six since the season opener when TJ Carter returned an interception for a touchdown.

Wake Forest cut the Memphis lead to 21-10 early in the second quarter, and on the ensuing kickoff, lightning struck for the Tigers special teams. Pollard, who had limited opportunities to return kicks this season due to opponents kicking away from him, took the ball at the Memphis 3-yard line and raced 97 yards for the touchdown and a 28-10 lead.

Wake Forest closed the first half with back-to-back touchdowns runs by Newman to cut the Memphis lead to 28-24 at the break.