Tigers overpower Tulane, 47-17

Saturday, October 19

Memphis, Tenn.

6 PM

University of Memphis

6-1 , 2-1

Tulane *

5-2 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulane

Memphis

Gainwell became the first in school history with a 100-yard rushing/100-yard receiving game.

Photo by: Kaitlyn Becker Johnson

Oct 19, 2019 | Football

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UofM freshman RB Kenneth Gainwell has historic night in lopsided victory

By: Phil Stukenborg

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Kenneth Gainwell lived up to his name . . . and then some.

In Saturday night's 47-17 American Athletic Conference victory over Tulane at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Gainwell, the University of Memphis's outstanding freshman running back, accomplished something no player had before in program history.

Gainwell became the first Tiger to rush for more than 100 yards and have more than 100 receiving yards in the same game. His 203 receiving yards and 104 rushing yards also made him the first player at the Football Bowl Subdivision level this season to surpass 100 yards rushing and 200 yards receiving in the same game. He became the first FBS player since 1997 to have a 100-yard rushing/200-yard receiving game.

It was a remarkable performance that carried the Tigers (6-1, 2-1 The American) to a lopsided victory before 30,221 and made the UofM bowl eligible for the sixth straight season to extend a program record.

"That's a heck of a milestone he accomplished, I'm happy for him," Tiger coach Mike Norvell said of Gainwell. "But there's a lot of guys in that locker room that helped contribute to that.

"It's special when you get see somebody that is as humble as he is, that puts in the work that he puts in, achieve success."

True to Norvell's description of him, Gainwell displayed humility when asked about his record-setting night, which included two receiving touchdowns and a rushing TD.

"I was just trying to put my best out there," he said. "I don't know what to say. I'm in shock right now."

There were other contributors for the Tigers against Tulane, which entered as one of the league's best teams. The Green Wave had opened the season 5-1, their best start in more than 20 years.

But Memphis was unstoppable, playing error-free football for the first time this season. The Tigers got 358 yards passing and a career-high tying five touchdown passes from junior quarterback Brady White, who completed 21 of his 29 throws. Calvin Austin III, a two-time track-and-field All-American, added two first-half TD receptions.

A member of the relay team, Austin had the first two receiving TDs of his career, part of a 34-point first-half explosion that gave the Tigers a comfortable 24-point halftime lead.

Their efforts led to 470 total yards (358 passing, 112 rushing) against a Green Wave defense that entered the game allowing 326 yards per game.

"As an offense, we were moving the ball pretty well," White said. "That was pretty close to a complete game right there."

Quarterback Justin McMillan led the Green Wave with 89 rushing yards and 187 yards passing and was instrumental in his team's torrid start.

Tulane opened the game by moving swiftly from its 25 to the Memphis 10 in three plays. The Tigers defense kept the Green Wave out of the end zone thanks to a huge sack by Bryce Huff and big hit by La'Andre Thomas that forced a field goal. Merek Glover connected from 31 yards out for a 3-0 Green Wave lead.

Memphis answered on its initial possession. The Tigers went 65 yards converting twice on fourth-and-4, including the touchdown, a 32-yard pass from White to Gainwell.

The Tigers increased their lead to 13-3 later in the first quarter, turning a Tulane miscue into points. After linebacker Austin Hall made a one-handed, left-handed interception near midfield, the Tigers required only five plays to return to the end zone. Austin got the TD reception of 11 yards deep in the back corner.

The Green Wave followed by methodically driving 75 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 7-yard run by McMillan to trim the Memphis lead to 13-10 early in the second quarter.

But the Tigers made it 20-10 four minutes later as Joey Magnifico took a shovel pass from White and sprinted three yards into the end zone. Memphis closed the half with two additional scores: a 46-yard TD pass from White to Austin and a 1-yard run by Gainwell for a 34-10 advantage. Gainwell's TD came, three plays after Thomas Pickens intercepted a McMillan pass and returned it eight yards to the Tulane 21.

In the second half, the Tigers added two Riley Patterson field goals (29 and 34 yards in the third quarter) and closed their scoring with Gainwell's final touchdown, a 27-yard reception in the fourth quarter that pushed his receiving total past 200 yards.

Memphis goes back on the road next weekend to play Tulsa. Kickoff is 6 p.m. and the game will be carried by CBS Sports Network.

TIGERS NOTEBOOK

Tigers defensive back Chris Claybrooks had an impressive debut as a kick returner. He had returns of 35 and 49 yards in the first half and finished the game with three returns for 107 yards.
Tigers running back Kenneth Gainwell had a historic night on multiple fronts. He became the first in program history to have a 100-yard rushing/100-yard receiving game. And with his 104-yard rushing game, he had his fifth-straight 100-yard game to extend the freshman school record. The previous record was two straight by DeAngelo Williams and Doc Holliday.
Gainwell was the first Tiger player to amass 300 all-purpose yards without any punt- or kick-return yardages.
Memphis receiver Calvin Austin's 11-yard scoring reception in the first quarter was the first TD catch of his career. Austin scored one touchdown last season on the ground. A two-time track-and-field All-American for the Tigers, Austin added a 46-yard catch late in the second quarter.
Tight end Joey Magnifico's 3-yard TD reception, off a shovel pass, in the second quarter allowed him to become the second tight end in school history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. Alan Cross, currently a Tigers graduate assistant, is the other.
The Memphis defense held Tulane to its second-lowest output of the season (333 yards) and its lowest point total (17) in AAC play since Nov. 4, 2017 against Cincinnati.