Tigers travel to ULM for 2:45 p.m. kickoff

Saturday, October 5

Monroe, La.

2:45 p.m.

University of Memphis

Louisiana Monroe

Tickets

Brady White has completed 73 percent of his passes with eight TDs.

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Oct 04, 2019 | Football

Memphis Notes (vs. Louisiana Monroe)Louisiana Monroe Notes (vs. Memphis)American Athletic Conference Notes

UofM playing its final non-conference game of the season

By: Phil Stukenborg

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It was a dark and stormy (OK, rainy) night the last time the University of Memphis and Louisiana-Monroe met, a game played in nearly unplayable conditions two years ago at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Remnants of Hurricane Harvey saturated the Memphis area that night.

Conditions in Monroe, La., should be more favorable at 2:45 p.m. Saturday when the unbeaten and No. 23 ranked Tigers (4-0) battle the Warhawks (2-2). The forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 90s.

The Tigers will be playing their final non-conference game before closing the season with seven straight American Athletic Conference contests.

Saturday at Malone Stadium, the UofM will play as a ranked team (Amway Coaches Poll) for the first time this season and against an opponent that took Florida State to overtime before losing. The Warhawks also defeated South Alabama – a team the Tigers beat by 36 points last month.

ULM is led by senior quarterback Caleb Evans and junior running back Josh Johnson. Evans has completed 66 percent of his passes for 886 yards and eight touchdowns and will be making his 27 consecutive start at QB, the seventh-longest active streak in the nation. Johnson leads the Sun Belt Conference, and ranks eighth nationally, in rushing with a 119.8 yards-per-game average.

"This is a team that's 2-2," Memphis coach Mike Norvell said. "Their two losses were to Florida State and Iowa State. Florida State they took into overtime.

"This is a very experienced group we're playing against. They have seven seniors, three juniors and a freshman that's starting for them. They are an experienced team. Their offensive line may be the best we'll play up to this point of the season. Their quarterback is an exceptional player. He can hurt you with his legs and his arm as well."

In the previous meeting with ULM, the Tigers won 37-29 and outlasted a determined comeback try by the Warhawks, who scored touchdowns on three of their final four possessions. Evans directed a 16-play scoring drive to start ULM's comeback try in the game, which, because of the heavy rains, was plagued by six turnovers.

"That was such a unique game with the weather," Norvell said. "We were playing in basically the remnants of a hurricane. It was a hard-fought game. It was back-and-forth. It was a physical game. We have a great deal of respect for the athleticism they have and the way they are coached. That shows up on film."

The Tigers are coming off an impressive come-from-behind conference victory over Navy. Quarterback Brady White engineered the second-half comeback by tossing three touchdowns, including a 73-yarder to Antonio Gibson, in the 35-23 win.

Memphis is 4-0 for the first time under Norvell and for the sixth time in the program's history.

"I think we're improving," Norvell said. "I think each and every week we're playing better, but we haven't put a complete game together. That's something you're always striving as a coach to see."