Tigers begin stretch run

Saturday, November 16

Houston, Texas

2:30 p.m. (CT)

University of Memphis

Houston *

Tickets

Coach Mike Norvell has the Tigers ranked 18th in both major polls: AP and Amway Coaches.

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Nov 15, 2019 | Football

Memphis Notes (vs. Houston)Houston Notes (vs. Memphis)American Athletic Conference Notes

UofM controls its destiny as it pursues another West Division championship

By: Phil Stukenborg

HOUSTON – The bye week was welcome, as all bye weeks are, but now the 18^th-ranked University of Memphis football team must begin its season-ending stretch with the first of three challenges.

And, as Tiger players and coaches know, don't pay attention to Houston' 3-6 record. Two of the Cougars' last three losses have been to nationally ranked teams: SMU and Cincinnati. The other was to a 7-3 UCF program.

"It's a very talented football team with a lot of explosive players," Memphis coach Mike Norvell said.

The Tigers took advantage of the bye week – their second of the season – to do what teams do with the extra time: get some mental and physical rest.

"It was nice to give them a couple of days off and allow them to rest their bodies," Norvell said. "I thought our guys did a great job in the bye week."

Houston also had a bye week following a 44-29 loss at UCF where the Cougars held a 23-21 halftime lead. Quarterback Clayton Tune threw for 179 yards and a touchdown against the Knights, while running Mulbah Car rushed for 132 yards and two first-half TDs.

"It's an all-around and talented squad," Memphis quarterback Brady White said. "Year-in and year-out they have a competitive squad. That's a really good team. They'll knock you down if you're not focused and you're not sharp. We have to come ready to go and put the brand of football (out there) we know we can play."

The Tigers took early November break after coming off their biggest win of the season: a 54-48 American Athletic Conference victory over 14^th-ranked SMU.

Memphis controls its destiny in the AAC West Division. The Tigers, 8-1 overall, are 4-1 in league play, one-half game behind SMU and Navy, both of whom are 5-1 in conference action. If the Tigers win out, they will win the West Division for the third-straight season (they own the tiebreaker over both SMU and Navy).

The Tigers have been led this season by running back Kenneth Gainwell and White. Gainwell is averaging 118.6 yards game and has scored 12 touchdowns. White has passed for 23 touchdowns with only four interceptions. White leads the league in pass efficiency (182.2)

"The biggest thing for us is to continue on our improvement and factors we can control," Norvell said. "It's usually one of the tougher places in our conference to play. They have a fan base that likes to make an impact on the game and they do a good job of that."

NOTABLES

In just his second season, Brady White is one of only five Memphis quarterbacks in program history to throw for more than 5,000 career yards. His 5,807 yards rank fourth all-time.
Receiver Damonte Coxie has had at least once reception in the past 28 games. The streak is tied for the fourth-longest in Memphis history.
Coxie is 196 yards shy of tying Carlos Singleton for the third-most receiving yards in program history. Coxie has 2,169 yards in three seasons.
The Tigers rank first nationally in special teams efficiency with an 85.1 rating. Efficiency ratings measure a unit's per-play contribution to a team's scoring margin, adjusted for the opposing unit faced.
Punter Adam Williams currently holds the record for highest career punt average (minimum 80 attempts). He is averaging 44.2 yards per punt, slightly better than Michael Gibson (44.0 from 2005-06).