University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Postgame Notes: Memphis vs. UTSA
Sep 25, 2021 | Football
KICKING IT OFF
• Coin Toss: UTSA won and deferred to the second half.
• Memphis Captains: Preston Brady, JJ Russell and Brandon Thomas.
• Attendance: 29,264
TEAM NOTES
• The 31-28 loss snapped Memphis' 17-game home winning streak and 22-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents.
• With a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, the Tigers have recorded a defensive touchdown in consecutive games for the first time since 2016. Memphis returned an interception for a touchdown in back-to-back weeks vs. Kansas and Bowling Green respectively.
• The Tigers recorded 11 tackles for a loss, the most since 15 TFL's against Cincinnati, Nov. 29, 2019.
PLAYER NOTES
• Quarterback Seth Henigan threw for 329 yards, his third 300+ yard performance in his first four starts.
• With 142 receiving yards, wide receiver Calvin Austin III now has 533 receiving yards on the season, the first Memphis receiver with more than 400 receiving yards through the team's first four games of a season since Anthony Miller had 405 through the first four games of 2016.
• The 142-yard effort by Austin was his third-straight game with 100+ receiving yards and his ninth career game with at least 100 receiving yards. He had five-straight such games in 2020.
• Tight end Sean Dykes finished with a career-high 167 receiving yards, his second 100+ yard receiving performance of the season and the fifth of his career.
• Dykes' 167 receiving yards were the 17th most in a single game in program history.
• For the second time this season, Austin and Dykes each had 100+ receiving yards in the same game (also at Arkansas State, Sept. 11).
• With 73 yards on the ground, running back Brandon Thomas has rushed for 494 yards over the first four games of the season, the most since Darrell Henderson rushed for 709 yards in the first four games of 2018.
• Defensive lineman Wardalis Ducksworth's fumble recovery for a touchdown was both his first career fumble recovery and first career touchdown.
• In his first start of the season and seventh of his career, linebacker Xavier "Zay" Cullens set a new career-high with 16 tackles.
• Cullens also set a new career-high with 3.5 tackles for a loss and added his fourth career sack.
• With 18 tackles, linebacker JJ Russell set a career-high for the second straight week after he had 14 tackles vs. Mississippi State.
• Russell's 18 total tackles rank him in a tie for 10th most in a single game in program history.
• Defense back Rodney Owens had a career-best 13 tackles.
• Coin Toss: UTSA won and deferred to the second half.
• Memphis Captains: Preston Brady, JJ Russell and Brandon Thomas.
• Attendance: 29,264
TEAM NOTES
• The 31-28 loss snapped Memphis' 17-game home winning streak and 22-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents.
• With a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, the Tigers have recorded a defensive touchdown in consecutive games for the first time since 2016. Memphis returned an interception for a touchdown in back-to-back weeks vs. Kansas and Bowling Green respectively.
• The Tigers recorded 11 tackles for a loss, the most since 15 TFL's against Cincinnati, Nov. 29, 2019.
PLAYER NOTES
• Quarterback Seth Henigan threw for 329 yards, his third 300+ yard performance in his first four starts.
• With 142 receiving yards, wide receiver Calvin Austin III now has 533 receiving yards on the season, the first Memphis receiver with more than 400 receiving yards through the team's first four games of a season since Anthony Miller had 405 through the first four games of 2016.
• The 142-yard effort by Austin was his third-straight game with 100+ receiving yards and his ninth career game with at least 100 receiving yards. He had five-straight such games in 2020.
• Tight end Sean Dykes finished with a career-high 167 receiving yards, his second 100+ yard receiving performance of the season and the fifth of his career.
• Dykes' 167 receiving yards were the 17th most in a single game in program history.
• For the second time this season, Austin and Dykes each had 100+ receiving yards in the same game (also at Arkansas State, Sept. 11).
• With 73 yards on the ground, running back Brandon Thomas has rushed for 494 yards over the first four games of the season, the most since Darrell Henderson rushed for 709 yards in the first four games of 2018.
• Defensive lineman Wardalis Ducksworth's fumble recovery for a touchdown was both his first career fumble recovery and first career touchdown.
• In his first start of the season and seventh of his career, linebacker Xavier "Zay" Cullens set a new career-high with 16 tackles.
• Cullens also set a new career-high with 3.5 tackles for a loss and added his fourth career sack.
• With 18 tackles, linebacker JJ Russell set a career-high for the second straight week after he had 14 tackles vs. Mississippi State.
• Russell's 18 total tackles rank him in a tie for 10th most in a single game in program history.
• Defense back Rodney Owens had a career-best 13 tackles.
Players Mentioned
WR
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LS
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DL
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TE
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QB
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DB
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LB
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RB
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