Oct. 9, 2010
Memphis Falls to Louisville 56-0; The Cardinals put up 574 yards of total offense, including 204 on the ground from Bilal Powell.
By: Preston McClellan
Original Article Link
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Louisville scored 35 points on the strength of 380 total yards in the first half en route to defeating Memphis 56-0 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium Saturday. It was Memphis' first visit to Louisville since 2003 when the Tigers won that contest 37-7.
The two longtime rivals played to nearly a standstill in the first quarter. The Cardinals only outgained the Tigers 82-59 in yardage, and Memphis nearly doubled up Louisville in time of possession at 9:13-5:47. The Tigers pushed the ball into Cardinal territory twice in the opening period, but the Louisville defense picked off a Ryan Williams pass to halt the Tigers' best early scoring drive.
The home team, though, broke through late in the first period. The Cardinals struck with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter when quarterback Adam Froman tossed a 39-yard scoring strike to Cameron Graham to give Louisville a 7-0 lead. The score was the first of five-consecutive drives that ended in touchdowns for Louisville.
And it didn't take long for the Cardinals to add to their lead. After forcing a Memphis punt on its next possession, Louisville took over on the Tiger 48 yard line. On their first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, the Cardinals used a little trickery from their "Wild Card" formation. The end result was Froman hit a wide-open Josh Chichester on a flea-flicker style play to increase Louisville's lead to 14-0.
The Tigers piled up 100 yards in the second quarter, but managed only one deep drive in Louisville territory. Memphis began its second drive of the period on its own 20 yard line and moved the ball to the Cardinal 25, setting up a field goal opportunity. Paulo Henriques' 42 yard attempt, though, missed just left of the upright.
After the missing, the Cardinal offense continued to click and added two more scores before halftime. The first came on the first play after Memphis' missed field goal as Bilal Powell took the handoff and raced 74 yards to give Louisville a 28-0 lead.
The Cardinals tacked on one more touchdown before the half as Froman hooked up with Josh Bellamy for the second time in the second quarter, and Louisville took a 35-0 lead into the break.
Louisville continued its assault on the first two drives of the second half. The Cardinals received the second-half opening kick-off and marched 69 yards in eight plays to extend their advantage to 42-0. On the second scoring drive, Louisville put together a seven-play, 58-yard drive that ended with a Justin Burke-to-Andrell-Smith four-yard touchdown connection for a 49-0 lead.
Louisville added another score in the fourth quarter for the 56-0 final.
While the Cardinal offense took the spotlight, the Louisville defense also played well. The Cardinals held Memphis to 223 of total offense, including only 39 yards on 34 carries. The Tigers converted only 3-of-16 thirds down conversions and did not scratch on the scoreboard despite winning the time of possession battle 33:14-26:46.
Williams finished with 174 yards on 15-of-27 passing and one interception. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by Cannon Smith after suffering an injury.
Jerrell Rhodes led the Memphis ground game, totaling 49 yards on 11 carries. Williams' favorite targets were Jermaine McKenzie and Marcus Rucker. McKenzie posted a career high with 71 receiving yards on three catches, while Rucker caught a team-high five passes for 32 yards.
Memphis punter Tom Hornsey averaged 41.9 yards on 10 punts and had three of his punts downed three inside the 20.
Jamon Hughes and Marcus Ball led the Tiger defense with seven tackles apiece.
For Louisville, Powell finished the game with 204 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns. Froman rolled up 235 yards on 12-of-16 passing and four touchdown passes. Bellamy led all receivers with six receptions for 112 yards and two scores.
Darius Ashley led the Cardinal defense with seven total tackles and two sacks. Antwone Canady added four hits and one sack.
Memphis returns to the Bluff City for a tilt with Conference USA rival Southern Miss. The game is slated for an 11 a.m. (CT) start at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
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Oct. 2, 2010
Memphis Falls to Tulsa 48-7 in C-USA Home Opener; Turnovers plague Tigers as Memphis moves to 1-3 on the season
By: Preston McClellan
Original Article Link
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Turnovers proved to be an obstacle Memphis couldn't overcome versus Tulsa on Saturday, as the Tigers fell to the Golden Hurricane 48-7 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The contest was the Conference USA home opener for the Tigers.
The Tigers surrendered the pigskin on three occasions, and Tulsa took advantage of all three Memphis miscues, scoring 13 of its 20 first-half points off the home squad's turnovers. Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinney led the Golden Hurricane offensive attack, going 18-of-31 through the air for 214 yards and two touchdowns.
Memphis scored its lone touchdown early in the second period on a Jerrell Rhodes' 22-yard touchdown scamper, cutting the Tulsa lead in half at 14-7. From that point, it was all Golden Hurricane the rest of the way. After leading 20-7 at the break, Tulsa added two touchdowns in the first eight minutes to put the game out of reach at 34-7.
The Tulsa defense also played well. The Golden Hurricane forced four Tigers' turnovers and held the Memphis offense to only 69 yards for the remainder of the game following its touchdown drive early in the second quarter.
For Memphis, quarterback Ryan Williams suffered an injury late in the second quarter and did not return. Cannon Smith replaced the injured Williams for the remainder of the contest.
Rhodes led the Memphis ground game with 62 yards on 10 carries, while Gregory Ray added 48 yards on 13 rushes. Before leaving the game with an injury, Williams was 5-of-11 passing for 64 yards and an interception. Smith finished the game going 4-of-8 passing for 18 yards.
In addition to their 214 yards via the air, the Golden Hurricane showed a balanced offensive attack with 233 yards rushing. Ja'Terian Douglas led all Tulsa rushers with 46 yards on five carries.
Memphis found itself in an early 7-0 hole after turning the ball over on a Williams' interception 2:39 into the contest. Tulsa defensive back Marco Nelson picked off Williams' pass, setting up the Golden Hurricane offense at the Memphis 48 yard line.
On the ensuing possession, the Golden Hurricane used a six-play, 48-yard drive that was capped by a Kinney eight-yard quarterback keeper for a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest.
Memphis had a chance to put points on the board in the next drive, but a Paulo Henriques' 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with just under seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
After an exchange of punts, Tulsa took over the ball at its own 38 yard line with 1:54 left in the first quarter. The Golden Hurricane wasted no time adding to its advantage, driving the 62 yards in only four plays. Douglas hit paydirt from 18 yards out, and Tulsa led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Tigers' next possession produced their lone touchdown of the game, as Rhodes found the end zone from 22 yards out with 12:41 left in the second quarter. It was Rhodes' first career rushing touchdown and brought the Tigers to within 14-7.
The next two Golden Hurricane scores - both Kevin Fitzpatrick field goals of 19 and 23 yards - came off Memphis fumbles deep in its own territory and extended the visitors' lead to 20-7 at the half.
Tulsa put out any hopes of a Memphis comeback early in the third period with two touchdown drives. The Golden Hurricane hit the end zone on drives of 74 and 51 yards in the first eight minutes of the third quarter to build their lead to 34-7. Kinne found Charles Clay on a two-yard pass for the first score, and Alex Singleton scored on a five-yard run for Tulsa's second touchdown of the third period.
The Golden Hurricane added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the 48-7 final.
Jamon Hughes led the Tiger defense with 12 total tackles, while DeRon Furr added 10 tackles. Curnelius Arnick and Tanner Antle paced the Tulsa defense with nine tackles apiece.
Memphis falls to 9-6 in C-USA home openers. The last C-USA home opener Memphis one was back in the 2007 season, an inspiring 24-21 victory over Marshall.
The Tigers return to action next Saturday, Oct. 9 when they travel to Louisville, Ky., for a 1:00 p.m. (CT) showdown with the Cardinals.
Tulsa and Puncer's Pals pregame pictures:
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Sept. 25, 2010
Tigers Drop Heartbreaker to Miners, 16-13; Warren's last-second FG lifts UTEP past Memphis
By: Preston McClellan
Original Article link
EL PASO, Texas - A Dakota Warren 18-yard field goal as time expired lifted UTEP past Memphis 16-13 in Saturday's Conference USA showdown at the Sun Bowl. The win was UTEP's first in the short four-game series with the Tigers. Memphis won the previous three encounters in 2005, 2006 and 2009.
Despite not leading until time expired, the Miners managed to pull out the victory behind Warren's three field goals, including two from 50 yards or longer. Joe Barnyard scored UTEP's lone touchdown on a six-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 10-all with 3:16 left in third quarter.
After Barnyard's run tied the game at 10-all, Memphis used a 15-play, 62-yard drive that spanned over two quarters and ate up 7:41 off the clock. The Tigers started the possession on their own 20 yard line and moved to the UTEP 18, where Paulo Henriques capped the drive with a 35-yard field goal. Henriques second field goal of the contest gave Memphis a 13-10 advantage with 8:35 remaining.
UTEP, though, responded on the ensuing possession after Marlon McClure's 40-yard kickoff return set up the Miners at their own 40. Seven plays later, Warren tied the game at 13-all with his second 50-yard field goal of the contest with just over 5:30 on the clock. Warren's 50-yarder finished a 27-yard, 2:52 drive.
After UTEP tied the game, Memphis received the ball on its own 18 yard line with 5:29 remaining. The Tiger offense moved the ball into Miner territory, but the visitors' drive stalled at the UTEP 46, and Memphis was forced to punt. Tom Hornsey's fifth punt of the game rolled down inside the UTEP 10 and pinned the Miners at their own 4.
Taking over on its own 4 yard line with 3:13 left, UTEP moved the ball quickly out to its own 42 in seven plays. On the drive's eighth play, Miner quarterback Trevor Vittatoe hit Kris Adams for a 30-yard gain to the Tiger 28 with over a minute left on the clock, putting UTEP in excellent field position for a game-winning score. The Miners moved the ball inside the Memphis 5 yard line via the run on the next four plays. After taking a final timeout with only seconds left, Warren capped the 12-play, 95-yard drive with his third field goal, this time an 18 yarder for the victory.
Barnyard totaled 45 yards on nine carries as part of a running back corps that posted 117 yards on the ground. Of Barnyard's 45 yards, 27 came on the final drive, including an 18-yard run that moved the Miners down to the Tiger 2 yard line. Donald Buckram led the UTEP rushing game with 59 yards on 13 carries.
Vittatoe led the Miners through the air, netting 171 yards on 16-of-33 passing. He threw one interception and was sacked three times.
Jerrell Rhodes led the Memphis offense, amassing 90 yards on 23 carries. The 90 yards and 23 rushes both were career bests for Rhodes. Gregory Ray, who rushed for 121 yards last week in the victory over Middle Tennesse, finished with 46 yards on nine carries.
Ryan Williams, making his second career start at quarterback for the Tigers, finished with 144 yards on 20-of-30 passing with two interceptions and one touchdown. Williams' scoring toss came late in the second quarter, a 15-yard connection with Jermaine McKenzie.
Jamon Hughes led a Tiger defense that kept the Miners in check for the majority of the game. He totaled 11 tackles to lead the effort. Marcus Ball added eight total tackles for Memphis. Mohammed Seisay recorded his second interception in as many weeks to lead the Tiger secondary. Jamie Irving paced the UTEP defense with 10 total hits and 2.5 TFL.
The Tigers drew first blood on the scoreboard and led for the majority of the game. After forcing UTEP to punt on its first series, Memphis began its opening possession on its own 22 yard line. Williams, who was 4-of-4 passing for 32 yards on the drive, directed the Tigers to the UTEP 20. From there, Henriques kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Tigers the early 3-0 advantage. The Tigers' drive was 13 plays and 58 yards and spanned 6:29.
Memphis forced UTEP to punt again on its next series, and the Tigers took over deep in their own territory at the 3 yard line. Memphis moved out to its 37, but UTEP defensive back Travaun Nixon picked off a Williams' pass to set up the Miners at the Tiger 47 at the end of the first quarter.
Despite the Miners starting on its side of the field, the Memphis defense stiffened and held UTEP to only seven yards on three plays. UTEP faced either a punt or long field goal, and the Miners went with the latter. Warren set up for a 57-yard field goal, and his kick barely went over the crossbar to tie the contest at 3-all. Warren's 57-yard field goal came on the third play of the second quarter at the 14:17 mark.
After an exchange of punts, Memphis turned the field on UTEP and forced the Miners to start their second possession of the second quarter at their own 9 yard line. On the drive's second play, Seisay intercepted Vittatoe's pass at the 20 yard line and set up the Memphis offensive in excellent field position.
Three plays later, the Tigers took advantage of the Miners' miscue. On 3rd-and-5 from the UTEP 15, Williams threaded the needle to Jermaine McKenzie in the back of the end zone to put Memphis up 10-3. The score came with only 3:39 left before halftime.
The squads mounted no additional scoring opportunities the remainder of the half, and Memphis took a 10-3 lead into the break.
The Tigers return home to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Oct. 2 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. (CT). The contest is the Conference USA home opener for Memphis.
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Sept. 18, 2010
Tigers Outlast Blue Raiders 24-17 in 2010 Home Opener; Gregory Ray leads way with 121 yards and two touchdowns
By: Preston McClellan
Original Article Link
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tiger Nation not only witnessed history made Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, but also celebrated it. Behind Gregory Ray's 121 yard rushing and two touchdowns, Memphis recorded win No. 1 of the Larry Porter era with a hard-fought 24-17 victory over Middle Tennessee.
The Tigers held two 14-point leads in the game at 17-3 midway through the second quarter and 24-10 with 8:10 left in the third period. The Blue Raiders, though, cut the Memphis lead to seven points both times, and had two chances to tie the game in the fourth quarter when they started drives in Memphis territory.
The Tiger defense, however, forced punts both times and then held the Blue Raiders on downs with under two minutes to play to secure the win.
In the most-anticipated home opener in years with the unveiling of the tailgater's paradise, Tiger Lane, Memphis didn't disappoint the 27,975 fans in attendance with its first win of the 2010 campaign.
After taking a 17-10 advantage into halftime, Memphis padded its advantage on its second series of the third quarter. Defensive back Mohammed Seisay set up the Tiger offense in Middle Tennessee territory when he picked off Logan Kilgore and ran the interception back to the Blue Raider 44. Three plays later, Ray pushed the Tiger lead to 24-10 on his second nine-yard rushing score of the game.
The Blue Raiders changed quarterbacks on the next possession, substituting Jeff Murphy for Kilgore. Murphy made an immediate impact, finding a streaking Sancho McDonald for a 53-yard pass play that set up the visitors inside the Memphis 10. On 3rd-and-goal from the 1, Murphy found the pay dirt on a quarterback keeper to bring Middle Tennessee within seven at 24-17.
The Tiger offense stalled on the ensuing possession, allowing the Blue Raiders to take over in Memphis territory. A pass deflection by Marcus Ball followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the Blue Raiders out of field goal range, preserving the Memphis lead.
Middle Tennessee's final chance to tie the contest came with 2:59 remaining and the ball on its own 26. After three plays picked up nine yards, the Blue Raiders faced a 4th-and-1 at the 35 yard line. The Memphis defense, though, stepped up one last time.
Senior linebacker Winston Bowens busted through the line on the 4th-and-1 play and tackled in the backfield for a two-yard loss, halting the hopes of the Blue Raiders. The Tigers took over with 1:45 left and ran out the clock for the victory.
Tiger freshman quarterback Ryan Williams made his first collegiate start and was 15-of-28 passing for 129 yards and one touchdown toss. Tannar Rehrer and Jermaine McKenzie each had 37 yards receiving.
The Middle Tennessee Kilgore-Murphy tandem combined for 22-of-39 passing for 248 yards and one touchdown. Kilgore threw three interceptions. The Memphis defense held the Blue Raider ground game in check, allowing only 67 yards on 34 carries.
Middle Tennessee drew first blood in the contest, receiving the opening kick and completing two consecutive passes to move into Memphis territory. The Tigers' defense, though, held strong and forced the Blue Raiders to settle for a 32-yard field goal. Alan Geantry knocked it through the uprights to make it 3-0 just 2:25 into the game.
Two drives later, Memphis freshman defensive back Todd Washington intercepted Kilgore for the first time in the game, setting up the Tiger offense in great field position at the Blue Raider 39. Memphis drove the ball 34 yards in 4:16 to set up a 22-yard field goal from Paulo Henriques to tie the game 3-3 at the 5:12 mark of the first quarter.
The two teams traded possessions, and Middle Tennessee started at its own 34. On the third play of the series, Washington picked off his second interception and returned it to the Blue Raider 36.
Memphis took advantage of the Washington pick. The Tigers moved the ball 36 yards in six plays, and Ray polished off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put Memphis up 10-3 with 11:52 left to play in the first half.
The Tiger defense continued to apply pressure on the Blue Raider offense, as Dasmine Cathey stripped Middle Tennessee running back Phillip Tanner of the ball. Tiger strong safety Tremaine McKenzie recovered the ball at the Blue Raider 43.
For the second-straight time after a Blue Raider turnover, Memphis cashed in. Williams hooked up with Jermaine McKenzie over the middle on the ensuing drive for a 22-yard score that pushed the lead to 17-3. It was McKenzie's first career touchdown reception.
It didn't take long for Middle Tennessee to respond as the Blue Raiders scored a four-play, 62-yard drive that was capped by a 52-yard touchdown pass from Kilgore to Malcolm Beyah. The 63-second drive cut the Memphis lead to 17-10 with just over eight minutes left in the first half.
Jamon Hughes led the Tiger defense with nine total tackles and one TFL. Frank Trotter and Winston Bowens each added eight total tackles. Darin Davis led the Blue Raider defense with eight hits, one sack and one TFL.
Memphis continues C-USA play next weekend, as they travel to El Paso, Texas for a match-up against UTEP. The game is slated for 8:05 (CT).
MTSU/Tiger Lane Pictures:
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Sept. 11, 2010
Tigers Unsuccessful Against East Carolina, 49-27 In Conference USA Opener; Ryan Williams completed 18-of-25 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
By: Preston McClellan
Original article link
GREENVILLE, N.C.-Despite scoring 17 second-half points behind a strong showing from freshman quarterback Ryan Williams, the University of Memphis fell to East Carolina 49-27 Saturday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The game was the Conference USA opener for the Tigers.
Williams, who replaced Cannon Smith after four offensive series and again midway in the third quarter, completed 18-of-25 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith, who also played the first two series of the third quarter before leaving with an injury, finished with 19 yards on 3-of-6 passing and one interception.
Freshman Jerrell Rhodes led Memphis in the running game, amassing 59 yards on 17 carries to go along with 35 receiving yards. He was also the recipient of a Williams' touchdown toss, going 35 yards on a first-down screen pass at the 13:15 mark of the fourth quarter.
Greg Ray also saw significant action in the backfield for the Tigers, tallying 34 yards on 10 carries. Ray scored the first touchdown of his career on a 32-yard swing pass from Williams in the second quarter.
Jamon Hughes led the Memphis defense with 17 tackles, including five solo stops and one TFL. Three other Tigers recorded TFLs, including Dasmine Cathey's five-yard sack of Pirate quarterback Dominique Davis.
Another bright spot was freshman punter Tom Hornsey, who had four punts for an average of 43 yards and two downed inside the 5.
Davis paced the East Carolina offense, passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns to go along with two rushing scores. Jon Williams led the Pirates on the ground, totaling 109 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown.
The Tigers found themselves in a hole early, as the Pirates scored two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the contest.
Memphis forced East Carolina to punt on its first series, and the Tigers took over on their own 6 yard line. The Tigers fumbled the ball on their second play from scrimmage, and Pirate defensive lineman Josh Smith recovered the loose ball at the Memphis 12.
Three plays later, Davis connected with Giavanni Ruffin for an 11-yard score. A Mike Barbour extra point gave the home squad a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing possession for Memphis, Smith was intercepted by Derek Blacknall, who returned it for a 46-yard score to give the Pirates a 14-0 lead.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard on their next drive, using 25 yards on the ground from Rhodes and a 22-yard scramble from Smith. Smith was sacked on third down, setting up a 38-yard field goal from Paulo Henriques to slice into the Pirate advantage 14-3.
East Carolina extended its lead to 21-3 powered by a 31-yard run from Jon Williams and capped by a five-yard pass from Davis to Dwayne Harris.
Turnovers got the best of Memphis again on its next drive as a botched handoff from Smith to Rhodes was recovered by East Carolina's Matt Thompson at Memphis' 24 yard line.
From there, the Pirates used a four-play drive -- capped by a Williams' two-yard touchdown run -- to extend the lead to 28-3 just before the end of the first quarter.
On the Tigers' fourth possession, Williams replaced Smith as the signal-caller. After a one-yard run from Rhodes, Williams completed a 35-yard pass to Billy Foster streaking down the right sideline.
Two plays later, Williams found Ray out in the flat for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 35-10. It was Williams' first career collegiate touchdown pass, and Ray's first career touchdown reception.
Memphis' defense stepped up the remainder of the first half and held East Carolina at bay. The Tigers had opportunities to put more points on the board, but were unable to capitalize.
Memphis pushed to the Pirate 40 yard line near the six-minute mark, but two-straight dropped passes ended the Tigers' drive.
The Tigers had another chance with 2:52 left before halftime when they took over the ball at the Pirate 45 after a shifty eight-yard punt return from Curtis Johnson. Williams completed an 11-yard pass to Johnson on third down, setting up a 4th-and-1. The East Carolina defense, however, halted the Memphis drive, ending the Tigers' last chance to score before the break.
Memphis switched quarterbacks at the start of the third quarter, with Smith taking over under center. Smith led the Tiger offense to one first down, but was sacked for a loss of seven yards on third down, forcing another Hornsey punt.
Smith played three series in the third quarter, but was unable to lead the Tigers to a score. Williams entered the game again midway through the third period and played the remainder of the contest.
Williams led the Tigers on a five-play, 60-yard drive that was finished off by a 13-yard touchdown reception by Marcus Rucker to narrow the margin to 35-17.
East Carolina scored its sixth touchdown of the game on its next drive, using 11 plays to go 80 yards in 3:14 to push its lead to 42-17.
Memphis cut the margin to 42-24 on a 35-yard pass from Williams to Rhodes at the 13:15 mark of the fourth quarter.
On the next possession, East Carolina responded with a game-clinching drive, going 71 yards on 17 plays in 7:12 to put the game out of reach at 49-24 with 6:03 remaining.
Memphis added another field goal from Henriques, who connected from 42 yards out with 1:01 left in the game.
Memphis falls to 6-13 in the all-time series against East Carolina, and has lost five straight against the Pirates. The last Memphis victory came in 2005 when Memphis won 27-24 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers open their home campaign next weekend against Middle Tennessee at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Game time is slated for 6 pm (CT).
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Williams, who replaced Cannon Smith after four offensive series and again midway in the third quarter, completed 18-of-25 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith, who also played the first two series of the third quarter before leaving with an injury, finished with 19 yards on 3-of-6 passing and one interception.
Freshman Jerrell Rhodes led Memphis in the running game, amassing 59 yards on 17 carries to go along with 35 receiving yards. He was also the recipient of a Williams' touchdown toss, going 35 yards on a first-down screen pass at the 13:15 mark of the fourth quarter.
Greg Ray also saw significant action in the backfield for the Tigers, tallying 34 yards on 10 carries. Ray scored the first touchdown of his career on a 32-yard swing pass from Williams in the second quarter.
Jamon Hughes led the Memphis defense with 17 tackles, including five solo stops and one TFL. Three other Tigers recorded TFLs, including Dasmine Cathey's five-yard sack of Pirate quarterback Dominique Davis.
Another bright spot was freshman punter Tom Hornsey, who had four punts for an average of 43 yards and two downed inside the 5.
Davis paced the East Carolina offense, passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns to go along with two rushing scores. Jon Williams led the Pirates on the ground, totaling 109 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown.
The Tigers found themselves in a hole early, as the Pirates scored two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the contest.
Memphis forced East Carolina to punt on its first series, and the Tigers took over on their own 6 yard line. The Tigers fumbled the ball on their second play from scrimmage, and Pirate defensive lineman Josh Smith recovered the loose ball at the Memphis 12.
Three plays later, Davis connected with Giavanni Ruffin for an 11-yard score. A Mike Barbour extra point gave the home squad a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing possession for Memphis, Smith was intercepted by Derek Blacknall, who returned it for a 46-yard score to give the Pirates a 14-0 lead.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard on their next drive, using 25 yards on the ground from Rhodes and a 22-yard scramble from Smith. Smith was sacked on third down, setting up a 38-yard field goal from Paulo Henriques to slice into the Pirate advantage 14-3.
East Carolina extended its lead to 21-3 powered by a 31-yard run from Jon Williams and capped by a five-yard pass from Davis to Dwayne Harris.
Turnovers got the best of Memphis again on its next drive as a botched handoff from Smith to Rhodes was recovered by East Carolina's Matt Thompson at Memphis' 24 yard line.
From there, the Pirates used a four-play drive -- capped by a Williams' two-yard touchdown run -- to extend the lead to 28-3 just before the end of the first quarter.
On the Tigers' fourth possession, Williams replaced Smith as the signal-caller. After a one-yard run from Rhodes, Williams completed a 35-yard pass to Billy Foster streaking down the right sideline.
Two plays later, Williams found Ray out in the flat for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 35-10. It was Williams' first career collegiate touchdown pass, and Ray's first career touchdown reception.
Memphis' defense stepped up the remainder of the first half and held East Carolina at bay. The Tigers had opportunities to put more points on the board, but were unable to capitalize.
Memphis pushed to the Pirate 40 yard line near the six-minute mark, but two-straight dropped passes ended the Tigers' drive.
The Tigers had another chance with 2:52 left before halftime when they took over the ball at the Pirate 45 after a shifty eight-yard punt return from Curtis Johnson. Williams completed an 11-yard pass to Johnson on third down, setting up a 4th-and-1. The East Carolina defense, however, halted the Memphis drive, ending the Tigers' last chance to score before the break.
Memphis switched quarterbacks at the start of the third quarter, with Smith taking over under center. Smith led the Tiger offense to one first down, but was sacked for a loss of seven yards on third down, forcing another Hornsey punt.
Smith played three series in the third quarter, but was unable to lead the Tigers to a score. Williams entered the game again midway through the third period and played the remainder of the contest.
Williams led the Tigers on a five-play, 60-yard drive that was finished off by a 13-yard touchdown reception by Marcus Rucker to narrow the margin to 35-17.
East Carolina scored its sixth touchdown of the game on its next drive, using 11 plays to go 80 yards in 3:14 to push its lead to 42-17.
Memphis cut the margin to 42-24 on a 35-yard pass from Williams to Rhodes at the 13:15 mark of the fourth quarter.
On the next possession, East Carolina responded with a game-clinching drive, going 71 yards on 17 plays in 7:12 to put the game out of reach at 49-24 with 6:03 remaining.
Memphis added another field goal from Henriques, who connected from 42 yards out with 1:01 left in the game.
Memphis falls to 6-13 in the all-time series against East Carolina, and has lost five straight against the Pirates. The last Memphis victory came in 2005 when Memphis won 27-24 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers open their home campaign next weekend against Middle Tennessee at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Game time is slated for 6 pm (CT).
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Sept. 4, 2010
Tigers Fall to Bulldogs in Season Opener;
STARKVILLE, Miss.-- Despite a spirited effort in the first game under head coach Larry Porter, the University of Memphis Tigers fell to the Mississippi State Bulldogs 49-7 in their season opener at Davis Wade Stadium.
Memphis scored its lone touchdown with 1:39 remaining in the fourth quarter when Cannon Smith hooked up with Marcus Rucker on a 27-yard touchdown strike. The Tigers have now scored in 132 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Conference USA.
Smith, who started the game at quarterback for the Tigers, finished with 111 yards on 10-of-15 passing with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Freshmen running back Jerrell Rhodes led Memphis on the ground, gaining 26 yards on 10 carries. Greg Ray netted 20 yards on nine carries with a long rush of 13 yards.
Jamon Hughes, a transfer from Mississippi State, and Marcus Ball led the way on defense for the Tigers. Hughes accounted for nine tackles, including an eight-yard sack. Ball had eight tackles, six of which were unassisted.
Memphis found itself in a hole early, as Mississippi State took a 7-0 advantage less than five minutes into the contest after Bulldog quarterback Chris Relf connected with Leon Berry for a 55-yard touchdown score.
The Bulldogs added another score on their next drive, marching 91 yards in 2:42 to make it 14-0, as Tyler Russell connected on a 20-yard strike with Brandon Heavens for the first of his two touchdown receptions in the contest.
Memphis' best first half scoring opportunity came on its second drive of the game after a Terrence Thomas interception set the Tigers up with good field position on the Bulldog half of the field.
Paulo Henriques' 49-yard kick attempt, however, missed just right, and the Tigers were unable to score for the remainder of the half.
The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 21-0 going into halftime on a 51-yard touchdown run by Vick Ballard at the 1:58 mark in the second quarter.
Ryan Williams made his collegiate debut for Memphis on the third offensive series of the game. Williams completed his first attempted pass to Tannar Rehrer for a pickup of 18 yards. He finished the game with 85 yards on 10-of-17 passing with two interceptions.
Mississippi State kept applying the pressure after halftime, as the Bulldogs marched down the field and added another seven to their lead on the opening drive of the second half.
Russell found a streaking Heavens, and the duo hooked up for another score to make it 28-0.
Williams was intercepted on the ensuing drive, allowing the Bulldogs to set up 1st-and-10 from the Memphis 20. Three plays later, Mississippi State punched it into the end zone, pushing its lead to 35-0.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 42-0 when Russell found Chad Bumphis across the middle for 57-yard touchdown pass with 6:57 remaining in the third quarter.
Russell and Bumphis connected again at the 11:23 mark of the final period to make it 49-0.
Memphis punter Tom Hornsey's 438 yards ranks fourth all-time on the Tiger single-game punting yards chart. It is the most since James Gaither had 450 yards punting against Southern Miss in 2001. Hugh Owens owns the single-game record with 492 yards punting against Texas A&M in 1979.
Tiger junior Billy Foster logged the first 100-yard return game in his first collegiate game. Foster totaled 160 yards on seven returns. He recorded four returns over 20 yards, including a long return of 32 yards in the first quarter.
The 160 kick-return yards ranks tied for fifth all-time on the Memphis single-game list. Marcus Hightower's 169 return yards against Houston in 2009 is the school record.
