Tigers land two on Liberty Bowl All-decade Team
Autozone Liberty Bowl officials spent the last few months honoring players on their weekly All-decade Teams. And thanks to Memphis' participation in 2017, the Tigers now have a pair of players recognized.
Receiver Anthony Miller and linebacker Genard Avery were not only two of the top players in a narrow 21-20 loss to Iowa State at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, but they were also chosen among the elite at their position in the entire 2010s. The final installment of the decade's best was released last week on Twitter.
Miller, a member of the NFL'S Chicago Bears, caught four passes for 55 yards and one touchdown – a 10-yard reception in the middle of the first quarter. Avery, drafted by Cleveland and later traded to Philadelphia, registered five total tackles, including three solos, to go along with his 2.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry.
UCF, Cincinnati and Tulsa earned wins in the first three games of the decade. On Dec. 31, 2013, current Dallas QB Dak Prescott left his mark in the Bluff City. During a convincing 44-7 victory over Rice, Prescott threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 78 yards and two more scores.
His fine individual effort set the tone for three consecutive high-scoring contests from 2014-16: Texas A&M over West Virginia (45-37), Arkansas over Kansas State (45-23) and Georgia over
TCU (31-23). Among the all-decade picks for the regional favorite Razorbacks were receiver Hunter Henry and tailback Alex Collins, who tallied 185 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
In 2018, Oklahoma State outlasted Missouri, 38-33, while last year’s game featured a ton of Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry excelling with his quick feet in a 20-17 victory against Kansas State. Perry carried the ball 28 times for 213 yards and also threw for a TD pass.
Here’s the complete 2010s All-decade Team:
Quarterbacks – Dak Prescott (Mississippi State, 2013); Malcolm Perry (Navy, 2019)
Running Backs/receivers – Larry Rountree (Missouri, 2018); Alex Collins (Arkansas, 2015); Hunter Henry (Arkansas, 2015); Allen Lazard (Iowa State, 2017); Jameon Lewis (Mississippi State, 2013); Anthony Miller (Memphis, 2017)
Offensive Linemen – Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M, 2014); Clint Boling (Georgia, 2010); Gabe Jackson (Mississippi State, 2013); Cody Whitehair (Kansas State, 2015); Jah Reid (UCF, 2010)
Kicker – Josh Lambert (West Virginia, 2014)
Punter – Corey Fatony (Missouri, 2018)
Defensive Backs – Cam Hilton (Missouri, 2018); Casey Heyward (Vanderbilt); KJ Dillon (West Virginia, 2014); Jeremy Reeves (Iowa State, 2012)
Linebackers – A.J. Klein (Iowa State, 2012); Genard Avery (Memphis, 2017); Marcel Spears (Iowa State, 2017)
Defensive Linemen – Trenton Thompson (Georgia, 2016); Enoch Smith (Oklahoma State, 2018); Josh Carraway (TCU, 2016); J.D. Waggoner (Iowa State, 2017)
Head Coach – Dan Mullen (Mississippi State, 2013)