Tigers’, Dogs’ road game results differ
League-leading U of M’s second-half surge puts away Green Wave
Tigers trounce Tulane, 38-7: The University of Memphis cracks down in the Crescent City, beating the Green Wave on its home turf. Saturday’s victory — the U of M’s fourth road win in a row — is the team’s first such streak since 2004.
TIGERS 38, TULANE 7
NEWORLEANS— So this is how a rebuilding college football program handles a little adversity. With poise and explosiveness. The University of Memphis struggled offensively throughout most of Saturday’s American Athletic game at Yulman Stadium, but the league-leading Tigers relied on their defense — and Tulane’s generosity — to win handily, 38-7.
The Green Wave, who lost to Memphis for the eighth straight time in the series, committed five turnovers, including two interceptions the Tigers (7-3, 5-1 AAC) returned for touchdowns. Tulane (3-7, 2-4) also botched two field goal attempts to spoil the first homecoming at the school’s new on-campus stadium.
The Tigers close the regular season with back-to-back home games against South Florida and UConn and can assure themselves no worse than a share of the AAC title if they win out. Saturday’s victory was the U of M’s fourth straight, the team’s first such streak since 2003 when Danny Wimprine, who attended the game, was the Tigers’ quarterback.
“I’m proud of our team, to come in here and win,” said Tiger coach Justin Fuente. “We didn’t play our best game offensively, but we flopped around there well enough to win and that’s a good thing.”
After being held to 98 yards in the first half, the Tigers finished with 334, including 114 second-half rushing yards. Quarterback Paxton Lynch passed for 178 yards and a touchdown and the Tigers rushed for 156, but it was the defense that set an early tone by scoring the first touchdown — a 15-yard interception return by Bobby McCain — two minutes into the opening quarter and forcing five turnovers.
“That was a huge tempo-setter,” Fuente said.
The Tiger defense intercepted Tulane quarterback Tanner Lee three times, which allowed a sputtering offense to gradually find its rhythm.
“We didn’t freak out (early) even though we weren’t moving the ball,” Lynch said. “We knew, basically, we were hurting ourselves out there. Whenever we started blocking who we were supposed to block and throwing to who we were supposed to throw to, they really couldn’t stop us on offense.”
Leading 10-0 at the half, the Tigers extended their advantage to 17-0 early in the third quarter following a fourth Tulane turnover. After Green Wave running back Dontrell Hilliard lost his second fumble of the game, Lynch quickly moved the U of M 50 yards in four plays, finding receiver Mose Frazier alone, and waving his arms near the goal line, for a 38yard score.
“I saw the guy that was supposed to be covering (Frazier) running at me,” Lynch said. “I just gave Mose a chance and he went up and made the play.”
Later in the 20-point quarter, the Tigers got a 58-yard interception return for a TD by Dontrell Nelson and a 4-yard scoring run by Lynch. Lynch’s TD came in the closing seconds of the third quarter. The U of M’s final score came with 1:03 left when freshman Robert Davis scored on a 2-yard run.
“The defense played a great game,” Frazier said. “They constantly bailed us out.”
In an error- f illed opening half, the Tigers grabbed the 10-point lead.
The U of M’s first score came on the game’s first mistake, a bad pass by Tulane’s Lee that McCain intercepted. Although McCain briefly bobbled the ball, he gathered it in and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown with 13:05 to go in the opening quarter.
On the ensuing Tulane possession, Memphis got its second pick as Andrew Gaines made a running, over-the-shoulder interception near the Tiger sideline.
The miscues continued. Later in the quarter, Tiger receiver Adrian Henderson was stripped of the football by Tulane defensive end Royce LaFrance. Linebacker Nico Marley recovered. On the ensuing play, the Green Wave’s Hilliard fumbled back to Memphis. Tiger Leonard Pegues forced the fumble and Latarius Brady recovered.
Next, the execution problems spread to special teams. The U of M’s Jake Elliott was wide right on a 47-yard field goal try with 6:33 left in the first quarter and five minutes later Tulane’s Andrew DiRocco missed from 42 yards.
The mistakes subsided long enough in the second quarter for Elliott to cap a short Tiger drive with a 22-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 5:11 to go in the half.
And to end the opening half as it started, the Green Wave botched a 23-yard DiRocco attempt in the closing seconds as holder Peter Picerelli mishandled the snap.
“It was not our best day for sure,” Lee said. “We tried to make plays, but they weren’t there.”