Tigers find another gear in 4th quarter to defeat USF
Memphis scored 14 points in the final 4:36 and rallied from double digits for the second time this season to beat a team at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
November typically is the month where Memphis kicks it another gear. On Saturday, the Tigers waited until the fourth quarter to show it.
The Tigers scored 14 points in the final 4:36 and rallied for a 34-33 win over USF. For the second time this season, they rallied from double digits to beat a team at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
It didn’t mask how Memphis (4-2, 3-2 AAC) struggled for three quarters despite being a 17.5-point favorite against the Bulls (1-6, 0-5). But once again, the Tigers showed resilience and finished the fight when they needed to.
Here’s five things learned from the Tigers’ latest comeback.
Brady White was 11-for-13 passing on the final two scoring drives to bring Memphis back. The first ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Sean Dykes and the second culminated with Calvin Austin III catching a 9-yard go-ahead touchdown with 1:03 left.
It was almost déjà vu to White connecting with Austin for the final touchdown when the Tigers beat UCF on Oct. 17. White, who finished with 437 passing yards, won his 24th game at Memphis to set a new school record for quarterback wins, and his four touchdown passes now have him at 81 in his career, which ties Danny Wimprine’s school record.
Austin, with 102 receiving yards on five catches, tied Anthony Miller’s school record for consecutive 100-yard games with four.
The win overcomes another slow start
Where to begin. Was it the Tigers having just 67 yards in the first quarter? Allowing a 75-yard touchdown after Austin’s 65-yard touchdown catch? White’s interception by USF’S Daquan Evans returned for a touchdown in the second quarter?
Memphis trailed at halftime for the fifth consecutive game. And yet when the Tigers needed to score, White picked apart a secondary that led the AAC in passing yards allowed per game entering Saturday.
Sean Dykes had his best game in three weeks
Dykes finished with seven catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Six of his catches came on third down as he was White’s security blanket.
Dykes had just three catches for nine yards in his last two games. It was a good reminder why the senior tight end has been so effective at the beginning of the season.
Defense, 4th down woes continue
The Tigers still had defensive issues against USF.
The Bulls entered the game 96th nationally in total offense. USF only had one previous game scoring 30 points, yet was able to move the ball with ease. Quarterback Noah Johnson set a season-high with 217 passing yards.
There were also questionable decisions that hurt Memphis. The Tigers started 0-for-3 on fourth-down conversions and USF turned one of those missed conversions into a field goal on its opening drive.
Memphis also could’ve had a field goal on fourthand-2 from the USF 3-yard line but White’s pass was incomplete.
But the defense made up for it. They held USF to 29 yards on its final three drives and Memphis played cleaner in the fourth quarter to escape with the win.
Tigers keep streaks alive
Memphis set a program record with its 13th straight home win. It also extended a 14-game winning streak in November going back to 2016. The last team to beat the Tigers in this month? USF.
More importantly, it kept the Tigers’ hopes alive for a fourth consecutive AAC Championship game appearance. This isn’t the team that looked dominant in 2017 and 2019 but warts and all, they found a way to win against a team that has lost six in a row.
It might not be as big as coming back to beat UCF, but the Tigers have some confidence now heading into their scheduled game at Navy next week, which remains in doubt due to COVID-19 issues at the Naval Academy.
You can reach Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com