Nov. 25
Memphis 38 ... UTEP 19
Joe Doss scored three touchdowns and T.J. Pitts and Earnest
Williams added short scoring runs as Memphis shocked UTEP. The Miner offense
turned it over four times and only gained 16 rushing yards being stuck in
comeback mode for most of the second half. The Tigers were only up 10-6 at
halftime but exploded for 28 second half points. UTEP got two Daniel Robinson
touchdown catches in the second half with a 55-yard strike coming with just over
five minutes to play.
Player of the game
... Memphis
RB Joseph Doss ran 28 times for 82 yards and three touchdowns and caught three
passes for 15 yards
Stat Leaders: UTEP - Passing: Jordan Palmer, 22-37,
307 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Marcus Thomas, 5-16 Receiving: Daniel
Robinson, 6-112, 2 TD
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 16-26, 218 yds
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 28-82, 3 TD Receiving: Duke
Calhoun, 5-129
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Where was that Joseph Doss all season long? The Memphis offense
shocked UTEP with good play from QB Martin Hankins and a workhorse day from Doss
that didn't crank out too many yards, but kept the chains moving. This might
have been a disastrous season, but it ended on a high note with hope for the
future after a stunning road win. Now the team has to spend the next several
months figuring out how to play more consistent defense.
|
2006
Schedule
2006 Record:
2-10 |
| 9/2 |
at Ole Miss L 28-25 |
| 9/9 |
Chattanooga W 33-14 |
| 9/16 |
at East Carolina L 35-20 |
| 9/30 |
Tennessee L 41-7 |
| 10/7 |
at UAB L 35-29 |
| 10/14 |
Arkansas State L 26-23 |
| 10/21 |
Tulsa L 35-14 |
| 10/28 |
at Marshall L 41-27 |
| 11/4 |
Southern Miss L 42-21 |
| 11/11 |
UCF L 26-24 |
| 11/18 |
Houston L 23-20 OT |
| 11/25 |
at UTEP W 38-19 |
|
|
2005
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 6-5
2005 Record: 7-5
Preview
2005 predicted wins
|
| 9/5 |
Ole Miss L 10-6 |
|
9/17 |
Chattanooga
W 59-14 |
| 9/24 |
at Tulsa
L 37-31 OT |
| 10/1 |
UTEP
W 27-20 |
| 10/8 |
at UCF
L 38-17 |
| 10/15 |
at Houston W 35-20 |
| 10/22 |
East Carolina
W 27-24 |
| 11/1 |
UAB L 37-20 |
| 11/12 |
at Tennessee L 20-16 |
| 11/19 |
at
So Miss W 24-22 |
| 11/26 |
Marshall
W 26-3 |
| 12/27 |
Motor City Bowl
Akron W 38-31 |
|
Nov. 18
Houston 23 ... Memphis 20 OT
Houston survived a Memphis comeback with a 17-yard Ben Bell
field goal in overtime after Matt Reagan missed a 40-yard attempt.
Down 20-6 late in the fourth quarter, Memphis got a one-yard Joe
Doss touchdown run and a returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for
a score to tie it at 20. The Tigers got out to a 6-0 lead on two
Matt Reagan field goals, but Houston rolled for 20 straight points
with two Kevin Kolb touchdown passes and two Ben Bell field goals.
Player of the
game ...
Houston QB Kevin
Kolb threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-24 passing.
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Kevin Kolb,
19-24, 166 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Jackie Battle, 27-137 Receiving: Vincent
Marshall, 8-51, 1 TD
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 12-23, 100
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 28-133, 1 TD Receiving: Joseph
Doss, 4-31
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The nightmare of a Memphis season just won’t die. Give credit to the
Tigers for showing the fight to comeback late in the fourth quarter
against Houston to tie it up, but like always, the defense couldn’t
come up with a stop when it desperately needed one. With one game
left at UTEP, the Tigers need something positive to take into the
off-season. To get the win, Joe Doss needs to have another big
running day.
Nov. 11
UCF 26 ... Memphis 24
Michael Torres kicked an 18-yard field goal with just over
three minutes to play and the D held on as UCF broke a four-game
losing streak. Torres four field goals scoring the team's final 12
points, but Memphis stayed alive on 28-yard touchdown catches from
Joseph Doss and Duke Calhoun. Steven Moffett had a career day for
the Golden Knights throwing for 319 yards with a 29-yard scoring
pass to Mike Walker and a three-yard pass to Shane Smith for a 14-0
lead before Calhoun answered with a 24-yard touchdown.
Player of the game ...
UCF QB Steven Moffett completed 19 of 28 passes for 319 yards and two
touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 27-41, 272
yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 12-59 Receiving: Ryan Scott, 8-47
UCF - Passing: Steven Moffett, 19-28, 319 yds,
2 TD
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 28-93 Receiving: Rocky Ross, 6-135
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Once again, the Memphis defense was awful making the UCF offense
looking like the Indianapolis Colt attack. The secondary was awful
with the corners completely unable to stay with the Golden Knight
receivers short, long, and everywhere in between. UCF held on to the
ball for 36:15 because the Memphis D wasn't able to get stops. It
would be nice if Joe Doss and the running game could start to take
control of games early, but at this point, and with this defense,
it's going to be all about Martin Hankins bombing away.
Nov. 5
Southern Miss 42 ... Memphis 21
Southern Miss won in a walk scoring the first 28 points of the
game on two Jeremy Young touchdown passes and one-yard scores from Damion
Fletcher and Bobby Weakley. The two teams traded scores the rest of the way with
Jeremy Young hitting Chris Johnson for his second score of the game, while
Memphis got short touchdown runs from Joe Doss and Duke Calhoun.
Player of the game ...
Southern Miss QB Jeremy Young completed 11 of 21 passes for 193 yards and
three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 12-32, 151
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 22-105, 1 TD Receiving: Joe Doss, 3-25
Southern Miss - Passing: Jeremy Young, 11-21, 193 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Tory Harrison, 12-138 Receiving: Anthony Perine,
4-73, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Memphis doesn't have the type of offense
built for comebacks, so when the defense couldn't
slow down the Southern Miss offense in the first quarter, it was over. The Tiger
D has been awful all season long not having any one thing it can count on. USM
ran and threw at will, while the Tiger offense wasn't able to strike back
quickly enough to make it a game. Can the Tigers go winless against D-I teams?
If the D plays like this against UCF, Houston and UTEP, yes, and it won't even
be close.
Oct. 28
Marshall 41 ... Memphis 27
The Marshall defense forced four turnovers and the offense got
three touchdowns from Ahmad Bradshaw. The Herd got up 35-13 in the third quarter
on Bradshaw runs from 52 and 26 yards out, and then the D closed any hope of a
Tiger comeback with an 85-yard C.J. Spillman interception return for a score.
The Herd passing game also got in the act with a 75-yard Cody Slater touchdown
catch and a 14-yard grab from Emmanuel Spann. Memphis moved the ball, but the
turnovers proved too costly. Martin Hankins threw two touchdown passes for
the Tigers.
Player of the game ...
Marshall RB Ahmad
Bradshaw had 125 yards and two scores on 25 carries to go along with one catch
for 26 yards and another touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 26-42, 322
yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 20-80, 1 TD Receiving: Carlos Singleton,
6-70
Marshall - Passing: Jimmy Skinner, 13-21, 184 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Ahmad Bradshaw, 25-125, 2 TDs Receiving: Cody Slate,
4-135, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Memphis got its offense going against Marshall, but
it made too many mistakes and couldn't come up with a big stop over the first
three quarters. Even with the problems, the passing production from Martin
Hankins was a good step in the hope of finally breaking through and getting a
win, but until the run defense improves, it's going to be a long wait for the
Tigers.
Oct. 21
Tulsa 35 ... Memphis 14
Tulsa had no problems doing whatever it wanted to scoring on
its first three possessions with a Courtney Tennial running for the first of his
three scores, Ryan Bugg catching a 41-yard scoring pass, and Dexter Taylor
getting a four-yard touchdown for a 21-7 halftime lead. Tennial ran for scores
from two and three yards out in the second half. Memphis got a four-yard Joe
Doss touchdown run in the second quarter and a 13-yard scoring pass from Martin
Hankins in the fourth.
Player of
the game ...
Tulsa RB Courtney Tennial ran 21 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Tulsa - Passing: Paul Smith, 17-20, 217 yds,
1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Courtney Tennial, 21-98, 3 TD Receiving: Idris
Moss, 6-59
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 24-37, 157 yds, 1 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 21-80, 1 TD Receiving:
Ryan Scott, 6-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Memphis isn't getting anything out of its defense. It
couldn't come up with any key stops against Tulsa and only came away with one
turnover. Even though the offense struggled to get anything consistently going,
it wasn't too bad on third downs and held on to the ball in the second half.
Eventually, the Tigers have to force a few breaks to finally stop this ugly
five-game losing streak, and eventually, the passing game has to start producing
more big plays.
Oct. 14
Arkansas State 26 ... Memphis 23
Patrick Higgins caught a 53-yard jump ball touchdown pass with
no time left on the clock to stun Memphis. Higgins also caught a 26-yard scoring
strike in the first half, to go along with a 16-yard Brandon Thompkins scoring
run and two Josh Arauco field goals. Memphis battled in the see-saw game getting
a 37-yard touchdown play from Joe Doss with just 6:40 to play, but couldn't run
out the clock giving it to ASU on its own 27 with 1:32 to play. A 15-yard
facemask penalty on a sack and a five-yard Curtis Wilson run set up the final,
dramatic play.
Player of the game ...
Arkansas State WR
Patrick Higgins caught just two passes for 79 yards, but both went for
touchdowns, including the game-winner on the final play from 53 yards out.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard,
12-of-23, 219 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Curtis Wilkerson, 23-116 Receiving: Kevin Jones, 3-73
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 12-27, 178 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 18-69 Receiving: Ryan Scott, 3-28
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
How demoralizing is the loss to Arkansas State? It
could be a killer. Not only did the Tigers lose on a heartbreaking final play,
they got outplayed by a Sun Belt team all game long.
Joe Doss and the running game were bottled up, and QB
Martin Hanks was awful. Now they have to deal with Tulsa next week in what will
likely mean the sixth loss of the year against a D-I team. Something has to
start going right somewhere, but the team also has to start making its own
breaks.
Oct. 7
UAB 35 ... Memphis 29
Corey White ran for three touchdowns including two in the
third quarter with a two-yard dash giving UAB its first lead of the game.
Memphis only managed a field goal in the fourth quarter to pull within six, but
couldn't get closer with a final drive snuffed out with an interception. Memphis
QB Martin Hankins had a huge day throwing three touchdown passes including an
82-yard strike to Ryan Scott on the first play from scrimmage.
Player of the game ... UAB RB Corey White ran 28 times
for 129 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 22-30, 303
yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 18-62. Receiving:
Ryan Scott, 6-120, 1 TD
UAB - Passing: Chris Williams, 12-20, 134
yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Corey White, 28-129, 3 TD Receiving:
Willie Edwards, 5-70, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
On the positive side in the loss to UAB, Martin
Hankins was terrific throwing the ball. While a bulk of his yards came on the
opening play of the game, he was efficient and he moved the chains when Joe Doss
and the ground game weren't working well. The defense isn't stopping anyone, so
the offense has to be geared more towards shootouts. The Conference USA title is
gone, but the team needs to get back on track next week next week against
Arkansas State before facing Tulsa.
Sept. 30
Tennessee 41 ... Memphis 7
Tennessee was never threatened as Erik Ainge threw for four
touchdown passes with Robert Meachem weaving his way for an 84-yard score and
Jayson Swain scoring form five and 51 yards out. A seven-yard strike to Bret
Smith put the Vols up 34-0 early in the fourth quarter, and David Yancey
ten-yard run closed out the UT scoring. Memphis, which struggled to get its
offense going all day long, finally got on the scoreboard on a 21-yard Duke
Calhoun touchdown catch with less than four minutes to play.
Player of the game ...
Tennessee QB Erik Ainge
completed 24 of 28 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 11-17, 80
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: JaMarcus Gaither, 6-14 Receiving: Duke Calhoun,
3-30, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 24-28, 331 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: LaMarcus Coker, 26-125 Receiving: Bret Smith, 6-53, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Tennessee is playing as well as anyone in the country
right now, so getting blown out isn't anything to be too upset about. However,
the Tigers have to be concerned about an offense that can't find any consistency
and wasn't able to keep the chains moving. The suspension of Joe Doss for the
first half, after he was late for a team meeting, took away any running game
early on, and Martin Hankins wasn't able to pick up the slack. The short passes
were there, and now they have to turn into longer gains. Hankins has to do a
better job of pushing the ball down the field.
Sept. 16
East Carolina 35 ... Memphis 20
East Carolina came up with five interceptions and outscored
the Tigers 28-0 in the second half with pick sixes from Zach Slate and Kasey
Ross along with a five-yard scoring run by Chris Johnson and a 33-yard touchdown
pass to Aundre Allison. Martin Hankins threw three touchdown passes in the first
half for the Tigers, but he was pressured all second half and couldn't stop
giving the ball to the Pirates.
Player of the game ... Memphis DB Kasey Ross made eight
tackles and one interception for a 77-yard touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin
Hankins, 24-45, 265 yds, 3 TD, 5 INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 23-99,. Receiving:
Mario Pratcher, 5-44
East Carolina - Passing: James Pinkney,
18-26, 236 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chris Johnson, 22-106, 2 TD Receiving:
Aundre Allison, 9-124, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The five interceptions thrown by Martin Hankins against
East Carolina is a big concern, but the lack of defense is the bigger problem.
In two D-I games, the Tigers had problems with an Ole Miss attack that has done
nothing since, and couldn't handle anything the Pirates wanted to do. Even so,
if the Tigers didn't shoot themselves in the foot over and over again, it
would've won. It has to be nearly flawless to beat Tennessee in two weeks, and
it needs to be far stronger against the run.
Sept. 9
Memphis 33 ... Chattanooga 14
Chattanooga struck first on a ten-yard touchdown catch from
Michael Johnson, and then Memphis went on a 33 point run with Jamarcus Gaither
scoring twice and a trick play with QB Martin Hankins catching a 26-yard
touchdown pass. Chattanooga couldn't get the offense moving and didn't score
again until 1:16 to play on a Michael Gilmore six-yard touchdown catch.
Player of the game ... Memphis QB Martin Hankins completed 19 of 30
passes for 294 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He also caught a
touchdown pss.
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin
Hankins, 19-30, 294 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamarcus Gaither, 10-49, 2 TD. Receiving:
Duke Calhoun, 4-109
Chattanooga - Passing: Antonio Miller,
15-27, 111 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Eldra Buckley, 24-105. Receiving: Eldra
Buckley, 5-20
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The win over Chattanooga was a walk in the park, but the
offense wasn't quite humming the way the coaching staff might like. There were a
few too many problems on third downs and the passing game, while crisp when it
had to be, wasn't always on. The big issue is at kicker where Trey Adams
struggled throughout the game. Memphis is going to be in several tight
Conference USA battles and it'll need Adams to be reliable.
Sept. 3
Ole Miss 28 ... Memphis 25
Ole Miss got two one-yard touchdown runs from BenJarvus
Green-Ellis and a scoring run from Brent Schaeffer to hold off Memphis in an
entertaining game. The Tigers struck first on an eight-yard touchdown catch from
Carlos Singleton and tied it at 14 late in the first half on a 49-yard scoring
play from Ryan Scott. After pulling within three late on a two-yard Antonio
McCoy touchdown catch and a successful two-point conversion, Ole Miss was able
to run out the clock helped by a twisting first down run from Schaeffer. Ole
Miss LB Patrick Willis made 12 tackles.
Player of the game ... Ole Miss RB BenJarvus
Green-Ellis ran 26 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin
Hankins, 21-27, 211 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 23-112. Receiving:
Earnest Williams, 4-25
Ole Miss - Passing: Brent Schaeffer,
7-16, 97 yds
Rushing: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, 26-17, 2 TD. Receiving:
Dexter McCluster, 6-86
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... While it
was a disappointing loss to Ole Miss, there were some major positives to come
out of it. First, Joseph Doss played, as expected, like a lesser version of
DeAngelo Williams. He showed quickness and power rushing for 112 yards against a
tough Rebel run D. Secondly, Martin Hankins was steady at quarterback completing
21 of 27 passes without an interception. The run defense had problems, but
BenJarvus Green-Ellis will be one of the best backs the Tigers will face all
year.
2006 Ole Miss Preview
Memphis Preview |
Offense |
Defense |
Depth Chart |
Further Analysis
If Memphis can survive last year, it can survive
anything.
How many teams can lose their starting quarterback three plays
into the season, lose the backup a few games later, start a wide
receiver at quarterback for most of the year, have so many injury
problems on the defensive line that the scheme had to turn to a
2-4-5 at times, and still be good enough to get to a bowl game?
The Tigers rode the legs of star running back DeAngelo Williams
and got just enough big plays from the defense to pull off six wins
before beating Akron in the Motor City Bowl. For a program that
hadn't been to a post-season game since 1971, three straight bowl
games is impressive, and now it's time to shoot for bigger things.
Good enough to beat UTEP and Southern Miss, Memphis blew its shot to
play for the Conference USA title with losses to UCF and UAB. With a
little bit more consistency and no slip ups against the teams in the
East, the Tigers should be good enough to finally get over the hump
and play for the conference title.
So
if the team could go 7-5 last year with all the adversity, then
shouldn't it be able to be a major contender this year? The schedule
helps in a big way with Southern Miss and UCF coming to the Liberty
Bowl, and the toughest road trip not coming until the end when the
Tigers have to go to UTEP. The team has an influx of revitalized
talent back after spending last year getting healthy, and there are
good replacements for the lost starters.
Patrick Byrne and Will Hudgens return at
quarterback coming off the broken legs suffered last year, while JUCO
transfer Martin Hankins appears good enough to take over the starting
job. They have big
arms and are great at throwing the deep ball, so the attack should be
more explosive with Ryan Scott, Mario Pratcher and the rest of the tall,
fast receiving corps ready to put up bigger numbers. All five starters
return to the offensive line that will pave the way for a good season
for shifty back Joseph Doss, who'll pick up the slack with Williams
gone. The defense won't be a rock, but five starters return to the
secondary and there are good athletes up front.
A fourth straight bowl trip is a lock and there's nothing
the team can't handle at this point, so that means there are big
expectations. Memphis doesn't want to be one of those programs that got
hot and then hit a plateau, it needs to show that the team was more than
just DeAngelo Williams and show that this is a burgeoning power that's a
few steps away from being something special. That step should be taken
this year.
The
Schedule: It
couldn't work out nicer with four key league games (Tulsa, Southern
Miss, UCF and Houston)
at home and four of the five road trips against teams that didn't go to
a bowl last year. The non-conference schedule has an interesting mix
starting off at Ole Miss followed up by the layup against UT
Chattanooga. The Tennessee game should be interesting with the Vols
looking ahead to the showdown with Georgia the following week. Five of
the final seven games are at home.
Best
Offensive Player:
Senior G Blake Butler. Able to play any spot on the line, the 287-pound
Butler is the most versatile and talented player on the veteran front
line. He's the team's most technically sound blocker and will be the key
cog paving the way for Joseph Doss and the ground game.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior FS Wesley Smith. The All-America safety
made 98 tackles as a freshman, 89 as a sophomore and 82 last year
earning first-team All-Conference USA honors in each season. He's big,
fast, and as sure a tackling defensive back as there is in the country.
Key player
to a successful season:
Sophomore PK Trey Adams, sophomore
Kittrell Smith and freshman Matt Reagan.
Seven of the Tigers' games were decided by seven points or less last
year, and now all-star kicker Stephen Gostkowski is gone. A steady
kicker could be the difference between a good year and a Conference USA
title.
The season
will be a success if ... Memphis wins the East. There are too many holes to fill and
too much overall uncertainty on defense to demand a conference title
considering how strong the West is, but there's no reason the Tigers
can't win the East. The schedule and the firepower on offense should be
enough to get it done.
Key game:
Sept. 16 at East Carolina. Memphis should be good enough to win its
second Conference USA game of the year at UAB, so a win over the Pirates
in the league opener is key to hoping to get through the East unscathed.
East Carolina is looking to make a statement and will be pumped up to
get in the East race, too.
2005 Fun
Stats:
- Second quarter scoring: Memphis 123 - Opponents 61
- Sacks: Memphis 22 for 159 yards - Opponents 9 for 63 yards
- Passing yards per game: Opponents 279.8 - Memphis 130
The Last Time
Memphis…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Motor City Bowl vs. Akron)
…missed a bowl game…2002
…pitched a shutout…2000 (UL-Monroe)
…was shutout…1999 (Ole Miss)
…scored 50 points…2005 (UT-Chattanooga)
…went undefeated…1963
…won a conference title…1971 (Missouri Valley)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2003 (Danny Wimprine)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (DeAngelo Williams)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…1993 (Isaac Bruce)
…had a first-round draft choice…2006 (RB DeAngelo Williams)
