Tigers overpower Tulane, 47-17
Memphis freshman running back has historic night in lopsided victory
www.gotigersgo.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kenneth Gainwell lived up to his name, and then some.
In Saturday night’s 47-17 American Athletic Conference victory over Tulane at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Gainwell, the University of Memphis’s outstanding freshman running back, accomplished something no player had before in program history.
Gainwell became the first Tiger to rush for more than 100 yards and have more than 100 receiving yards in the same game. His 203 receiving yards and 104 rushing yards also made him the first player at the Football Bowl Subdivision level this season to surpass 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game. He became the first FBS player since 1997 to have a 100-yard rushing/200-yard receiving game.
It was a remarkable performance that carried the Tigers (6-1, 2-1 The American) to a lopsided victory before 30,221 and made the UofM bowl eligible for the sixth straight season to extend a program record.
“That’s a heck of a milestone he accomplished, I’m happy for him,” Tiger coach Mike Norvell said of Gainwell. “But there’s a lot of guys in that locker room that helped contribute to that.
“It’s special when you get see somebody that is as humble as he is, that puts in the work that he puts in, achieve success.”
True to Norvell’s description of him, Gainwell displayed humility when asked about his record-setting night, which included two receiving touchdowns and a rushing TD.
“I was just trying to put my best out there,” he said.
“I don’t know what to say.
I’m in shock right now.”
There were other contributors for the Tigers against Tulane, which entered as one of the league’s best teams. The Green Wave had opened the season 5-1, their best start in more than 20 years.
But Memphis was unstoppable, playing error-free football for the first time this season. The Tigers got 358 yards passing and a career- high tying five touchdown passes from junior quarterback Brady White, who completed 21 of his 29 throws. Calvin Austin III, a two-time track-andfield All-American, added two first-half TD receptions.
A member of the relay team, Austin had the first two receiving TDs of his career, part of a 34-point first-half explosion that gave the Tigers a comfortable 24-point halftime lead. Their efforts led to 470 total yards (358 passing, 112 rushing) against a Green Wave defense that entered the game allowing 326 yards per game.
“As an offense, we were moving the ball pretty well,” White said. “That was pretty close to a complete game right there.”
Quarterback Justin Mc-Millan led the Green Wave with 89 rushing yards and 187 yards passing and was instrumental in his team’s torrid start.
Tulane opened the game by moving swiftly from its 25 to the Memphis 10 in three plays.
Memphis answered on its initial possession. The Tigers went 65 yards converting twice on fourth-and-4, including the touchdown, a 32-yard pass from White to Gainwell.
The Tigers increased their lead to 13-3 later in the first quarter, turning a Tulane miscue into points after linebacker Austin Hall made a one-handed, left-handed interception near midfield.
The Green Wave followed by methodically driving 75 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 7-yard run by McMillan to trim the Memphis lead to 13-10 early in the second quarter.
But the Tigers made it 20-10 four minutes later as Joey Magnifico took a shovel pass from White and sprinted three yards into the end zone. Memphis closed the half with two additional scores: a 46yard TD pass from White to Austin and a 1-yard run by Gainwell for a 34-10 advantage. Gainwell’s TD came, three plays after Thomas Pickens intercepted a McMillan pass and returned it eight yards to the Tulane 21.
Memphis goes back on the road next weekend to play Tulsa. Kickoff is 6 p.m. and the game will be carried by CBS Sports Network.
