Tigers defeat Tulsa for seventh victory

Freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell tops 100 yards rushing for sixth straight game

www.gotigersgo.com TULSA, Okla. – Sometimes a memorable season needs the assistance of a fortunate break. The University of Memphis received one Saturday night at Tulsa’s H.A. Chapman Stadium.

The Golden Hurricane’s redshirt freshman kicker Jacob Rainey missed what would have been a 29-yard game-winning field goal as time expired allowing the Tigers to claim a 42-41 American Athletic Conference victory. Rainey’s kick hooked left of the upright by mere inches and the 25th-ranked Tigers celebrated their good fortune by racing onto the field and exchanging hugs and smiles.

The Tigers (7-1, 3-1 The American) survived Tulsa’s upset bid during a game in which the UofM yielded a season-high 584 yards, a season-high 102 plays and committed two turnovers.

Memphis countered with another solid performance from freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell, who had 24 carries for 149 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Brady White passed for 277 yards and two scores and receiver Damonte Coxie finished with five catches for112 yards.

“Our guys never gave up, they kept battling,” said Memphis coach Mike Norvell. “At the end of the day you look up at the scoreboard and being up by one is a great feeling.”

The Tigers had 498 yards total offense, including 306 rushing.

Tulsa (2-6, 0-4 The American) was led by Shamari Brooks, who had 156 yards rushing on 38 carries.

Golden Hurricane quarterback Zach Smith passed for 309 yards and running back Corey Taylor added 85 yards rushing and three TDs.

After the half, Tulsa, which trailed 28-17, came out and took an early risk.

Midway through the third quarter, Tulsa went for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Memphis 31 and was rewarded. Taylor bolted untouched to the end zone and the Tigers’ lead was only four: 28-24.

As has been the case most to the season, Gainwell responded. Forty-two seconds after Tulsa’s score, Gainwell sprinted 62 yards for a touchdown, using a nifty cutback at the Golden Hurricane 25 to clear his path to the end zone and push the Tigers’ lead to 35-24.

Tulsa matched the UofM with a scoring drive of its own. Taylor got another TD, this one from two yards out to end a 12-play, 80-yard march and trim the Tigers’ lead to 35-31.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Golden Hurricane grabbed its first lead of the game (38-35) on a 14-yard TD pass from Smith to JuanCarlos Santana. Tulsa increased its advantage by forcing a Gainwell fumble on the next Memphis possession and converting the turnover into points: a 26yard field goal by Rainey.

That left the Tigers 5:14 to comeback and they needed only 48 seconds.

After a 59-yard pass completion from White to Coxie along the left sideline, the UofM had firstand- goal from the Tulsa 1. Gainwell scored on the next play and Riley Patterson’s extra point made it 42-41 Tigers with 4:26 to go, leaving Tulsa with one final drive that reached the 12-yard line.

Memphis amassed 319 yards in the first half – 209 on the ground – to take a 28-17 lead at the break.

The Tigers had an opportunity to go up, 31-17, as the half ended, but Patterson’s 33-yard attempt struck the left upright and fell to the turf.

The UofM built an early 14-0 lead by scoring on its first two possessions.

Gainwell capped an eightplay, 71-yard drive with a 20-yard run and Antonio Gibson scored three-anda- half minutes later on a 40-yard pass from White.

Tulsa’s Brooks trimmed the Tigers’ lead to 14-7 early in the second quarter on a 40-yard touchdown run and the Golden Hurricane had a chance for another score after recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Rainey, however, missed a 40-yard field goal try to end the possession.

Memphis made it 21-7 five minutes later as Calvin Austin III scored on a jet sweep from two yards out completing a 10-play, 77yard drive. Tulsa answered with slightly less than five minutes remaining in the half on a 1-yard rush by Taylor to make it 21-14.

On its next possession, Memphis was forced to punt, but punter Adam Williams faked a kick and lofted a 29-yard completion to Austin at the Tulsa 9. White followed with a 5-yard TD pass to tight end Joey Magnifico and the Tigers led, 28-14, with 2:22 to go in the half.

For two high-scoring programs, there was enough time to add to their totals in the final two minutes.

Tulsa converted with a 32yard field goal by Rainey and Memphis missed it chance from 33 yards out.

Notes:

• The Tigers return home to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Saturday to play host to unbeaten and nationally ranked SMU, the league’s West Division leader. The Mustangs are 8-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play.

• Tigers’ running back Kenneth Gainwell surpassed 100 yards rushing for the sixth-straight game to extend his record for a UofM freshman. He entered the game as the nation’ sixth-leading rusher at 118.6 yards per game.

• The UofM’s Quindell Johnson blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Tulsa’s Jacob Rainey on the Golden Hurricane’s first possession of the second half. It was the fourth block of the season for the Tigers.

The win by Memphis snapped a streak by Tulsa.

The Golden Hurricane had won three straight Homecoming games.