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Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

This Week At The Cinema: Indie Memphis Winners and BTS

‘Magic Bullet’

Tonight at Studio On The Square, The Ballad of Shirley Collins. It would be hard to imagine what contemporary music would look like without the invaluable folk and blues archives of Alan Lomax. The songs he and his partner Shirley Collins collected on their epic road trip across the US in 1959 provided the basis for a couple of generations of music. Collins gets her due in this documentary, presented by Indie Memphis, that follows her through those years and into a successful career as singer of traditional English songs, before losing her voice in mysterious circumstances. Tickets available at Indie Memphis.

This Week At The Cinema: Indie Memphis Winners and BTS

Wednesday night, what’s sure to be the best shorts program of the year happens at Crosstown Arts: The Indie Memphis Award Winners Encore. Films include “Black 14,” an exquisitely edited, all-archival documentary film about a 1969 anti-racism protest by black college football players in Wyoming, and Narrative Short Film winner “Magic Bullet” by Amanda Lovejoy Street. The Hometowner short award winners include narrative short “Bonfire” by Kevin Brooks; Music Video Award winner “I’m Yours” by Faith Evans Ruch, directed by Melissa Anderson Sweazy; “Minority” by Will Robbins, and the experimental documentary “Windows” by Jason Allen Lee. More details at the Indie Memphis website.

Magic Bullet Trailer from Amanda Street on Vimeo.

This Week At The Cinema: Indie Memphis Winners and BTS (2)

Thursday night at the Paradiso, Korean boy-pop sensations BTS get the Truth Or Dare treatment with Burn The Stage: The Movie.

This Week At The Cinema: Indie Memphis Winners and BTS (3)

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News News Blog

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs

CREDIT: YouTube

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs

While Memphis leaders celebrate the return of the Church of God in Christ’s (COGIC) annual convention to Memphis, a video has surfaced that purports to show a church leader using homophobic slurs during the most recent convention.

COGIC leaders voted during the latest convocation this week in St. Louis to move the annual convention back to Memphis in 2021. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said since 2016 his team and Memphis Tourism “has worked hard and made it a priority” to bring the convention back here.

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs (2)

On Tuesday morning, NewsOne, an outlet delivering news “from a Black perspective,” reported the video has “gone viral.” The video, posted to Twitter and Facebook, purportedly shows preacher Frances Kelly preaching directly to one man during the convocation.

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs (6)

During her talk, Kelly tells the man he needs to “come out from around those sissified men who have been hanging around you” and “we call them faggots.”

“God can’t use no men trying to be women,” Kelly said in the video. “We call them faggots. I ain’t calling you that. You understand it. You understand it?”

After getting what seems to be a reproachful comment from a woman standing nearby, Kelly waves a hand at her and says, “hey, I don’t play with God.”

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs (3)

Back to the man, she says, “hey, stay away from around them sissies, okay? Let God save them. God has chosen you. And they know it. That’s why the devil in hell is going to destroy you. In the name of Jesus, I curse this spirit.”

COGIC public relations executive director Robert Coleman would not confirm any of the details of the video, whether it shows Kelly, or if the sermon was delivered at the most-recent COGIC convocation. When asked if he’d like a link to the video, Coleman said there was “no need” and said he had no comment on it.  

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs (4)

The video does, at least, feature Kelly, who was once listed as the church’s National Director of Intercessory Prayer Ministry. Kelly was also a pioneer in Memphis television as the first woman to host a talk show here in the 1970s on WREG.

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs (5)

Discussing the situation on YouTube, Dashawn Stallings said he knows “Mother Kelly” and said she is ”a sweetheart lady.”

“Mother Kelly is like that in the church and out the church and will cuss you out,” Stallings said.

He said people have said on social media they want to fight Kelly. Also, he said he understands that Kelly is “old and we got grandmas who say the same thing.”

“But when we come into the house of god…” Stallings began. “This ain’t no house. It’s a slaughterhouse. Honey, we don’t care what we say to people. We don’t care how we act in the church.”

Video Purports to Show COGIC Leader Using Homophobic Slurs (7)

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies hosted the Utah Jazz at FedExForum Monday night, where Memphis had been undefeated for the first five home games of the season. It was the third matchup between the Jazz and Grizzlies, with Memphis winning the first two.

Memphis entered the night having played their most exciting home game thus far with Saturday’s Wrestling Night win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Mike Conley’s shooting bounced back in a major way (32 points on 12-24 shooting, 4-8 from deep).
Larry Kuzniewski

The win against Philly was a trademark Grizzlies nail-biter, with Memphis coming back late, and winning by 6 in overtime. Unfortunately, they lost Dillon Brooks to a freak injury that will leave him sidelined 6-8 weeks with a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

The Grizzlies started Monday night’s game in a stupor, playing sloppy on defense and shooting poorly (1-9) from the field, and stumbling out of the gate. Meanwhile, the Jazz got a Thanksgiving spread’s worth of open looks from three in the opening period, but only converted on four of 12.

Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies defense stabilized, however, holding the Jazz to 36 percent FG shooting for the half, and Memphis was able to claw ahead midway through the second quarter to head into halftime with a 43-40 lead.

Mike Conley and Marc Gasol led the way in scoring for the Grizzlies in the first half, pouring in 16 points. Despite missing Dillon Brooks’ punch on both sides of the ball, the Grizzlies bench contributed 14 points in the half between Wayne Selden, Shelvin Mack, and MarShon Brooks. Surprisingly, Jaren Jackson led all Grizzlies in assists with 3 dimes in the half, and Memphis crushed the Jazz in the paint, 28-14.

Things were pretty much the same after halftime, with both teams struggling to score in a brawling defensive matchup. Both the Jazz and Grizzlies remained very much in the mud.

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (2)

One notable defensive stop (that featured two new Grizzlies) happened when Donovan Mitchell drove to the hoop and Garrett Temple kept his position between Mitchell and the basket, and guided Mitchell right into a Jackson weak-side block.

Speaking of Jaren Jackson, his defensive impact was felt throughout the game, and he avoided foul trouble (earning his first personal with 5:59 left to go in the third quarter). Moreover, he notched his first NBA career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Strangely, he only played 25 minutes, though he finished with 3 fouls, and wasn’t on the court at the end of the game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies tied the Jazz at 62 with about 3 minutes left in the third, but Utah pulled ahead and didn’t relinquish the lead. Memphis kept the game within striking distance until late in the fourth, and looked like they might make another late comeback, but couldn’t hit enough shots (especially from deep).

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (4)

Defense was the star of the matchup tonight, with Gasol continuing to helm the Grizzlies on that end of the floor in Defensive Player of the Year fashion. Unfortunately, Rudy Gobert (15 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) looked very much like the reigning DPOY, and held Jackson at bay. True to form, the Jazz played tremendous, and highly physical, team defense.

One area of weakness for Memphis on defense was their coverage on the perimeter. The defense gave up a lot of open looks beyond the arc, and I’m surprised the Jazz didn’t convert on more of their three-point attempts. Monday night also marked the first time this season the Grizzlies had more turnovers than their opponent, and the Jazz capitalized on those opportunities. Memphis lost on the offensive boards as well, pulling down 8 to Utah’s 13.

In his postgame press conference, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the game got away from the Grizzlies due to choppiness. He said the game was choppy in the way it was being called, and the team struggled to find a rhythm amid funky, injury-adapted rotations and offensive disorganization.

Bickerstaff also spoke about how the Grizzlies need re-establish the strong bench chemistry they had before Dillon Brooks’ injury.

Joe Ingles played exceptionally well for the Jazz, finishing with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Garrett Temple’s defense on Donovan Mitchell was pretty impressive. Mitchell had 12 points on 3-14 shooting and went 0-2 from deep.

Mike Conley had another good shooting game, leading all Grizzlies with 24 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the floor, and converted on 3 of his 8 attempts from three.
Larry Kuzniewski

Gasol looked way more aggressive in this game, and has been talking about how he needs to step up his game in that regard. He banged around in the paint, took quick shots, and made assertive moves to the rim. He finished with 16 points on 7-13 shooting (missing all four of his three-point attempts), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. The Grizzlies need everything they can get on the offensive end, so hopefully Gasol maintains this level of aggression.

Kyle Anderson had a horrid shooting night, failing to convert on his sole three point attempt, leaving shots short at the rim, and shooting 27.3 percent from the floor on 11 shots. Anderson had a positive impact in other areas, however, gobbling up 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal. But the Grizzlies will need Anderson to pick up his shooting if they want to stay above .500.
Larry Kuzniewski

Garrett Temple’s defense was on point, but he had a cold shooting night, contributing just 6 points on 25 percent shooting, and missing all four of his attempts from deep. Shelvin Mack also failed to hit a triple.

MarShon Brooks had 10 points off the bench, shooting 4-9 and 1-2 from deep, but was often trying to manufacture a shot totally on his own when the Grizzlies offense went stagnant. The Grizzlies can’t toss the rock to Brooks and expect him to pluck buckets out of thin air against an elite defensive team like the Jazz. Memphis definitely needs him to take shots, but he needed help getting better looks in this game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Greek Freak Bucks.

Spicy Stat of the Night:

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88

Cursed Tweet of the Night:

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (3)

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Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Music Video Monday: Kohinoorgasm

Make it a day at the beach with Music Video Monday.

Director Jing Niu is currently an artist in residence at Crosstown Arts. She has used part of her time to complete a video for the sitar-filled song “Chalo” for Los Angeles-based world popper Kohinoorgasm.

Niu took Kohinoorgasm (aka Josephine Shetty) to the California shore for this ecstatic, light-filled video she created on lush 16 mm.

“I had been wanting to shoot on film for a while, so this was a very special project,” says Niu. “In addition, we shot the film with an all people-of-color crew and cast. I hope that all folks of various backgrounds can enjoy this film.”

Shetty says the song and video are meant to empower. “‘Chalo’ celebrates cultures of queer femme mutual support and queer femme abundance despite misogyny’s attempts to deplete us of our power and magic.”

Music Video Monday: Kohinoorgasm

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com

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From My Seat Sports

Goose Bumps Galore

Hats off to coach Brooks Monaghan and the University of Memphis women’s soccer team. The Tigers’ season ended earlier than they’d like, last Friday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex, but later than most teams can claim. Their loss to Wisconsin came in the first round of the NCAA tournament and less than a week after the Tigers won their first American Athletic Conference championship. This was the Tigers’ seventh appearance in soccer’s version of the Big Dance since 2007.

I attended three U of M sporting events last week. I saw larger crowds at FedExForum (men’s basketball) and the Liberty Bowl (football), but only at Mike Rose did I see a line of fans waiting to get in 20 minutes after the start of the game. It was somewhat ironic, scores of fans waiting in 40-degree chill to pay and see a “non-revenue sport.” Soccer is here, folks. Memphis 901 FC will start play in March, but keep an eye on the Tiger women’s program. It’s exceptional, and has been for some time now.

• Call me a believer in the 2018-19 Memphis Grizzlies. Recent wins over Utah, Denver, and Philadelphia — three playoff-bound teams — have the Griz not just firmly in postseason position, but near the top of the Southwest Division. And as the Golden State Warriors continue to lord over the Western Conference, consider this: the Grizzlies have yet to raise a banner for team achievement to the rafters at FedExForum. With the San Antonio Spurs undergoing their version of a rebuild and the Houston Rockets stumbling out of the starting blocks, the Grizzlies’ first division title doesn’t seem out of the question. Perhaps Raise a Banner could be adopted as a franchise mantra this winter. If point guard Mike Conley stays healthy — and puts 32 points on the board now and then, as he did last Saturday against the Sixers — the Grizzlies look like a team that could play deep into April, perhaps even May.

• Running Pony is the Steven Spielberg of basketball video intros. Frankly, there have been recent Memphis Tiger teams that haven’t quite deserved the 60-second adrenaline pump Running Pony put together for the pregame show. But this season’s video seems to be the result of two crowd-raising forces colliding. And it’s all about the video’s opening.

Clad in a suit straight from Men In Black, Tiger coach Penny Hardaway carries a basketball to center court, above the U of M logo. He leans at the waist and proceeds to dribble the ball twice — right hand to left, then back to his right — and passes the ball offscreen to his left. It’s a three-second infusion of goose bumps unlike anything FedExForum has seen on Tiger game nights in at least a decade. Hardaway’s star power is such that merely a glimpse is enough to bring Memphis fans alive. But for a hint — even just three seconds — of Hardaway playing basketball? It’s almost too much to process for those of us who remember the man’s dribbling days of yore. So another Emmy goes to Running Pony. “Cool” was the first overused word in the English language, so apologies, but the Memphis Tigers have the coolest basketball coach in the country.

Goose Bumps Galore

• The Memphis Tiger football team is one win shy of clinching a fifth consecutive winning season. How rare in these parts is such an achievement? We have to go back four decades to find such a run, the Tigers having posted winning marks from 1973 to 1977. That was, quite literally, a different era for college football, with fewer than half the bowl games we have today. (None of those Tiger teams played in a postseason contest.) Even if Memphis loses its last two regular-season games — to SMU and Houston — the Tigers will play in a bowl game for a fifth straight year (and aim to end the program’s three-game bowl losing streak). It’s worth emphasizing as coach Mike Norvell’s third season nears the finish line: Winning football has grown customary at the U of M.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Old Venice to Morph into Venice Kitchen

Old Venice Pizza Company is getting a makeover. It will now be Venice Kitchen. The revitalized Venice is set to open November 19th.

“We became dated,” says Ben McLean, who is partnering in the project with David Buescher. “It’s time for a refresh.”

If McLean’s name is familiar, that’s because he founded Belly Acres and Tennessee Taco Company.

Part of that refresh is a revamp of the menu. Pizzas have been pared down to 11. New menu items will be added as well.

The space has been opened up, with walls removed, new fixtures, and a new color scheme.

Rob Ray will be in charge of the kitchen. New ovens, ranges, and a grill for steaks and salmon have been put in the kitchen. Ray emphasizes high quality and fresh ingredients.

“We’re not doing this for us,” says McLean, “we’re doing this for our customers.”

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Hundreds Rally to Save Mueller Inquiry

CREDIT: Laura Jean Hocking

Laura Jean Hocking

Hundreds gathered in Civic Center Plaza in Downtown Memphis on Saturday to protest the forced resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the appointment of Matthew Whittaker to replace him by President Donald Trump.

The Rally to Protect the Mueller Investigation was part of a wave of protests that swept the nation this week that sought to bring attention to the dangers of a president who considers himself above the law.

“No one is above the law” was a common chant throughout the rally.

Speaking through a bullhorn on a crisp Fall day, Emily Fulmer told the crowd her group Indivisible Memphis “…is against Trump’s racist, anti-LBGT, anti-woman, anti-worker, anti-democracy, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim policies.”

She vowed to bring an end to “incompetent and hate-filled leadership in Washington. We’ve been working hard to elect replacements for our out-of-touch, Trump-loving representatives here and across the country.”

Fulmer said Trump had exceeded his authority. “This week he crossed the line when he fired Jeff Sessions and picked the most inexperienced, anti-Mueller, right-wing lapdog loyalist he could find, Matt Whittaker, to replace him…This is an unconstitutional attempt to obstruct the Mueller investigation just as the hammer is about to come down. We cannot allow this to happen. Trump is scared. He saw what happened on Tuesday, when the Democrats took back the house. And now he’s breaking the law to protect himself. We are here to remind him that no one is above the law.”

Activist Theryn Bond opened her remarks by saying “We believe in the rule of law, and we have a president who doesn’t. We are here to stand up to Donald Trump. We the people are the ultimate power in our democracy. Donald Trump can’t take that away from us no matter how hard he tries. It will be we the people who will hold him accountable for his abuses of power and corruption, and it is we the people who must stand up to his latest attempt to protect himself, his family, and his indicted associates from being held accountable. The Mueller investigation must continue without delay or interference. President Trump is not above the law.”

University of Memphis law professor Steve Mulroy analyzed the legal situation. “Trump’s appointment of Matt Whittaker is probably illegal and unconstitutional. It was probably done designedly to obstruct the Mueller investigation. And he’s probably got a serious conflict of interest. Other than that, everything’s fine.”

He said, due to the complexity of the situation, “Don’t count on the courts to come riding over the hill to the rescue. This is on us. We’ve got to act…It’s going to be us demanding Congress take action. Organize, mobilize, and publicize.”

The focus turned local for a moment when Cat Allen of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center described her experience of being the subject of surveillance by the Memphis Police Department. “You think traffic is bad, imagine being tailed by unmarked cars. That happens to us every day, and it’s got to stop.”

She thanked the ACLU for helping win a recent lawsuit banning political surveillance by the police. “We told the Memphis Police Department that their job is to protect citizens, not to surveil them.”

The she turned to the defeat of the three ballot measures during last week’s elections. “On Tuesday, we told the city council not the first time but the second time that Memphians want instant runoff voting. We’re not going to stop until we get it. And we mean implemented, not just won. And two terms is enough, thank you very much.”

She promised future action to clean up city government. “We’re going to do this all over next year when we elect a new city council. And I do mean a NEW city council.”

By far the loudest cheers of the day came for Congressman Steve Cohen, who just won re-election by a comfortable margin. Cohen compared the situation to The Godfather, and talked about his experience on the House Judiciary Committee and as the ranking member of the Constitution Committee, both of which are liable to play major roles in the coming political confrontation when the Democrats take control of the House in January.

“The Judiciary committee has been meeting by conference call twice this week with legal scholars. We will be participating, if the Senate does go in, with a legal action to question the appointment of Whittaker. People of standing to bring the action is either Rosenstein for being stepped over or the Senate for not being able to confirm. The house can’t bring the action, but any Senator can, and the House can join with them. We will join with the Senators to come forward. When we get the majority in January, we can subpoena Whittaker. We can subpoena Mueller, and we can subpoena his report.

“We can turn the House of Trump, which is what the House of Representatives has been these last two years, back into what it was supposed to be, the People’s House…I thank you each for choosing me to represent you in Congress and on the Judiciary Committee. I assure you, your thoughts and wishes will be expressed there. We will not let them trample on our Constitution, take away our rights, and hide the Mueller Report. It belongs to the American people. We deserve to know what went on with Russia. You know, Trump’s over in Paris right now, and I understand he’s going to meet with Putin. Putin’s gonna get an update on his account.”

Cohen said the Mueller investigation is in danger from Whittaker, (“He’s the hatchet man.”), and encouraged Democrats in the House of Representatives to sign on the bill he introduced last year to protect the inquiry into the connection between the Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaign. 185 Democrats and 1 Republican endorsed the bill last year, and Cohen said he expected a wave of new co-sponsors when he returned to Washington.

The final speaker was high school student Zoe Gurney, who led the ever popular “Show me what democracy looks like” chant.

“March for Our Lives inspired me, like many youths, to fight for our future. We stand here untied to protect the Mueller investigation. To fight for a nation with liberty, equality, and justice. To let it be known that no one is above the law…Social media posts are not enough. This is our future. Get out of your comfort zone.”

Like other speakers, Gurney took hope from the recent election results. “In this last election, participation by first time voters was up by 700% in the state of Tennessee. The youth are the leaders of the future, and we are the face of tomorrow!”

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News News Blog

LeMoyne-Owen receives donation at its gala

CREDIT: MIchael Donahue

MIchael Donahue

LeMoyne-Owen College president Andrea Lewis Miller at the President’s Gala.

LeMoyne-Owen College received a $250,000 donation from the Shelby County Commission at the school’s President’s Gala, which was held Nov. 10 at Memphis Cook Convention Center.

County Commissioners Mickell Lowery and Willie Brooks made the presentation to president Andrea Lewis Miller and board of trustees chair J. W. GIbson.

The money will be used for various things, including scholarships.

“Absolutely wonderful,” Miller says. “It will do a lot of good.”

The scholarships will be used for need and merit based students, she says.

The President’s Gala, which drew about 700, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the merger of LeMoyne College with Owen College.


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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Rally to Safeguard Mueller Investigation

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Sports Tiger Blue

Tigers 47, Tulsa 21

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Bowl eligibility arrived for the University of Memphis Saturday afternoon at the Liberty Bowl, and it came with an extra dose of history for the program. In hammering the Golden Hurricane for the second straight season, the Tigers improved to 6-4 for the season and will play in a bowl game for a fifth straight year. Central to the victory was the performance of tailback Darrell Henderson, who became only the second player in Memphis history to surpass 3,000 rushing yards and only the third to score 40 touchdowns in his career. Henderson ran for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns — giving him 1,446 and 20, respectively, for the season — to further secure his place among Tiger all-time greats.

“If it wasn’t for the other ten guys [on the field], I wouldn’t have numbers like those,” said the soft-spoken junior after the game, a grin and tilt of his head the only indications that the statistics carry significant meaning. And as eye-popping as Henderson’s records have become, Saturday’s win was indeed a group achievement.
Larry Kuzniewski

Patrick Taylor

“We had a good week of preparation,” said Tiger coach Mike Norvell. “I challenged our guys to play our most complete game. I wanted to see it in every phase. And I thought we dominated in every phase. It was exciting for me to see on the sideline as a coach. I’m proud of our defense; they were dominant. Offensively, we knew we had to establish the run, and we were efficient throwing the ball.”

The play of the game actually came on special teams early in the fourth quarter, when junior Pop Williams took a Tulsa punt at the Tigers’ 28 yard line, spun 360 degrees amid a gang of Tulsa tacklers, then raced to the right sideline and into the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown, the first return to pay dirt of his career. The Tigers received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the sideline mob that joined Williams to celebrate his electrifying play, but even Norvell acknowledged it was a penalty worth taking, himself spotted at the 15-yard-line when the flag was thrown.

“One of the best parts of coaching is when you see the emotional response to one guy having success,” said Norvell. “True freshmen. Offensive linemen who aren’t playing. All losing their minds. Defensive players. You see the energy developing with relationships.”

A Tiger defense that entered the game ranked 86th in the country shut out the Golden Hurricane over the game’s first half. Riley Patterson kicked a 30-yard field goal on the Tigers’ opening drive and Brady White threw short touchdown passes on their next two possessions (to Williams and tight end Joey Magnifico) to make the score 17-0 entering the second quarter. Henderson scored the first of his two touchdowns late in the second quarter to put the game out of reach.

“We’re now bowl-eligible, and that’s huge for our program,” said Norvell. “We want that to be the minimum standard. For our senior class to ensure themselves one more game . . . that’s important to me. I’m proud of this team. And I like where we are right now.”

Among the stars on defense was sixth-year linebacker Jackson Dillon, who had one of five sacks for the Tigers, and his first personally since the 2014 season. Having been part of the program since the 3-9 season of 2013, Dillon has special appreciation for the big-picture strides Memphis football has taken.
Larry Kuzniewski

Pop Williams (9) and happy teammates.

“It’s a big deal,” emphasized Dillon. “I never thought it would come to this. Or maybe I thought it would, but I knew we had to put in a lot of work. It’s a big-time program. We had some stumbles earlier in the year. But that’s gonna happen. We’re not going to go undefeated every season. It sounds good, but it’s not gonna happen. You just stay the course. We’ve had good weeks of practice, but it’s about getting your mind ready to playa the game. That’s where we’ve struggled in the past. If we have adversity, we still fight through.”

“You had 11 guys on that defense playing as one,” said Norvell. “We saw a higher level of relentless pursuit. Guys flying around with energy. Coach [Chris] Ball came up with a great plan and it was executed at a high level. We forced them into long-yardage situations. It was dominant.”

White completed 14 of 20 passes for 184 yards and didn’t throw an interception. (He has 22 touchdown passes against three interceptions for the season.) Damonte Coxie caught six passes for 110 yards, his third consecutive game over 100 yards (and fifth of the season). Coxie is 51 yards from becoming only the third Memphis receiver to top 1,000 yards in a season. In a supporting role to Henderson, Patrick Taylor ran for 96 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown on a one-yard dash in the third quarter.

The 47 points Memphis scored are the fewest in a Tiger win this season. The offense compiled 499 yards while holding Tulsa to 252. The Tigers scored on all seven of their trips into the red zone.

Having leveled their record in American Athletic Conference play (3-3), the Tigers travel to SMU to face the Mustangs Friday night. SMU is now 5-5 (4-2) after beating UConn Saturday, 62-50. Memphis owns a four-game winning streak in its series against SMU.