“One game cannot define a season,” said Memphis football coach Mike Norvell shortly after his Tigers had beaten the 25th-ranked UCLA Bruins at the Liberty Bowl. “But one game can be remembered.”
Saturday’s nationally televised game featured a combined 93 points and 1,193 yards of offense, but may come to be remembered for the final 10 minutes, during which neither team managed a point. Senior receiver Phil Mayhue caught a three-yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Riley Ferguson to give Memphis a 48-45 lead with 9:56 to play. It was Ferguson’s sixth touchdown pass of the day, the game’s sixth lead change, and, as it turned out, the final points of the contest.
Larry Kuzniewski
Riley Ferguson
“That was an exceptional game,” said Norvell. “We talked all summer about this game being a showcase game. Memphis showed well today. Not just our football team, but the community support, every aspect of what we’re trying to do. We didn’t play a perfect game; there were mistakes we made. And against a really good football team. But our guys continued to push, continued to battle. I’m so proud, top to bottom.” A crowd of 46,291 attended the game despite the ABC broadcast and the visiting team traveling across two time zones (with a relatively small traveling party in the stands).
The Tigers had a chance to increase their three-point lead with the ball inside the Bruin 30-yard line with just under four minutes to play. Norvell called a fake field-goal attempt, but freshman kicker Riley Patterson’s pass was intercepted in the end zone. On its ensuing possession, UCLA was hit with an offensive pass-interference penalty. The Bruins’ final breath was extinguished when a Josh Rosen pass on fourth down was deflected by freshman cornerback Jacobi Francis.
An All-America candidate, Rosen completed 34 of 56 passes for 463 yards and four touchdowns, but tossed a pair of critical interceptions to Tiger freshmen Tim Hart and T.J. Carter. Hart returned his 60 yards for a third-quarter touchdown and Carter’s erased a fourth-quarter drive that could have given the Bruins the lead.
A graduate of Memphis University School, Hart was especially pleased to grab some spotlight after being redshirted last year. “I’ve grown a lot,” he said. “It’s a mindset. By coming here, you put your trust in the coaches. Memphis football is at a level it’s never been before. I never took a day off.”
Larry Kuzniewski
Anthony Miller
Senior wideout Anthony Miller had his first star showing of the season, catching nine passes for 185 yards. Ferguson completed 23 of 38 passes for 398 yards and six touchdowns (tying a career high, one shy of the Memphis single-game record). Tailback Darrell Henderson galloped 80 yards on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage and finished with 105 yards on the ground.
“We knew we wanted to be balanced,” said Norvell. “We played 76 snaps on offense and 91 on defense. That was a grind, and against a top-25 opponent.”
Ferguson relished the victory over a high-profile opponent (and high-profile quarterback). “We have to go out and try to score every time we take the field,” emphasized Ferguson. “No matter if the other team scores or punts us the ball. Every time. Nothing changes for us. We believe in our defense. Don’t worry about what the score is.”
As for his favorite target, Ferguson delights in what he’s come to expect as normal. “[Anthony Miller] is so good. If you throw him the ball, he’s gonna make a play. I love having him on any defensive back in the country. It gets the juices going, seeing Ant make a big-time play.” Miller caught consecutive passes — one a 41-yard, diving catch and the other for 33 yards into the end zone — to give Memphis a 27-24 lead just before halftime.
Linebacker Austin Hall and safety Jonathan Cook led the Tiger defense, each with nine tackles and one behind the line of scrimmage. Sophomore defensive tackle Jonathan Wilson sacked Rosen in the second half after serving a suspension in the first half for a targeting penalty in the Tigers’ opener against Louisiana-Monroe.
The win improves the Tigers to 2-0 after a pair of hurricane-related false starts to the season. Memphis has started each of the last three seasons 2-0, a streak unmatched since 1959-61. The Tigers will host Southern Illinois next Saturday at the Liberty Bowl in their final nonconference game of the season.