A sloppy University of Memphis Tiger defense couldn’t stop Memphis from running up the score against NCAA Division I AA University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, as the Tigers marked their first win of the 2001 season, 43-10.A sloppy University of Memphis Tiger defense couldn’t stop Memphis from running up the score against NCAA Division I AA University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, as the Tigers marked their first win of the 2001 season, 43-10.
The Tigers totaled an appalling 13 penalties for 110 yards over the game, with the defense accounting for most of them. The Tiger offense earned better numbers, but was still sporadic, sometimes gaining big yardage and other times looking nearly incompetent, but still earning 245 yards on the ground and 198 yards from the passing game.
Tiger running back Dontae Walker had a big night, with runs of 62 and then 26 yards. The latter came on a Tiger QB Travis Anglin completion and resulted in a touchdown. Walker also ran in a five yard touchdown in the second quarter. Walker ended the night with 18 runs for 158 yards.
Anglin took advantage of the weak UTC defense passing 22 times for 15 completions, and 145 yards. Anglin also tossed in that one touchdown pass to Walker. Anglin balanced his attack by running the ball at his discretion, rushing 17 times for 78 yards, and two rushing touchdowns. The first came in the first quarter on a 2 yard run and the second came in the fourth quarter from 15 yards out, but against a tired UTC defense.
The other Tiger scores came on a safety by Tiger linebacker Coot Terry in the second quarter and on a recovered Tiger fumble by receiver Tripp Higgens on the UTC one yard line which Higgens then dove in for a score. The Tigers scored one more time in the fourth on a 12 yard pass from QB Neil Suber to receiver Tavariuo Davis.
Though physically beaten by the bigger and stronger Tiger defense, the Mocs did manage 10 points on a 34 yard field goal from the Mocs’ kicker, Ben Thompson, and then a one yard touchdown run by Mocs running back Jason Ball late in the 2nd quarter from five yards out. Mocs QB Chuck Spearman threw the ball 35 times for 17 completions and 180 yards. Ball ended the day with 24 yards on 16 runs and his one score. This is in stark contrast to Ball’s 130 yard rushing performance against fellow NCAA I AA member Samford in UTC’s first game of the season.
UTC ended the night with 30 yards rushing and 201 yards passing.
The win pulls Memphis even at 1-1 for the young season. The loss drops UTC to 1-1. The Tigers take next week off on a bye before playing South Florida at home on September 22.
