Arkansas State a sure test for Tigers on road
By Adam Douglas-->Sports Editor
Published: Friday, September 9, 2011
Updated: Friday, September 9, 2011 12:09
David Minkin
Senior running back Billy Foster, far left, celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in last Thursday’s game against Mississippi State.
Coming off a loss where they gave up a record-setting 645 yards on defense last Thursday to start the season, The University of Memphis Tigers football team will try to bounce back on Saturday against the Red Wolves of Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark.
"Games like the one against Mississippi State happen like that sometime," junior defensive lineman Dontari Poe said. "I don't want to blame it on any one thing, but as the defensive line, we come first so we have to step up."
Three of the next four games for the Tigers will be at home. The game Saturday against ASU will be the lone contest away from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in the month of September. This will be the 56th overall meeting between the two schools on the field. The Tigers lead the overall series 28-22-5. Memphis won the last encounter in 2008, a 29-17 victory at home. But the Red Wolves posted wins over the Tigers in 2006, a 26-23 victory at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, where they connected on a last second Hail Mary for a touchdown — and in 2007 in Jonesboro, with a 35-31 comeback win where the Tigers led 31-6 at halftime.
The two schools began their 55-game series in 1914. Memphis won that first encounter 18-6 in Memphis. Memphis had won 10 straight (1991-2004) in the series before the heart-breaking 26-23 loss to ASU at home. Arkansas State holds a narrow 11-7-1 series edge in games played in Jonesboro, but Memphis has won two of its last three trips to Jonesboro, notching victories in 2000 and 2004. Prior to the 2000 contest at Arkansas State, the last time a Memphis squad traveled to Jonesboro was in the 1949 season.
Although ASU plays in the Sun Belt Conference, the Tigers know that there can't be a letdown stemming from the loss to MSU – a top-25 team and member of arguably the best college football conference in the country.
"We should be ready for them," Poe said. "It's not about what they do, it's about what we do. If we go out there and handle our business, we should come out victorious."
The Taylor Reed offensive regime will begin Saturday for the Tigers. Head coach Larry Porter named him the starter on Monday. Reed, from El Dorado, Ark. supplanted incumbent starter Andy Summerlin after he went down with an injury to his ankle against MSU. Porter said he has no problems starting the talented true freshman on the road for the second game of the season.
"Just to know where he was, where he is now and where he's headed is good for me," Porter said. "Plus you know when the players start calling you ‘Tebow,' you must have earned some type of respect."
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Friday, September 9, 2011
Arkansas State a sure test for Tigers on road
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