Woebegone Tigers endure 42-point shutout in front of Liberty Bowl crowd

By Adam Douglas

Sports Editor

 

David Minkin

Junior linebacker Kenyatta Johnson jars the ball loose from an SMU receiver on Saturday. Despite four takeaways, the Tigers were unable to produce any points through four quarters.

 

For the 15th time in the last 16 games, The University of Memphis Tigers football team was on the wrong end of the scoreboard, the 10th time in as many games where their opponent has scored 40 points.

In front of a homecoming crowd of 16,748 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, slightly 2,000 people less than last week's win against Austin Peay State University, the Tigers were defeated by Southern Methodist University 42-0. Despite the lopsided loss, head coach Larry Porter said that he saw improvement in his team.

"I thought defensively we started to settle in and play a good brand of football," Porter said. "There are some positives in that we held (SMU) scoreless in the third period and we turned them over four times throughout the game."

Though the Tigers defense held SMU scoreless in the third quarter, they still couldn't capitalize on turnovers. The offense was inept against the Mustangs' defense, accumulating a meager 139 yards of total offense. The Tigers failed to score a touchdown for the second time in the four games this season.

"Offensively, we had a horrible day. There are no excuses," Porter said. "All across the board, all 11 guys and including the coaching staff, we've got to be better."

Freshman Quarterback Taylor Reed, who was pressured all day by the SMU frontline, completed 17-of-32 passes for 153 yards. His new main target was senior Tanner Rehrer, who caught five passes for 51 yards while filling in for injured wire receiver Marcus Rucker. Rucker recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery that will keep him out of action for 4-6 weeks.

Reed said that it is no coincidence that Rehrer has become more a reliable target.

"I've watched a lot of film with Tanner," Reed said. "He's a really intelligent player and sees things really well. So he has a knack for finding spots and getting open."

Without several key players on offense, including injured sophomore running back Jerrell Rhodes, the rushing attack struggled was almost non-existent. The Tigers rushed for a total of 14 yards and couldn't convert on key third downs. The team finished just 2-of-13 on the critical downs, with only 7 first downs to extend drives. They punted 10 times – three shy of an all-time game record.

"Right now we're searching for efficiency within our offense to be able to sustain drives and put points on the board," Porter said. "We couldn't run, couldn't pass, couldn't do anything. Offensively, we've got a lot of work to do."