Tigers’ abysmal season ends much as it began

Football finale falls flat with 44-7 drubbing by C-USA rival Southern Miss

By Adam Douglas

  

Sports Editor

 

The game, dubbed "The Black and Blue Bowl," went one way – in favor of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, as they crushed The University of Memphis (2-10, 1-7 in Conference USA) 44-7 on Saturday in Hattiesburg, Miss., the conclusion to the Tigers' 2011 season.

"I'm very disappointed in the way that we played," said head coach Larry Porter. "I thought with the preparation we had this week, I thought we'd come to play a much better game than we did."

The Golden Eagles dominated from the start, finishing with 540 yards (255 rushing, 285 passing) and 25 first downs while averaging more than seven yards per play. The Tigers averted a shutout when safety Mitch Huelsing recovered a Southern Miss fumble in the end zone with 6:54 left to play.

Memphis, ranked last in most C-USA offensive categories, played without starting freshman quarterback Taylor Reed, who suffered a fractured fibula in the team's Nov. 17 home loss to Marshall. The U of M managed only 181 yards of total offense, including seven yards rushing.

"First and foremost, (Southern Miss) dominated the line of scrimmage," Porter said. "I don't think we had much positive (yards) rushing. We can't afford to have three turnovers, especially pick sixes. That's negligent when it comes to football and that's something we kind of avoided for most of the season. It got us tonight."

Summerlin, making his second start, was 21-of-45 for 174 yards and threw two interceptions. Both interceptions were returned for touchdowns by the Golden Eagles, including a 100-yard return.

"We didn't play up to what we are capable of doing and that starts with me," Summerlin said. "It's frustrating. It hurts a lot to have this taste in your mouth. Unfortunately, I won't get to get rid of it until early September."

The loss marks the 19th defeat in the last 21 games for the Tigers. After two seasons in his first head coaching position, Porter has a 3-21 career record. The Tigers finished with double-digit losses for the third consecutive season.