Tennessee Stat Book
It was a tale of two halves for Memphis.
The one that decided the game gave the Tigers the blues.
"I challenged the team at halftime to try to win the second half, and they did,'' Memphis coach Tommy West said. "I don't know if we got stage fright or what happened in the first half.''
Tennessee's starters dominated the Tigers en route to a 42-7 halftime lead, threatening to score the most lopsided victory in the schools' 22 football meetings.
Instead, UT (5-4) settled for a 56-28 victory over Memphis (2-7) before the homecoming crowd of 94.636 at Neyland Stadium Saturday night.
UT coach Lane Kiffin came out playing aggressively, going for three fourth downs in the first half with his team up 14-0.
"I don't take offense to that at all,'' said West, who played tight end for the Vols from 1973-75. "He's trying to win the game, and it was up to us to stop them. It's the same thing I would have done.''
West quickly admitted it didn't seem to matter what the Tigers did in the first half. UT out-gained Memphis 382 yards to 104 through the first 30 minutes.
The biggest point spread in the series - 39 points in a 55-16 UT win in 1969 - appeared in reach for the Vols with the Tigers' struggling.
"We didn't get anything done in the fist half that we came into the game to get done,'' West said. "Offensively, defensively, or special teams, and we turned the ball over twice in the first half which certainly didn't help.''
Vols' quarterback Jonathan Crompton was 21-of-27 passing for 331 yards and five touchdowns when he was pulled midway through the third quarter with Tennessee leading 49-7.
"We came in playing to make the quarterback beat us, and he did,'' West said. "I thought if we could get after the back (Montario Hardesty) and not let him break runs we could get them in some down-and-distance.''
The Tigers didn't stop Hardesty, but they managed to contain him, limiting the UT senior to 60 yards on 13 carries. Vols' backup Bryce Brown had 55 yards on 11 carries.
"They're better than I thought they were throwing the ball,'' West said.
The Tigers came into the game playing a three-deep zone concept with the idea of keeping the Vols' receivers in front of their defenders, according to West.
"I've never been in a game like this where we couldn't cover them,'' he said. "We played man (-to-man coverage), zone, two-deep, three deep. ... I wish I had another coverage, but we tried everything.''
Memphis came alive in the second half, pitting its no-huddle offense against the Vols' starters for a series before Kiffin entered the second-team defense.
The Tigers finished with 403 total yards, including 209 rushing, and outscored UT 21-14 in the second half.
"If we started the first half like the second half,'' Memphis linebacker Jamon Hughes said, "the outcome would have been a lot different.''
Reagan Busy: Former Bearden High School standout Matt Reagan had a busy night for the Tigers. Reagan averaged 42.8 yards on four points and converted four extra-point kicks.
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Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at Neyland Stadium.){kind=link}
Comments » 21
wags32 writes:
They played the second half against second and third stringers!!!!!!! Do they really think they won the second half? LOL!!
wayoutwill writes:
We done went and ound us a riverboat gambler!Just think,up 2 t.d.'s and sitting at mid-field on 4th down and deciding to forget the punt and go for it;then throwing a big strike down the field;sure they may have stopped us on the 2nd time that we went for it on 4th down;but "Kiff" was letting it all hang out,CAUSE HE CAN!I bet old Johnny was sitting up there shaking his head!It's so freakin' great to have Johnny back at the General's Place!We are gonna kick some SEC rear end over the next three weeks and I pray we get Penn State,Iowa,Ohio State some one from the Lil' ten-GO VOLS!
CRFVols writes:
Better luck next time...but you still won't beat us.
If we had a decent field goal kicker....we're 6-3 right now having knocked off the no. 1 team...and definitely ranked. Dangit.
richvol writes:
We need that kicker for next year right now. The extra points that were kicked last night barely made it through the uprights. Some cleared the crossbar by a hair and others almost made a direct hit on the upright. It's ridiculous that a school of this size and magnitude can't find a better kicker...even out of the student body.
Elkabong1940 writes:
What BS!
volsoutwest writes:
or 7 and 2...remember the close one against UCLA???
jwsmith1935 writes:
Congrats to the team and coaches for a win. Certainly Memphis wasn't expected to be a tough team to play but the Vols won handily not just by a little bit. It always amazes me that during the times when the team played poorly there were upwards of 700 or more complaining comments, but when they win there are just a handful of comments cheering them on. I guess most of the Vol fans are nothing but a bunch of old women who like to moan when things are bad, but never encourage or give credit when things are going well. How about a few cheers for Crompton? Most of you wanted his head at the beginning of the season and were here screaming about it, but now you are silent when he plays the way you said you wanted him to play. (Shaking my head) Go figure.
Ringside writes:
Mempiss had the first half flu.
volfan8#549730 writes:
I agree with you Mr Smith. People blamed Jon for the UCLA loss. I always say there are 22 players contributing to the wins/losses. He was not thrown under the bus by the coach like last yr. Vols I am proud of you! Keep up the good work! Beat Ole Miss!
volnbig11land writes:
"If we started the first half like the second half,'' Memphis linebacker Jamon Hughes said, "the outcome would have been a lot different.''
Even considering the constant idiot lopers on here, that might be the dumbest statement I have EVER read......
TommyJack writes:
Agree, Rich. I noted several times that the XP kicks looked like knuckle balls. Hurry Palardy.
crimsonviper writes:
Agree with that marc ash. JC has been through the fire without a doubt.I hate to bring up FU,but just for entertainment look at JC's passing stats compared to Tebow.What do you think?
Also while I am at it,I believe Lane K. should be SEC Coach of the Year.Just my opinion.
volnbig11land writes:
Agree with both of you.
CLK probably will not get COTY (too much politics and love for gayters and mullets), but he certainly deserves it!
VolunteerLifer writes:
Stage fright??? What is he smokin???
The Tigers got beat bad because they are a lousy football team, and they were playing against a good, well coached team - and on the road - not because they had stage fright. Geez, just think what the score would have been if Tennessee was really talented and deep!!!
jet writes:
West is a moron and a fool. IF Kiffin had left the main string in, Wset could have put all his players in a shoe box to carry them home cause they would have been nothing more than little flat grease spots.
Kiffin brought the Kiff train to the station in the 3rd quarter to be nice and West is stupid enough to pull a "stage fright" card? Almost as funny as that stupid joke delivered by an irrelevant football coach to the 15 socialites that make up the Memphis State booster club.
jet writes:
We expect to win in TN. Not much else to say. Now go do your laundry and shut up.
ncvol17 writes:
Crompton would HAVE to be the SEC comeback player of the year in a landslide..I doubt anyone ourtside his family and the team eer thought he could play like he has..Did you see him look to the sidelines and shrug when he threw the pass between 2 defenders?
Amazing..
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
Even though he probably deserves COY, its no big deal because he will probably win a dozen before he's 55!!
utvol2485 writes:
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas. Better luck next time, Mempi$$.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Now we're beginning to see the collapse of Li'l Lane's phony empire. That small, early-leaving crowd shows what REAL fans really think! Imagine losing the second half to the likes of Memphis! An effort like that is going to cost us the Ole Miss game and Kentucky will kill us....
....Huh?...What?...WOW! What a terrible dream! I nodded off for a second and started channeling DaMan! This is going to put me in therapy for the rest of my life!
jwsmith1935 writes:
Sorry Jet didn't know this was your space. Didn't mean to upset you. I'm getting the soap out now.
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