Memphis gave the ball away six times on Friday night at Yulman Stadium, and a freshman quarterback, a pick-six at the gun and a 48-yard dagger made the Tigers pay for every one.
By The Beat Writer — CelebnMusic247
NEW ORLEANS — Some losses are about the other team. This one was about Memphis handing the other team the game, one loose ball at a time — and the final read Tulane beats Memphis 31-17.
Tulane upset Memphis 31-17 on Friday night, October 16, at Yulman Stadium, a result that dropped the Tigers to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the American Conference and, per the Memphis Commercial Appeal, ended their College Football Playoff hopes. The Green Wave improved to 3-3 and 1-1 in the conference — and they did it with a true freshman under center and a defense that could not stop taking the ball away.
Start with the number that decided the night: six. Memphis had turned the ball over five times total through its first six games, according to the Commercial Appeal. The Tigers outdid that in one evening. Quarterback Marcus Stokes accounted for five of the six — three interceptions and two lost fumbles — while running back Manny Covey lost the other fumble. Four of the giveaways came in a first half that kept handing Tulane short fields.
Memphis actually started fine. Philippe Laforge opened the scoring with a 44-yard field goal, and Stokes answered an early Tulane field goal with a 76-yard touchdown strike to Stonka Burnside for a 10-3 lead. Then the floor gave way. Tulane freshman Trace Johnson, making his first career start, hit Destyn Hill for a 38-yard touchdown, and the Green Wave kept chipping in field goals to edge in front 16-10.
Tulane beats Memphis 31-17: the pick-six at the gun
The play that broke the game came in the final seconds of the half. Memphis safety Ahmere Foster intercepted a pass with 10 seconds left, giving the Tigers the ball at the Tulane 32 and a chance to steal momentum before the break. Instead, Stokes threw an interception that TJ Smith returned 76 yards for a touchdown as time expired. A possible Memphis scoring drive became a 23-10 Tulane halftime lead, and the Commercial Appeal called it the most devastating of Stokes’ interceptions.
Johnson did not need to be spectacular, and he wasn’t asked to be. He finished 11 of 21 for 165 yards, per the Commercial Appeal, and let his defense run the show. On3 reported that Tulane also sacked Stokes seven times, while Memphis scored touchdowns on only two of its five trips to the red zone. One Tiger who did show up was Jaylin Carter, who carried 23 times for 135 yards in the loss, according to the Commercial Appeal.
Memphis made it interesting late. Stokes connected with Jemyri Davis for a touchdown that cut the margin to one score in the fourth quarter. Tulane answered the way underdogs close out upsets: Johnnie Daniels broke a 48-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 to ice it, sealing a 31-17 final for a Green Wave team that had come in with a losing record and a seven-point underdog tag.
The short week ahead for Memphis
“We just weren’t on,” Memphis coach Charles Huff said afterward, per the Commercial Appeal. “And where we’re trying to go, we can’t have games like this.”
There is no time to sulk. Memphis is back home on a short week, hosting East Carolina on Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The conference title race is still technically alive for the Tigers — but after Friday night, they likely have to win out, and they will have to start by simply holding onto the football.
Sources: Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis Commercial Appeal takeaways, On3.
