The Tiger football team’s 17-14 loss to UAB in front of 25,462 Homecoming fans Saturday could be summed up in one word — ugly.
The game featured two Tiger fumbles, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, a missed field goal, a snap that hit the quarterback in the face and a season-high two interceptions. And that was just some of what head coach Tommy West said contributed to Memphis’ (4-4, 2-3 in Conference USA) demise Saturday.
“Special teams are killing us right now, and we had two boneheaded (interceptions),” West said Monday during his weekly press luncheon.
Both interceptions were thrown by redshirt freshman quarterback Danny Wimprine. Saturday marked Wimprine’s third consecutive start, but his two picks and inability to move the ball landed him on the sideline to watch senior signal caller Neil Suber finish the game.
Junior quarterback Travis Anglin, who started the first five games for Memphis, also took a few snaps at the quarterback position, throwing two incomplete passes and rushing for negative yardage on three carries.
West, though, said he has no problem with rotating his personnel, including quarterbacks. What he is concerned about is winning games.
“I’m trying to win games,” West said. “I don’t want anybody to get comfortable. If you’re not producing, you come out; quarterback is not a different position to me.”
West added, though, the competition among his signal callers is good. He said he wishes there was some competition with the Tigers’ kicking game.
“We kicked the ball poorly,” he said. “We’ve got to find a way to improve on special teams. People under the gun have to do their jobs.”
Among the special teams mistakes: a blocked Ryan White field goal attempt from the 41-yard line with 43 seconds remaining and the Tigers trailing 17-14. The kick, which came after a bad snap, could have sent the game into overtime.
Memphis punter James Gaither had a punt blocked with 53 seconds to play in the first quarter. The 14-yard punt led to a UAB field goal to start the second period.
Gaither also punted into the end zone from 39 yards away for a UAB touchback, a punt which could have pinned the Blazers in bad field position with a little more than six minutes to play in the second quarter. Instead, UAB started at the 20-yard line and picked up three first downs before punting the ball back into Memphis territory.
West said he was pleased with his return game and junior receiver Ryan Johnson’s role in it.
Johnson returned six punts for a total of 58 yards and two kickoffs for 61 yards, including a 35-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.
The Tigers’ only scores were the games first and last scores. The first score came on a 7-yard Dante Brown run with 5:07 left to play in the first quarter, giving Memphis a 7-0 lead. The run capped an 80-yard drive, the Tigers’ most successful of the day. Brown finished the game with 55 yards on 20 carries.
With 53 seconds to play in the third quarter, Suber drove the Tigers from their own 23-yard line on a 14-play, 77-yard drive that ended with Suber finding tight end Jeff Cameron for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
The Tigers have an open week this week before traveling to face No. 9 Tennessee Nov. 10.
