University of Memphis football head coach Tommy West said Monday he isn’t into playing for pride.
That’s why West and his Tigers are treating this weekend’s game against Army as Memphis’ last, despite the fact that there are two games remaining on this season’s schedule.
“The way we’re looking at it, it’s down to a one-week season,” West said during his weekly press luncheon Monday at the Athletic Office Building. “You have to win this game or you’re playing for pride, and I’m not into all that playing for pride stuff.”
After a 49-28 loss to No. 6 Tennessee Saturday before 107,221 at Neyland Stadium, Memphis (4-5, 2-3 in Conference USA) finds itself in must-win situations against conference rivals Army (Saturday) and Cincinnati (Nov. 24) to have its first winning season since 1994.
On Saturday, the Tigers, behind backup freshman quarterback Danny Wimprine, rallied from a 42-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to score three unanswered touchdowns and pull to within 14 points before the Vols re-inserted their starters and pulled away on a late, 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Casey Clausen to receiver Dante Stallworth.
“We lost momentum for a little bit there and obviously that’s an area we’ll have to address,” Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer said after the game. “You’ve got to give (Memphis) credit. I told Tommy (West) after the game his kids didn’t quit. They’re pretty good out there and their quarterback did a heck of a job.”
Wimprine, who replaced starting quarterback Neil Suber in the third quarter, finished the game 12-of-21 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also scored on a one-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter that jump-started Memphis’ rally efforts.
But the Tigers couldn’t overcome a poor first half offensively in which they turned the ball over twice, including a fumble on their own 12-yard line on the first play of the second quarter. Tennessee capitalized two plays later on Clausen’s three-yard TD pass to fullback Troy Fleming, giving the Vols a 14-0 lead.
Memphis, though, would cut the lead to 14-7 on the ensuing possession after capping a three-play, 60-yard drive with Suber’s two-yard TD pass to senior fullback Aaron Meadows. The drive more than doubled the Tigers’ 23 yards of total offense in the first quarter.
But with Tennessee facing a fourth-and-3 situation four minutes later, Clausen audibled at the line and found Stallworth for a 33-yard touchdown strike, helping the Vols to a 22-7 lead after they converted a botched extra point attempt into a two-point conversion.
The drive looked like it had been stopped a play earlier when Tiger defensive back Glenn Sumter scooped up what looked to be his second interception of the game. However, the play was ruled an incomplete pass, giving Tennessee its fourth-down opportunity.
“Some of this is going to have to be addressed at some point in time,” West said Monday of the blown call. “The obvious has to be caught. On film, you never see the ball hit the ground.”
Stallworth, playing on his birthday, finished the game with seven receptions for 142 yards and three touchdowns. Clausen finished 22-of-35 for 298 yards, five TDs and an interception.
Memphis, which has lost its last three games, will try to even its record Saturday at 1 p.m. against Army at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
