The University of Memphis football team had yet to experience two consecutive wins this year going into Saturday's game against East Carolina. Every Tiger's win was followed by a loss, and momentum was something eluding the Tigers (4-3 overall, 3-2 in Conference USA).
So The U of M did what they do best. They handed the ball to running back DeAngelo Williams and rode him to a 27-24 win against ECU(3-4, 2-2) and their first two-game winning streak of the year.
Williams carried the ball a career-high 39 times for 226 yards against the Pirates' defense, which had hoped to at least slow down Williams but was unsuccessful.
"He's a great back, and he's going to get his yards," said Skip Holtz, ECU head coach. "You're not going to just stop him. He's a workhorse, and you know what, their putting the saddle on him and riding. He's the horse to ride. He's a stud."
Williams moved to No. 7 on the all-time NCAA career-rushing list, passing Archie Griffin, Herschel Walker and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Despite problems executing plays, two-game starter at the quarterback position, Maurice Avery put together a solid performance.
Avery threw for 117 yards on 10-of-14 passing and rushed for 49 yards.
The Tigers, who came into the game rushing for the second most yards per game in the country, gained 340 on the ground, 70 yards above their previous per game average of 273 yards.
Joseph Doss contributed heavily to the running game going for 67 yards on seven carries.
The unpredictability of the offense gave ECU problems in the first half, when Memphis scored the game's first 17 points.
The Tigers' offense set up a Williams 1-yard touchdown run using that unpredictable offense.
Avery and Williams ran to the left side for what looked like the option play they had run before, but Avery threw a shovel pass to wide receiver Ernest Williams, who was tripped at the 1-yard line.
The Tigers' defense tripped up the ECU running game all afternoon, as the Pirates could only manage 46 yards.
In the first play for the ECU offense, the Tigers' defense featured only two defensive linemen and four linebackers.
The defensive game plan was effective, as Memphis didn't allow a first down until the 4:50 mark in the first quarter.
"We came out with a plan to stop the run first and foremost, and we did that from the jump," said senior linebacker Tim Goodwell. "Coach was like 'If they're going to try and beat us they're going to have to beat us throwing the ball, cause they're not going to be able to run the ball.'"
However, in the first half the defense stopped not only the run, but also the pass.
Quarterback pressure, along with strong secondary play, shut down C-USA's leading receiver Aundrae Allison in the first half, catching only two balls for 15 yards.
The Tigers' secondary took exception to quotes Allison made during the week about the Tigers' secondary, and keyed on the junior.
"In the first half he came out real frustrated, doing a lot of talking and jibber-jabbering," said cornerback Brandon McDonald.
Allison was not the only Pirate shut down in the first half. The total yardage for the Pirates in the first half was less than what Williams ran.
Needless to say, Holtz threw his original game plan out the window.
"I think it was more in the second half I said 'you know what, forget the run, forget the play action. I'm getting in four-wides, I'm going to spread the field and I'm going to throw it every down,'" Holtz said.
The open offense allowed quarterback James Pinkney to amass 248 yards, passing in the second half along with three touchdowns. Allison got back on track with eight catches in the second half for 93 yards.
Balance was not in the Pirates' vocabulary during their second half offensive possessions.
Of their 35 plays in the second half, 33 were pass plays.
The attack through the air brought ECU to within three points after a Phillip Henry 2-yard touchdown catch with 10 seconds left. The ensuing on-side kick failed.
The Tigers will finally have significant momentum when they face UAB (3-4, 1-3) on Tuesday.
