The University of Memphis football team lost 24-3 to then, No. 11 Ole Miss on Saturday, but the biggest loss may have come late in the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
Fuente announced on Monday at his weekly press conference that the Tigers’ leading rusher sophomore Doroland Dorceus would miss the rest of the season.
“Doroland will not be with us for the rest of the season,” Fuente said. “He will not be back.”
Dorceus went down holding his right leg late in the second quarter against the Rebels. Dorceus took a vicious hit from an Ole Miss defensive back after a nice pickup.
After the game, Dorceus was walking on crutches with a brace on his leg.
Because the injury happened in the first half of the season, Fuente said the Tigers would file a petition in an attempt to get the New Orleans native a medical redshirt.
Senior linebacker Charles Harris said Dorceus would have a great career at the U of M, and Saturday’s injury was merely a setback.
“Right now he's going through a tough time,” Harris said. “He was really expecting to have a great season. He was really starting to get going when the injury occurred in the game. He's just keeping a positive mindset and looking towards the future and getting better.”
Memphis’ rushing attack has come mostly by committee, but Dorceus leads the Tigers through four games with 59.2 yards per game.
Despite leading the Blue and Gray, Dorceus has yet to start a game in his first two seasons at the U of M. Senior Brandon Hayes has gotten the starting nod from Fuente in each of the Tigers’ first four games, but Hayes’ carries have been decreasing. Against the Rebels, Hayes carried the ball just twice for 5 yards.
Hayes will likely see his carries go back up in Dorceus’ absence. The fifth-year senior is the Tigers’ second leading rusher, averaging 49.2 yards per game.
Fuente also mentioned freshman Jarvis Cooper may see and increased role.
The freshman ran hard for the Tigers in the second half against the Rebels, finishing with 31 yards on eight carries. Cooper is the Tigers’ third leading rusher with 130 yards through four games.
“Jarvis (Cooper) will have to step up, and Brandon (Hayes) will have to continue to carrying the load,” Fuente said on Monday. “We’ll need other guys to step up too.”
Memphis kept the game close in Oxford on Saturday, but the Rebels scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to spoil the Tigers’ upset hopes.
Ole Miss’ defense held the U of M without a touchdown, and Fuente said the Tigers have to do better as a unit offensively.
“Ole Miss has a fantastic defense,” the third-year coach said. “Combined with that, we did not coach or play well offensively. We can learn from that.”
Memphis shifts its focus to the University of Cincinnati, which the Tigers face in Cincinnati on Saturday. Fuente compared the Bearcat defense to the Rebels’ defense that baffled the Tigers over the weekend.
Memphis kicks off against the Bearcats at 6 p.m. on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
