The Memphis Tigers fell three yards short of potentially tying the game on the final drive and lost the shootout to South Florida, 49-42.
In a game that featured more than 1,200 yards off offense, 679 for South Florida and 608 for Memphis, Quinton Flowers led the Bulls with 473 yard of total offense — 263 passing with two touchdowns and 210 rushing with three touchdowns.
South Florida started off the scoring going up 14-0 early on two long scores by Rodney Adams. The first was a 49-yard pass from Quinton Flowers, and the second was a 92-yard run where he our ran the Tigers’ defense. Brandon Behr made both extra points.
Memphis got their first score late in the first quarter on a 47-yard Jake Elliot field goal, but they struck first in the second quarter on a Riley Ferguson sneak up the middle for one-yard score. Elliot brought the score to 14-10 with the PAT.
The teams traded a score each to end the first half, and the Bulls lead 21-17. Flowers rushed for his first touchdown from 48 yards out, and Darrell Henderson scored on a 21-yard run. Both kickers made the extra points.
Memphis took their first lead, 24-21, on the first possession of the second half when Ferguson found Daniel Hurd in the end zone on a 7-yard pass, and Elliot mad the extra point.
The teams continued to exchange the lead throughout the second half. Flowers rushed for a 12-yard touchdown and threw to Tyre McCants for the 40-yard score.
Between the two South Florida scores, Ferguson found Daniel Montiel from a yard out on a play action pass.
After the scoring exchange, the Tigers were down 35-31, and cut into the lead with a 29-yard field goal by Jake Elliot to bring the score to 35-34.
Marlon Mack joined the scoring frenzy and gave the Bulls an eight-point lead, 42-34, on a four-yard scored and Behr’s extra point.
But after a 36-yard kickoff return took the Tigers near midfield, Ferguson threw a 57-yard pass to Anthony Miller who outran his defender to the end zone. Ferguson tied the game, 42-42, when he found Phil Mayhue open on the two-point conversion.
The Bulls took the lead 49-42 with 1:46 to go in the game on Flowers third rushing touchdown of the game and Behr’s PAT.
Memphis drove the ball to the South Florida three yard-line but failed to score, turning the ball over on downs by throwing three straight incompletions in the end zone.
Miller broke another school record in the loss by becoming the leader in receiving yards in a single season. His 153 yards on 10 catches took him to 1,077, passing Super Bowl champion Isaac Bruce, who had 1,054 yards in 1993.
“It seems like I always break a record when we lose. I don’t know how I feel about it.” Miller said.
Despite the loss, Memphis had their most productive rushing game of the year with 277 rushing yards and three players with at least 75 yards.
“I thought it was our best performance being able to run the football,” head coach Mike Norvell said. “I thought we established the line of scrimmage.”
With two game remaining, the team is ready to move on from the loss and finish the season.
“Our coach made a plan for us at the beginning go the season, and we are still going to try to work at that,” linebacker Curtis Akins said.
Riley Ferguson rushes for a big gain against South Florida. Despite Ferguson's four total touchdowns, the Tigers fell to the Bulls, 49-42.
