Memphis Tigers News Archives

October 2004

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10/31/04		Lady Tigers Compete in Final Fall Tournament -- U of M one of 11 universities participating in Ross Resorts Invitational (GoTigersGo.com)
		In its final tournament of the fall schedule, the University of Memphis women's golf team travels to Pinehurst, N.C., to compete in the Ross Resorts Invitational beginning Monday. The two day event at the Southern Pines golf course pairs 11 universities, including #39 Baylor, #81 James Madison and #98 Richmond. The first round will consist of 36-holes with the second day to include 18-holes. Through four events, the Lady Tigers are ranked No. 94 in the nation. Memphis is led by sophomore Stacey Tate who is ranked No. 178 individually. Tate has a 75.5 stroke average in 11 rounds with a low round of 71. Though Rollins College is located near Orlando, Florida, the school serves as the host institution because Rollins alum Peggy Kirk Bell is the host for this event.

10/31/04		Men's Golf Finishes 11th at Landfall Tradition -- Thomas and Fortin-Simard tie for 28th individually; Shiels shoots final round 70 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Wilmington, N.C. - The Memphis men's golf team shot a 1-over par 289 as a team in the third and final round of the Landfall Tradition on Sunday morning and finished the tournament in 11th place with a score of 17-over 881. It was the final tournament of the fall for the Tigers. Michigan State won the tournament by firing the low round of the day for the second straight round with a 3-under 285 to finish the tournament at 13-under. The Tigers, which had won their first three tournaments of the fall, fell behind after the first day of the tournament and were never able to recover against the strongest field they have faced this year. The tournament field featured five teams, including Memphis, ranked in the Golfweek top 25 rankings. However, the Tigers did put together their best team round in the final round after shooting a pair of 8-over 296's in the first two rounds. Individually, Andy Shiels shot his best round of the tournament, a 2-under 70 to lead the Tigers in the final round. Keven Fortin-Simard shot an even-par 72, his second even-par round of the tournament, and Justin Miers came up with his second straight round of 1-over 73. Allan Thomas shot a final round of 2-over 74 and Ian Rochester rounded out the Tigers with a 4-over 76. Both Fortin-Simard (72-76-72) and Thomas (70-76-74) were the top finishers for Memphis, coming in tied for 28th place with a three-day total of 4-over 220. Shiels climbed 16 spots on the leaderboard with his final round 70 and finished in a tie for 35th with a 7-over 223 (75-78-70). Both Miers (80-73-73) and Rochester (79-71-76) tied for 44th at 10-over 226. The individual medalist was Ryan Blaum of Duke, who shot 8-under 208 (68-71-69) for the tournament. This was the first tournament of the year that Memphis did not have at least one round of below 70. "We're definitely disappointed with the way we played but I was encouraged the way we hung in there today and played our best round of the tournament even though we didn't have much to play for," said Memphis coach Grant Robbins. "That is some thing we can build on heading into the off-season. This weekend also shows that we still have long way to go to reach the postseason in the spring." "Overall, however, I couldn't ask for anything more as far the entire fall goes," Robbins continued. "Some adversity this weekend doesn't take away from the great start to our fall season. But not we have to move forward knowing that we still have a lot of work to do." The Tigers will next compete at the Rice Intercollegiate on February 7-8 in Houston, Texas.

10/31/04		Wait 'til next year -- Talented group of redshirt freshmen has Tigers well-stocked for 2005, and beyond (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 31, 2004 Their names have not appeared in print, for the most part, since they were being recruited last season through the day they signed national letters of intent to play football at the University of Memphis. It was a signing class that several recruiting publications ranked near the top of their Conference USA listings. There were the highly regarded players like Southaven High's Greg Hinds, whom Rivals.com ranked as the No. 6 athlete in the nation, Crockett County (Tenn.) High's Earnest Williams, named Mr. Football in Class 3A, and Milan (Tenn.) High's Rod Smith, named Mr. Football in Class 2A. There were several impressive local signees, too, among them Melrose High running back Joseph Doss, Ridgeway High quarterback Will Hudgens and the Christian Brothers High quartet of Philip Beliles, Brandon Pearce, Brett Russell and Ryan Williams. While Hinds, Doss and Smith have received a somewhat higher profile -- along with Starkville (Miss.) High product Heath Grant -- for being the four freshmen who have played this season, the other 14 freshmen have toiled in relative anonymity. They've spent what will be their redshirt season working as members of the scout team or, in Hudgens's case, rehabilitating from offseason knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Tiger coach Tommy West said this fall marks the fewest number of true freshmen he has played since becoming the U of M coach in 2001. It's a situation that bodes well for a program he has led from years of mediocrity to potential back-to-back bowl seasons. ''I never put a number on how many I'd redshirt, but we felt coming into this year we'd have the opportunity to redshirt a few of these guys,'' West said. ''It sure is nice to think that guys like Earnest Williams, Antonio McCoy, Brett Russell and Carlton Robinzine are going to be freshmen next season. That's a nice thought.'' McCoy, a Starkville (Miss.) High product, and Robinzine, from Bolton, are receivers, like Williams. They are an important part of what will be a transition at a position that loses Tavares Gideon, Darron White, Chris Kelley and Tavarious Davis, four of the team's top five receivers. Most are convinced the Tigers will be able to withstand the heavy losses. West has raved about the receiver trio's work ethic and ability. So has Tiger defensive end Marcus West, who has watched them progress in practice with the scout team. ''It's almost unreal to see the talent they are bringing in now,'' said Marcus West, a fourth-year junior from Columbus, Miss. ''That they are redshirts, it just shows how far this program has come along. It's going to be incredible to see them playing in the next couple of years. ''Carlton has great size and reminds me of a Larry Fitzgerald. He can run and I think he'll be a big part of this offense. Antonio came from a good program in high school, and Earnest is going to be replacing Darron White.'' McCoy, a 6-footer with 4.5 speed, will give the Tigers a deep threat. Williams, also a 6-footer, gives the offense that multiple threat like White, a player who can run as well as catch. Tiger senior quarterback Danny Wimprine, who won't be around to toss passes in the trio's direction, did work with them during fall camp. ''They are going to be good,'' he said. ''Earnest Williams is a Darron White-type player who is going to make some plays. Robinzine is a bigger guy who can jump and is a lot faster than our bigger guys right now. He's just a big guy who can run. ''Antonio McCoy is probably the fastest guy out there. He really attacks the ball. He'll be able to spread the field and attack vertically. It's something we haven't had this year. Our guys are more possession-type receivers who use their bodies and are strong. That's fine, but Antonio is going to give this team a different dimension.'' McCoy, a high school teammate of Grant's, said he would have liked to have contributed this fall, but he said he has benefited from the redshirt year. It has allowed him to get stronger and bigger. ''It's been hard not playing because in high school you get plenty of playing time,'' McCoy said. ''It's hard at first not being on the field, but it's also good to be getting bigger. If we all stay together, I can see us becoming one of the top receiving teams in the nation.'' Robinzine said he has improved as a result of going against the No. 1 defense in practices and by getting ''stronger and faster'' with weightroom and conditioning work. And he's learned he can no longer get away with fundamental lapses he could in high school. ''You want to be out on the field and making plays,'' he said. ''But your time will come. You have to wait.'' Much like Robinzine, McCoy and Williams, Beliles and Pearce, offensive linemen, have been getting key reps as scout team members. They could be vital members of the two-deep next season as Memphis loses four starters on its offensive line. ''They are doing a good job in the weight room, too,'' said offensive line coach Rick Mallory said of Beliles and Pearce. ''And on the field they always go in and compete. "They want to outwork you and outtough you. We'll see that (when they get in games). Both are good kids who were raised right.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/31/04		College Notes (cross country, golf, soccer) (Commercial Appeal)
		Tigers' Nemeth seizes C-USA crown University of Memphis senior Mate Nemeth became the first runner in school history to win the Conference USA Cross Country Championships as he took the victory Saturday in the men's race in Palos Hills, Ill. On the women's side, sophomore Daniele Riendeau set a school mark as her 17th-place finish made her the first Memphis women's runner to finish in the top 20 at the C-USA meet. Nemeth, who has been a conference champion in track in the 3,000-meter steeple chase and 5,000 meters, posted a time of 24:47 for the 8K race. The time was good enough to beat Houston's Tyler Stanfield by five seconds. "Mate performed remarkably today," said Memphis coach Glenn Hays. According to Memphis, Nemeth will be named to the C-USA first team and will be the male athlete of the year in cross country. Nemeth's win was made all the more impressive by the fact that he has been slowed by injuries all fall and has been able to run in only two previous meets. This was in addition to dealing with a difficult course and extremely strong winds in Palos Hills. The men's squad finished 11th in the team competition, which was won by Houston, with Charlotte placing second. In the women's 6K race, Riendeau, who led the Lady Tigers throughout the season, posted a time of 22:19, which kept her out of the top 15 by one second. She was a minute behind Mary Kinyanjui of TCU, who won the event (21:16). The Memphis women's squad placed 11th, which was the highest finish for a U of M women's team in the C-USA meet. Defending champion Marquette took home the the team title. Briefly The Memphis men's golf team shot an 8-over 296 for the second day in a row, leaving the Tigers in 11th place in the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. Freshman Ian Rochester led the Tigers with a 1-under 71. ... With TCU and Louisville tying Saturday, the Memphis women's soccer team has moved into seventh place in Conference USA and will be the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament this week. It will play No. 2 seed UAB on Wednesday. ... The Arkansas men's cross country team won its 31st straight conference championship, and the Arkansas women came in second, two points behind Tennessee. The individual SEC men's title went to the Hogs' Josphat Boit, who is unbeaten for the season. The Rhodes women's cross country team finished third in the SCAC Championships at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. Depauw won the title. Nicole Goette of Rhodes was third (18:55) in the 5K, and the winner was Depauw's Natalie Shaffer (18:31.54). Rhodes took fourth in the men's meet as DePauw won. Matthew Sauter (27:39) led Rhodes with a 17th in the 8K. Graham Wellman of Depauw won the race in 26:26.88. ... Henderson State beat Christian Brothers in volleyball, 3-1, in Arkadelphia, Ark. Laura Washington had 20 kills for CBU.

10/31/04		Quiet time over for Tigers -- Calipari not pleased after lackluster practice (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 31, 2004 The practice had eclipsed the three-hour mark. In that time, roughly nothing had gone right. Some players weren't running. Others weren't defending. Others, still, weren't running or defending, or doing much of anything except getting yelled at. So having seen enough, John Calipari -- a visibly frustrated and ticked-off John Calipari -- finally brought things to a stop. He took a chair at a desk. His University of Memphis basketball team gathered around. What followed was a 20-minute lecture, one that began with the following assessment: Guys, we've got some issues. Anybody who's been around Tiger workouts over the past few seasons knew this day was coming. Things had been going too well. Calipari had been too pleased. So at some point, it stood to reason, everything would fall apart, and then the fifth-year Memphis coach would start ripping everybody apart. That day came Saturday, over at the Finch Center. If you had Oct. 30 in the pool, congratulations and collect your cash. ''That was the roughest he's been on us this year,'' said senior Arthur Barclay. ''But he had every right to be that way. Some of us just didn't show up.'' For most of the first couple of weeks of workouts, this kind of dismal practice seemed almost impossible. Darius Washington had looked comfortable in his new role. Rodney Carney had looked brilliant, in general. Consequently, the Tigers, as a whole, looked ready for their exhibition opener next Saturday against Christian Brothers University, and, more importantly, for their Nov. 11 season opener against Savannah State. And in fairness, they still might be come game time. Nobody's sincerely pushing any panic buttons. But after another lackluster workout Saturday that marked the third straight practice with little intensity, Calipari lost it, and pushed every other button there was to push. About the only player who didn't get verbally assaulted was Tank Beavers. Perhaps that's because the freshman guard was on the sideline watching thanks to a strained MCL in his right knee. ''We've got a tough schedule, and in order for us to be good Coach has got to correct every mistake we make,'' Beavers said. ''He has a feisty way of doing it. But he's won doing it that way. He's one of the greatest coaches. So we have to start doing what he wants.'' It's worth noting that by the time Calipari exited the Finch Center nearly an hour after practice, he seemed calm and settled, like he had gotten something out of his system and hoped his players had followed suit. Still, his concern and sense of urgency are real, and for good reason. With the earliest start in school history and a tough opening schedule, Memphis -- ranked 23rd in the ESPN-USA Today coaches poll -- can't afford to grow as a team early and peak late, or, more specifically, waste weekend practices when classes and study halls aren't an issue. In 13 days, the Tigers will likely play Syracuse or Mississippi State, both of which are ranked in the top 15, in New York's Madison Square Garden. Thirteen days after that, they'll get No. 16 Maryland in Springfield, Mass. So clearly, time is an issue with Memphis, not to mention an enemy. This is what Calipari recognizes, and keeps trying to pound into his players' heads. ''Right now we've got some guys just going through the motions,'' Calipari said. ''You see, guys who are going to be special, they enjoy the path as much as the prize. But if your only thing is the prize, once you get into the game, you've got no reserve to pull from. We've got to make sure that doesn't happen to us. ''We've still got some time to adjust and get going, and I think we'll be OK,'' Calipari concluded. ''But this is just disappointing.''

10/31/04		Tigers camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		From the Finch The Finch Center always has spectators from all walks of life taking in practically any workout. Last week, some NBA scouts stopped by, and were impressed with Rodney Carney's development. On Thursday, St. Louis Rams receiver Isaac Bruce watched practice and spoke to the Tigers afterward. On Saturday, radio legend George Klein was in the building. Away from the court The U of M has begun taking orders for six chartered trips the school has planned this basketball season. The six trips are at Purdue, at South Florida, at Charlotte, at Saint Louis and both New York ventures. Each package includes airport and game transfers, game tickets, hotel and all taxes. The flight would be on a chartered plane, the same as John Calipari and his Tigers. For prices and details, contact Travelennium at 767-0761. Sportsline.com has released its preseason top 25, and the Tigers are ranked 18th. Conference USA rivals Louisville and Charlotte are 16th and 24th, respectively. Memphis was 23rd in the ESPN-USA Today coaches poll released last week. The Associated Press poll is scheduled to be released Nov. 8. Coach's corner Calipari likes it whenever one of his smaller players rips a rebound away from a forward. But this, he had to put a stop to. After Darius Washington fought his way inside and ripped an offensive rebound down Saturday in the vicinity of Almamy Thiero and Duane Erwin, Calipari was pleased with the effort but explained why it couldn't happen again. ''Darius, you're a point guard, so you can't be under the rim getting balls,'' Calipari said. ''If the other team gets the ball they're running the other way. So you have to get back. ''You can't get back if you're underneath the goal.'' Injury report Tank Beavers missed practice again Saturday with a strained MCL in his right knee. The freshman point guard was out most of last week, and could miss another two because of the injury caused by a loose-ball scramble and collision with Washington, the other freshman point guard on the Memphis roster. ''It's just real sore when I bend it and try to straighten it out, but I'll be fine,'' Beavers said. ''I think I'm going to make a speedy recovery.'' -- By Gary Parrish

10/30/04		Tiger Volleyball Cruises to Sweep of DePaul -- Nancy Nellans posts third straight double-double (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- - DePAUL (10-16; 3-6 C-USA) 25 26 27 MEMPHIS (23-7; 7-2 C-USA) 30 30 30 Junior Nancy Nellans posted her third straight double-double (12 kills, 10 digs) as the Tigers improved to 23-7 with a sweep of DePaul in Conference USA action Saturday evening at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Memphis began the match with a service ace from Melissa Nance and never looked back as the Tigers claimed their third consecutive win. Tiara Gilkey added a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs for Memphis, who hit just .205 on the match. Nellans and Gilkey were the lone Tigers to reach double figures in kills, but Memphis got solid play out Nance and Shelby Burton to help the cause. Nance finished with a .353 hitting percentage and eight kills, while Burton had nine kills and hit .471 on the night. Heather Watts put up a match-high 51 assists. The Tiger defense was again strong as Memphis out dug DePaul 63-58. Libero Emily Steckel led Memphis with her second straight double figure dig performance with 15 digs. Watts had 11 digs as Memphis held DePaul to a .193 hitting clip. "I am really pleased about this weekend," said Memphis head coach Carrie Yerty. "This was a big weekend and we had to perform under pressure. I am really pleased with how strong our liberos played this weekend. They made critical defensive plays that changed the momentum of the game for our team." Memphis will now prepare to hit the road for a pair of league matches against UAB on Fri., Nov., 5, followed by a matchup with USF on Sat., Nov. 6

10/30/04		Soccer Programs Aid Special Olympics Tournament -- Second year Tigers host McKesson Special Olympics Soccer Tournament (GoTigersGo.com)
		For the second-straight year, the University of Memphis men's and women's soccer teams volunteered their time and facilities to host the 16th annual McKesson Special Olympics Soccer Tournament on Saturday at Echles Field. Teams from around the area gathered together for a day with nothing but soccer and where everyone was a winner. The Tigers men's and women's teams spent the day offering tips, refereeing and cheering on the teams. "It's a good opportunity for the men's and women's teams to work for special athletes," said Memphis men's soccer head coach Richie Grant. "It's also a great opportunity for our teams to give back to the community. These young athletes have such a joy for playing soccer, and our players are an example to them." Memphis hosted the tournament for the first time last fall. After hearing about the Special World Olympics being held in Dublin, Ireland, Grant, an Ireland native, made a few calls to see if the U of M program could assist with the cause locally. Along with the fall tournament, the Tigers also host a soccer coaching clinic in the spring with the help of Colaiste Ide, an Irish team that makes a stop to play Memphis every year. "The facility is terrific here," said the West Tennessee Director of Special Olympics Gordon Brigman. "The youth know they are out here with the University's soccer teams. Each of the players is asked to connect with at least one of the athletes during the tournament." Senior midfielder John Reilly can personally relate to the youth. The Ireland native has an eleven-year-old cousin back home with intellectual disabilities. Reilly said he is especially close to his cousin and working with the children like her in the tournament means a lot to him. "I'm used to dealing with the kids," Reilly said. "For them, it's like our team's gameday. They have fun being out here, and it's good for us to be here making their day as special as we can." Judy Caulk, the mother of participating athlete Matthew Caulk who also played in last year's event, said her son always enjoys the team spirit and excitement felt by playing in the tournament. "The youth have a great time here being part of a team," Judy Caulk said. "Matthew has other siblings who do the same type of things, and this gives him a chance to compete like they do."

10/30/04		Tigers Move up to 11th in Second Round of Landfall Tradition -- Freshman Rochester shoots 1-under 71 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Wilmington, N.C. - For the second straight day, the Memphis men's golf team shot an 8-over 296 as a team and ended second round play at the Landfall Tradition in 11th place at 16-over par for the tournament. The Tigers are 26 strokes behind first place Michigan State, which shot the low round of the day with a 3-under 285 and is at 10-under for the tournament. The Tigers are ahead of 12th place Michigan by two strokes and trail 10th place and host UNC-Wilmington by nine strokes heading into final round play tomorrow. Freshman Ian Rochester, getting his first tournament start, led the Tigers with a 1-under 71 in the second round. He is currently tied for 40th place at 6-over 150 (79-71) for the tournament. Justin Miers rebounded from his worst round of the year on Friday with a respectable 1-over 73 on Saturday, the second lowest scorer on the day for Memphis. Both Allan Thomas and Keven Fortin-Simard shot a 4-over 76 on the day. Thomas is currently in 26th place at 2-over 146 (70-76) and is the highest of any Memphis player in the individual standings. Fortin-Simard is tied for 32nd place at 4-over 148 (72-76). Andy Shiels rounded out the Memphis scoring with a 6-over 78 and is currently tied with Miers at 9-over 153 (75-78). Will Shambley of UNC-Wilmington remains the individual leader at 10-under 134 (64-70). A pair of Duke Blue Devils follow him in second and third place. The Landfall Tradition wraps up with final round play tomorrow morning.

10/30/04		Nemeth Becomes First Memphis Runner to Win C-USA Cross Country Championship -- Riendeau sets mark of her own by finishing 17th in women's race (GoTigersGo.com)
		Palos Hills, Ill.---University of Memphis senior Mate Nemeth became the first runner in school history to win the Conference USA Cross Country Championships as he took the victory in the men's race Saturday, October 30, in Palos Hills, Ill. On the women's side, sophomore Daniele Riendeau also set a new school mark as her 17th place finish made her the first Memphis women's runner to ever finish in the top 20 at the C-USA meet. Nemeth, who has been a conference champion in track in the 3000m steeple chase and 5000m, posted a time of 24:47 for the 8K race. The time was good enough to out distance Houston's Tyler Stanfield, who finished second, by five seconds. "Mate performed remarkably today," said Memphis coach Glenn Hays. "From his performances in track, we knew he had it in him to be the best in the conference. Today he had a great day and showed how good of a runner he is." Nemeth, who was also named First Team All-C-USA because of his victory, had his win made all the more impressive by the fact that he has been slowed by injuries all fall and has only been able to run in two previous meets. This on top of dealing with a difficult course and extremely strong winds in Palos Hills made the feat even more remarkable. For the remainder of the U of M men's team, Michael Mentz finished 42nd in a time of 26:49, Abraham Shaposhnik placed 66th in 28:22 with Gary Nemeth and Jason Morgan rounding out the scoring, finishing 76th and 77th respectively. The men's squad finished 11th overall in the team competition, which was won by Houston, with Charlotte placing second. In the women's 6K race, Riendeau, who has lead the Lady Tigers throughout the season, posted a time of 22:19, which kept her out of the top 15 by just one second and was only a minute behind repeat champion Mary Kinyanjui of TCU, who won the event in a time of 21:16. Becca McMahon was Memphis' second highest finisher, placing 58th in a time of 24:30, while Mary Claire Dake was 59th in 24:31. Sarah Janecek and Nora Nemere rounded out the scoring for the U of M women, finishing 66th and 70th with times of 24:43 and 24:56 respectively. Kimberly McVeigh and Heather Woolls also ran in the meet, finishing 90th and 91st. "I was really pleased with the way the girls ran," said Memphis women's coach Jonas Holdeman. "It was extremely windy, so the conditions were challenging. Given that I felt that everyone ran well." The Memphis women's squad placed 11th in the 14 team meet, which was also the highest finish for a U of M women's team in the C-USA meet. Defending champion Marquette took home team the team title, with TCU garnering runner-up honors. The Memphis cross country teams now turn their attention toward NCAA Regional Championships, which will be held Saturday, November 13, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

10/30/04		Seventh-Seeded Tigers to Face #2 UAB in First Round of C-USA Tournament -- Tournament begins on Wednesday in St. Louis (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - With TCU having tied with Louisville on Saturday afternoon, the Memphis women's soccer team has moved into seventh place in Conference USA and will be the #7 seed in the conference tournament next week. They will now play the #2 seed UAB on Wednesday. Times for all games on Wednesday will be announced on Sunday. The Tigers were defeated by the Blazers 2-1 two weeks ago on October 17 in Birmingham. That loss was the second in a four-game losing streak by the Tigers, which was broken with a 1-0 double overtime win over Cincinnati last night, which clinched a spot in the eight-team tourney for the Tigers. The win last night was the 11th of the year or the Tigers, which tied a school record for wins in a season set back during the 1997 season when Memphis went 11-10-1. With just one win in the tournament, the Tigers will set a school record for victories. Memphis will be making its first C-USA Tournament appearance since the 2002 season. They will also be looking to win their first tournament game since that 1997 season, when the Tigers won their only tournament game in school history over DePaul. The Tigers have never met UAB in the C-USA Tournament.

10/30/04		Tiger Notes (golf, soccer, volleyball) (Commercial Appeal)
		By The Associated Press October 30, 2004 U of M golfers in 12th The Memphis men's golf team shot an 8-over par 296 and is in 12th place after one round at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. The Tigers are 18 strokes behind first-place Duke, which shot a 10-under 278. Senior Allan Thomas shot the low round of the day for the Tigers with a 2-under 70 and is six strokes off the lead. U of M clinches spot Senior Monica Powell scored her second career goal and her first of the season with just 4:31 remaining in the second overtime period to break a scoreless tie and lead the host Memphis women's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Cincinnati in their regular-season finale. Combined with losses by South Florida and DePaul on Friday, the win clinches a berth in the C-USA Tournament for the Tigers. Tiger volleyball triumphs Tiara Gilkey had 21 kills for the host Memphis volleyball team in a narrow victory (20-30, 30-21, 30-17, 30-32, 15-13) over Marquette. Memphis is 6-2 in C-USA while Marquette fell to 5-3.

10/29/04		Volleyball Moves Into Third Place With Five-Set Thriller Over Marquette -- Tiara Gilkey slams match-high 21 kills (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - MARQUETTE (15-6; 5-3 C-USA) 30 21 17 32 13 MEMPHIS (22-7; 6-2 C-USA) 20 30 30 30 15 The University of Memphis volleyball team claimed sole possession of third place with a thrilling five-game (20-30, 30-21, 30-17, 30-32, 15-13) win over Marquette Friday at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tigers got 21 kills from senior Tiara Gilkey and junior middle blocker Fehi Tuivai blocked 10 total Marquette attacks as the Tigers snap Marquette's six-match winning streak. "I am so proud of the way the team stayed focused. Stayed positive and stuck with the game plan," said head coach Carrie Yerty. "Heather (Watts ran a great offense and Fehi (Tuivai) was big for us with 10 blocks. Kristen Hardee gave us a much-needed lift off the bench." It looked as if Marquette was gaining momentum for a game-five win when the Golden Eagles took a 9-6 lead. But Memphis stormed back with a 4-0 run to take a 10-9 lead, which they would never relinquish. After Marquette tied the match at 10, Memphis responded with three unanswered points to take a commanding 13-10 advantage, before Ashley Liford downed her fifth kill of the match to clinch the 15-13 win. The Tigers came out of the gates slow and hit just .088 in the first game. Memphis was never able to find a rhythm as Marquette raced to a 12-7 lead. Setter Sarah Vernon put down six kills and hit 1.000 in the first game as the Golden Eagles claimed a 30-20 win. Memphis solved the Marquette offense and held the Golden Eagles to a .088 hitting percentage to even the slate at 1-1 in game two. Tiara Gilkey led the Tigers, who hit .371 in the game, with six kills in as many attempts. Junior outside Kristen Hardee came off the bench and provided the Tiger offense with four kills and just one error. Marquette took an 8-6 lead, but Memphis surged ahead 15-11, with a 9-4 run. Memphis increased its lead to nine, 27-18, on a kill by Melissa Nance. Nance finished with 10 kills. The Tigers held the Golden Eagles to a -.119 clip in game three on their way to a 30-17 route. Tuivai and Hardee came up big for Memphis, with four and three assisted blocks each. Memphis carried its game two momentum in the third set and jumped out to a 7-2 advantage after a block solo from Tuivai. Assisted blocks by Gilkey and Tuivai capped a 7-0 spurt put Memphis in control 14-3. Memphis finished the game with its largest lead. Marquette salvaged game four to force the deciding game. Memphis looked to be poised to wrap the match up in four games as they took a 9-4 lead early on. Marquette then scored eight of the next 10 points to take a12-11 lead. The Golden Eagles led by five at 27-22 before Memphis made a run in efforts to claim the game. A service ace by Christen Clayton followed by a kill by Nancy Nellans highlighted an 8-2 run that put Memphis up 30-29. Marquette scored the final three points to win the game and force game-five. Memphis got a double-double of 17 kills and 15 digs from Nellans, while liberos Emily Steckel and Clayton finished with 15 and 12 digs each. Heather Watts put up 68 assists on the night and the Memphis defense posted 13.5 blocks. Erica Heisser (14), Vernon (13) and Kimberley Todd (12) each put down double digits in kills for Marquette. Vernon hit .400 in the match and finished with 45 assists. Memphis will now prepare for a matchup with DePaul on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

10/29/04		Powell's Double OT Goal Leads Tigers Past Cincinnati and into C-USA Tourney McGee assists on game-winner on senior night (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - Senior Monica Powell scored her second career goal and her first of the season with just 4:31 remaining in the second overtime period to break a scoreless tie and lead the Memphis women's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Cincinnati in their regular season finale on senior night. The win, combined with losses by South Florida and DePaul on Friday, clinches a berth in the Conference USA Tournament for the Tigers. They will be either the #7 or #8 seed and will play either Saint Louis or UAB in a quarterfinal match at a time to be determined next Wednesday, November 3. The Tigers dominated the offensive part of the field for the majority of the game but were unable to score until Powell's goal. The Tigers outshot the Bearcats 9-3 in the first half and 11-3 in the second. They also took four shots to none for the Bearcats in the first overtime period. Melissa Savage hit the crossbar with a shot in the first half, which was probably the best chance for the Tigers to score in the first half. In the second half, both Candace Halvorson and Madison Cheek had clear and open shots at the goal from inside the box but both were saved by UC keeper Sherry Slye, who only entered the game to begin the second half. Cheek's shot came with under a minute to play in the second half. Finally, at the 105:29 mark, the Tigers were awarded a free kick as the result of a foul. Susannah Dawells took the kick from outside the righthand corner of the box. The kick went in and bounced around the box several times before Leanne McGee, another senior and a defender that did not have a point on the season coming into tonight, had the ball go off her leg to Powell, who blasted a shot into the back of the goal from about 10 yards out inside the box. The goal touched off a celebration as the entire Memphis bench came out onto the field and mobbed Powell inside the box in front of the Cincinnati goal. For the game, Memphis outshot Cincinnati 26-7 and had eight corner kicks to just one for the Bearcats. Natalie Haerens made six saves to record her sixth shutout of the year, which already ties her for second all-time in that category as just a freshman. Tracy Hale made three saves in the first half for UC and Syle made seven in the second half and both overtimes.

10/29/04		Tigers in 12th Place After One Round at Landfall Tradition -- Thomas shoots 70 and Fortin-Simard shoots even par 72 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Wilmington, N.C. - The Memphis men's golf team shot an 8-over par 296 as a team and are in 12th place after one round at the Landfall Tradition. The Tigers are currently 18 strokes behind first-place Duke, which shot a 10-under 278. Michigan State is in second place with a 7-under 281 in the 12-team field. Senior Allan Thomas shot the low round of the day for the Tigers with a 2-under 70 and is six strokes off the lead, which is held by Will Shambley of host UNC-Wilmington with an 8-undere 64. Keven Fortin-Simard shot an even par 72 while Andy Shiels shot a 3-over 75. Freshman Ian Rochester, seeing action in the starting lineup for the first time this year, shot a 7-over 79 while Justin Miers had his worst round as a Tiger with an 80. "The course played great today for low scoring but we weren't able to take advantage. This is also by far the strongest field we have faced this year," said Memphis coach Grant Robbins. "The good news is that there are 36 holes of golf left to be played and we've played better later in tournaments this year, so we will look to climb into the upper half of leaderboard tomorrow." The second round begins tomorrow morning while the final round will be on Sunday.

10/29/04		University of Memphis and CollegeSports.com Launch GoTigersGo.com -- New site features Live Game Audio, Real Time Statistics and Scores, Official Memphis Merchandise and Online Ticketing (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis, in conjunction with CSTV's CollegeSports.com, has launched GoTigersGo.com (www.GoTigersGo.com), the new official Web site of Memphis athletics featuring live game audio, real-time statistics and scores, as well as official Tiger merchandise and online ticketing. These features, with more to come, will connect Memphis' alumni and fans to their favorite teams and student-athletes like never before. "I have seen the new look of the University of Memphis athletic website and I must say that I was very impressed," said Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. "I thought that our website was impressive before but our friends at CSO have exceeded our expectations with this redesign. I am sure that our fans will love the look and the ease with which you can maneuver through the site." GoTigersGo.com Highlights: GameTracker Live - live in-game statistics and scores for Memphis games; GameTracker Live provides fans who can't attend the games the full experience. Online Ticketing - fans can purchase single-game, group and season tickets for the majority of Tiger sports. Chats - alumni and fans have an opportunity to interact live with Memphis student-athletes, coaches and heroes of years past. GoTigersGo.com Store - the only place online to purchase officially licensed Memphis merchandise and apparel. CSTV is comprised of two primary business units: College Sports TV and CollegeSports.com. College Sports TV televises regular season and championship event coverage from every major collegiate athletic conference, in addition to nine NCAA Championships. The network also has a programming and marketing agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee. CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, and its network of nearly 160 official athletic sites for top colleges, universities and athletic associations, are the number one online source for college sports news, information, scores and analysis. CSTV was co-founded by President/CEO Brian Bedol, Chairman Stephen Greenberg and Executive Vice President Chris Bevilacqua. Bedol and Greenberg co-founded Classic Sports Network, which they sold to ESPN. It is now ESPN Classic. Bevilacqua is a former senior executive with Nike Inc., where he headed the company's successful foray into the college market.

10/29/04		Women's Soccer Closes Out Regular Season Against Cincinnati on Friday -- Tigers must win to gain C-USA playoff berth (GoTigersGo.com)
		Tigers Close Out Regular Season Against Cincinnati Looking For C-USA Berth Friday, October 29, vs. Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m. Mike Rose Soccer Complex (3,000), Memphis, Tenn. This Week: Memphis closes out its regular season with a 7:00 p.m. game against Cincinnati. It will be senior night but more importantly, the Tigers need to win to have a chance for a C-USA Tournament berth. Looking Ahead: If the Tigers qualify for the C-USA Tournament in St. Louis, they will next play on Wednesday, November 3 against an opponent and at a time to be determined. Playoff Scenario: Currently, the Tigers are tied with TCU for the eighth and final playoff spot. Both teams have eight points apiece, but the Horned Frogs hold the tiebreaker over the Tigers. Therefore, the Tigers need to win their game against Cincinnati on Friday and then needs to have either DePaul, Charlotte, or TCU lose their final game. If only one of those three teams lose, then the Tigers also need USF to lose or tie one of their two remaining games. If all three of those teams win, Memphis will not qualify for the tournament. Scouting Cincinnati: The Bearcats enters Friday's game with a 4-12-0 overall record and a 1-7-0 conference mark. They have been outscored by a 30-11 margin and have a 1.86 goals against average. Andrea Haney and Lisa Stephens each have five points apiece to lead the team. Only two players have scored more than one goal on the year. Cincinnati has been shut out nine times this year. The Coaches: Brooks Monaghan (Memphis, 1994) is in his fifth year as head coach of the Lady Tigers. He holds a career record of 38-50-5 during his time with the Tigers. Prior to becoming the head coach, he served as the goalkeepers coach for the Lady Tigers from 1996-99. He has been a part of the Lady Tiger program for all but one year of its existence, that being the first year of the program in 1995. Under his guidance in his first year as goalkeepers coach, the team's gaa dropped by nearly an entire goal, from 2.74 to 1.77. Monaghan is the all-time leader in shutouts (24) and goals against average (1.40) for the Memphis men's soccer program, which he played for from 1992-94. Meridy Glenn (Brown, 1980) is in her 22nd year as head coach at Cincinnati, where she holds a 239-152-28 career record. She has led the Bearcats to six NCAA Tournament appearances, the last coming in 2002, and five conference tournament titles. UM All-Time vs. Cincinnati: Memphis is 0-9 all-time against Cincinnati. They lost to the Bearcats by one goal last year on the road. Looking for Another First: For the fourth time this year, Memphis will be looking to defeat an opponent for the first time in its history when the Tigers take on Cincinnati this weekend. The Tigers have been successful in two of these three opportunities so far this year, as they have defeated Houston and Charlotte for the first time ever, but lost to Marquette this past weekend. Defense Stutters: After giving up just four first-half goals in their first 13 games, Memphis yielded six goals in the first halves of their last four games. Spreading the Wealth: With Vicki Greenwell having scored her first career goal last weekend, Memphis now has 13 players that have scored at least one goal on the year. There are 10 players with at least one assist, and 15 players with at least one point. Tigers Crack Regional Rankings: For the first time in program history, Memphis was regionally ranked on September 28. Last week, the Tigers dropped just one spot from #10 to #11 in the Soccer Buzz Central Region poll. Winning Season Guaranteed: With 10 wins now on the year, Memphis has doubled its win total from last year and already has the second-most wins in school history. They are already guaranteed of just their second winning season in school history, the other of which came in 1997. With a win over Cincinnati, they will tie a school record for most wins in a season. That record is 11 set by the 1997 squad. If they can qualify for the conference tournament, they will have an opportunity to set the school record for wins in a first round C-USA Tournament game. Double W's: With a 10-5 overall record and a 4-3 mark in C-USA play, Memphis has now doubled its win total from last year both overall and in conference play. Firsts: Freshman midfielder Vicki Greenwell became the eighth Memphis player to score her first career goal when she scored against UAB last weekend. She joined fellow freshmen Candance Halvorson, Kelsey Irish, Carla Scanniello and Caroline Barrett, sophomores Beth Keating and Melissa Savage, and senior Susannah Dawells as Memphis players that have scored their first-career goals this season. Another Eye-Opener: The win over DePaul on September 24 marked only the second time in program history that the Tigers have won their conference opener. The only other time they did that was in 1996 when they defeated Tulane 2-0. Last year, they tied Louisville in their C-USA opener. Successful September: The Tigers wrapped up the month of September with a 7-2 record, by far their best start ever in program history through the end of August and September. The program's previous best start through the end of September in terms of win total was in the 2000 campaign when they went 6-5 in August and September. Iron Women: With just one game left in the regular season, there have been only five players that have played in every game so far and only one of those, Carla Scanniello, has started every game. Home, Sweet Home: This season will see a bit of a change as far as playing facilities go, as the Tigers will play all of their home games at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex after only playing conference games there the past two years. Throughout the history of the program, the Lady Tigers have a substantially better record at home than on the road. UM is 49-41-5 all-time at home but only 20-65-3 on the road. On neutral fields, the Tigers are 2-4-1, but have played just one match on a neutral field since 1997. Drawing First Blood: The Lady Tigers were more successful last year when they scored first. Out of their 18 games, they scored first in eight of them, while their opponent drew first blood in nine of them. In the eight games in which they scored first, they went 4-2-2 but only went 1-8-0 when their opponent scored first. This year, the Tigers have scored first in 12 of their 17 games and are 10-2-0 in those games, and 0-5-0 when their opponent scores first. Leading at Halftime is Better: The Tigers led at halftime in just four games last year but not surprisingly, they went 4-0-0 in those games. When trailing at the half, their record was an opposite 0-4-0. When tied at the half, they went just 1-6-3. The Tigers have won eight straight games when leading at the half dating back to 2002. This year, the Tigers are 7-1 when leading at the half, 0-4 w hen trailing at the half, and 3-2 when tied at the half. Recruits Ranked by Soccer Buzz: This year's freshman class has been ranked the 23rd best recruiting class in the Central Region by Soccer Buzz. This is the second straight year that the Lady Tiger recruiting class has been ranked in the regional rankings by the online publication, as last season's freshman class was ranked 11th in the region and was also in the upper half of the national top 100 classes, coming in at 46. Memphis's freshman class is the second-highest rated class in Conference USA in the Central Region, coming in just behind Houston, which came in 22nd.

10/29/04		Trials and errors -- Dunn doesn't sugar coat defense's shortcomings; mistakes can be fixed (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 29, 2004 Capturing an image of University of Memphis defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn in color doesn't do the second-year Tiger assistant justice. Those who spend any time with Dunn realize he should be seen as he sees things: in black and white. When asked how his defense, one that ranked in the top 10 nationally a year ago, could struggle so mightily in last weekend's 49-10 Conference USA loss at Cincinnati, Dunn didn't search for political correctness. ''We just didn't play very good,'' Dunn said. ''We made a lot of mistakes ... and we just didn't play very physical. We didn't go get them. We let them get us. We were taking all the blows.'' And some of the bruises remain almost a week later. A Tiger defense that lost its starting linebackers, two solid defensive linemen and its top cover corner from a year ago had few answers for a Bearcat offense that moved the ball methodically through four quarters Saturday. So ineffective was the defense that, according to statistics compiled from the game, no Tiger recorded a tackle for loss, a quarterback hurry or a pass deflection. Except for individual tackles, the page was uncharacteristically blank. ''There was nothing we ever did,'' Dunn said. ''We may have rushed (UC quarterback Gino Guidugli) one time. We may have hurried him one time, but that was it the whole ballgame. ''You are going to have days like that. If it gets you down, you probably haven't been coaching for 35 years.'' It has been a difficult season for the defense. In road games at Arkansas State and UAB, the Tigers allowed more than 500 yards. Through seven games, the Tigers (5-2) are ranked eighth in the conference in pass defense (270.0 yards per game), eighth in opponents' first downs (20.5 per game) and 10th in pass efficiency defense (17 TDs allowed, only five interceptions). In total defense, the Tigers are allowing 379 yards per game, about 83 more per game than a year ago. The pass defense is operating in similar fashion, giving up about 85 more per game. Rushing defense is slightly better, by about two yards, allowing 108.3 per game. ''We can right the ship,'' Dunn said. ''We've got a bunch of games left, OK. It would be bad if it was at the end of the year. But I like the character of these kids. The character has been such that this has hurt them.'' Dunn said he is not getting the ''kind of play'' he expected from the cornerback position, which have been exposed on several occasions. But he said the breakdown has not been limited to one particular unit. ''We've taken turns for each position to play bad one week,'' Dunn said. ''If you knew what the problem was you could solve it. The coaches don't want us to play like that, and the kids don't want us to play like that.'' Tiger coach Tommy West has expressed disappointment in the play of his linebackers -- particularly for being tentative in blitz situations -- and secondary. The players have seen the Cincinnati film and have relived the low point of their season enough to uncover several breakdowns, mistakes that must be eliminated before playing nationally ranked LouisvilleThursday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. ''We just made fundamental mistakes,'' linebacker Tim Goodwell said. ''They were little things that cost us big ... being at the right spot at the right time. It all boils down to fundamentals and being able to react the way you are supposed to.'' Sophomore cornerback Dustin Lopez, inserted into the starting lineup at midseason, said it's an accumulation of small errors that have plagued the defense at times, particularly last weekend. ''It's simple things,'' he said. ''Like getting on your man when he flares out, stuff like that. It's simple stuff, but we need to hurry up and (correct) it. It's a whole lot easier to get people's attention after a blowout. I think it was a wakeup call to all of us.'' At this point last season, the defense had begun to make plays and create turnovers that sparked midseason routs of Houston and Louisville. In each of those games, an interception was returned for a touchdown. Through five games this season, the Tigers have intercepted five passes, ninth among the league's 11 teams. None has been returned for a touchdown. Two fumbles have been returned, one for a TD. ''We know how good we can be,'' Lopez said. ''And we've got to help out the offense. They are carrying us on their backs right now. It's time for us to step up. ''Last week was just a fluke. It was like a bad nightmare. Nothing worked. We had 'em on third down a lot, but we couldn't stop 'em. It was like a giant nightmare.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/29/04		The good, the bad and the future (Commercial Appeal)
		Memphis 5-2 overall, 2-2 Conference USA The good: Beating Ole Miss in Oxford for only the second time in school history is a major accomplishment even if it came before the Rebels figured out their QB situation. That helped the Tigers to a 5-1 start, building on last year's bowl win and showing that the football program can create excitement in town. The two-man DWs -- junior running back DeAngelo Williams and senior quarterback Danny Wimprine -- continue rewriting the U of M record book, and another key DW, senior receiver Darron White, will leave his name atop some lists, too. A slimmed-down Albert Means has been the bright spot on defense. The bad: One letter -- D. The defense has looked horrific at times, especially on the road. Blockers stick to linebackers like glue, there is little if any conventional pass rush and the secondary doesn't have any future Hall of Famers capable of overcoming the problems with basic defensive infrastructure. When the offense is off, as it was in the first half against UAB and the entire game against Cincinnati, the Tigers don't just go from good to average. They go from good to awful. With two conference losses already, the hopes of winning the Conference USA title have faded, and a fourth-place finish would be a disappointment. The future: So much is riding on the next two games, nationally televised home contests against Louisville and Southern Miss. Forgotten in the aftermath of the Cincinnati debacle is the way in which Memphis crushed Louisville last season, in Louisville. It's not an impossible task. Lose those two games, however, and suddenly it's a 5-4 team going on the road for its final two games. Anything less than a bowl bid for this team would be very deflating for Tiger fans. Tennessee 6-1 overall, 4-1 SEC The good: Nobody figured Tennessee would be 4-1 in the conference and in the driver's seat to the SEC Championship game. Nobody. The win at Georgia was a defining moment. Give coach Phillip Fulmer credit for making the bold call to hand the QB job to two true freshmen. The star has been Erik Ainge, and though he's had some freshman moments, he's mostly been outstanding. Early in the season, the running game looked dominant, and, lately, Gerald Riggs has finally begun fulfilling his enormous promise. But the glue has been the defense, especially against the run. The bad: The blowout loss to Auburn isn't looking quite so bad now that the Tigers are ranked third in the nation, but it did expose UT's weaknesses. Of late, opponents have slowed the running game, and that's a concern going into South Carolina. That the Vols are 6-1 despite a negative-3 turnover margin means there is yet room for improvement. The future: Saturday's game is huge. As Vol fans know, November has always been a kind month. Fulmer's teams are 42-3 in the month of November, and the Vols are 35-0 in the month of November against their remaining opponents. But the biggest game of the season, Vol fans hope, will be played in December, in Atlanta, for the SEC title. Ole Miss 3-4 overall, 2-2 SEC The good: Vashon Pearson's emergence as a go-to back has been a long time coming. The three-QB rotation has been effective in its two games of existence and forces opposing defenses to prepare for everything. The clutch win at South Carolina injected hope into what was becoming a lost season. Punter Cody Ridgeway is as good as any in the SEC, and kicker Jonathan Nichols, though not as reliable as in 2003, is an ever-present weapon. The bad: Losing to Wyoming and Memphis does not a memorable year make. Most disappointing was the early woes of Micheal Spurlock, the much-hyped heir apparent to Eli Manning, and even with Ethan Flatt, the passing game hasn't been great -- the Rebs have four TD passes and seven interceptions on the year. The defense, though opportunistic, ranks 83rd in the country in total defense. The future: The season will be decided by the next three games, none bigger than Saturday's matchup with old Rebel coach Tommy Tuberville and his Auburn Tigers. After that come difficult road contests at Arkansas and at LSU. If the Rebels are 3-7 going into the Egg Bowl with Mississippi State, that would be a definite downer for Ole Miss fans, especially after the 10-win season of 2003. Mississippi State 2-5 overall, 1-3 SEC The good: The Bulldogs have made the most of national publicity. First, in the much-covered first game of the Sylvester Croom era, the Bulldogs romped against Tulane, 28-7. Then the Bulldogs' 38-31 upset of Florida received even more national attention when Florida fired coach Ron Zook days later. That Florida upset featured one of the great runs of the year from MSU's tough tailback, Jerious Norwood, who is averaging nearly 100 yards rushing per game. Croom, even in the most down moments, has shown poise and leadership. The bad: The 9-7 loss to Division 1-AA Maine was unacceptable by any standard. The 18-point loss to Vanderbilt wasn't much better, nor was the home loss to a Conference USA team, UAB. And the blowout losses to Auburn and LSU made MSU look just as silly. Even with the 38-point outburst against Florida, the Bulldogs rank 103rd in the nation in total offense and 111th in scoring offense. The future: The win over Florida was a start. For Croom's first season to be considered a success, however, the Bulldogs need to win at least one or two more SEC games. The good news for State is that the remaining teams on its schedule feature only average offenses. If quarterback Omarr Conner can build off his strong game against Florida, State should be competitive the rest of the way. Arkansas 3-4 overall, 1-3 SEC The good: Watching Matt Jones play football is a treat, especially now that he's making mostly good decisions with the football. With him at quarterback, Arkansas always seems to have a chance, as the Hogs demonstrated in making a game of it against Florida and nearly upsetting Texas. Nobody could've guessed this Hog team would be averaging 32 points and 415 yards of total offense per game. Some of the Hogs' younger players, like fullback Peyton Hillis and defensive end Marcus Harrison, have looked good. The bad: In their only two road games, the Hogs were overwhelmed quickly. That has something to do with a defense that has struggled no matter the venue, giving up an average of more than 400 yards per game. The three-game losing streak has dampened the excitement built by a promising 3-1 start. The future: Arkansas has this week off before traveling to South Carolina for another dreaded road game. The Razorbacks must get their act together on the road, or they won't be traveling anywhere to play in a bowl. -- Zack McMillin

10/29/04		C-USA notebook (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 29, 2004 Utes' stand-in a mystery -- Liberty Bowl won't speculate on BCS mess Utah is No. 6 in this week's Bowl Championship Series standings. The Utes lead the Mountain West Conference, which sends its champion to Memphis to oppose the Conference USA champion in the Dec. 31 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. So what happens if Utah remains ranked in the top six of the BCS standings and earns an invitation to a BCS bowl? Who plays the C-USA winner? "That is a great question," said Liberty Bowl associate executive director Harold Graeter. "We have no idea. We are not going to cross that bridge until we get there." Graeter has precedent in refusing to speculate. C-USA's Tulane made a run at a BCS bowl during its unbeaten season in 1998, but didn't have a strong enough schedule to move into position for an invitation. The MWC's BYU made a run in 2001, but finished 12-1 during the regular season. And TCU, also from C-USA, started 10-0 last season, before dropping a game against Southern Miss and removing itself from BCS bowl consideration. "We've been down this road three other times before," Graeter said. "We just aren't speculating. Who would have expected Tulane to beat UAB last weekend?" UAB, which had entered the first BCS standings two weeks ago, was upended 59-55 by a Tulane team that was 1-4. Southern Miss leads the C-USA race with a 4-0 record and Louisville, which plays at Memphis Thursday night, is 3-0 in league play. Louisville, 5-1 overall, is 17th in the latest BCS standings. If the Utes (7-0) win out -- they have games left against San Diego State, Colorado State, Wyoming and BYU -- they'd be in position to become the first non-BCS school to crash the BCS party. The top six in the BCS standings are guaranteed a spot in either the Fiesta, Sugar, Orange or Rose Bowls. If the Utes gain a BCS bowl trip, the Liberty Bowl would be under no obligation to take another Mountain West team, according to MWC commissioner Craig Thompson. Utah, under coach Urban Meyer, played in last year's Liberty Bowl and defeated Southern Miss, 17-0. The other bowls Just past the midway point of the season, Southern Miss, Louisville, UAB and Memphis appear to be headed to the postseason. While none of the four has won the necessary six games, each is sitting at the five-win mark heading into the weekend. Filling that fifth slot for C-USA could be tricky. After the Liberty Bowl, the conference has tie-ins with the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 14), the GMAC Bowl (Dec. 22), the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl (Dec. 23) and the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24). But TCU (4-3), the only other C-USA school with a winning record, has difficult road games left at Cincinnati and Louisville and a Nov. 20 home game against defending league champion Southern Miss. At 3-4, Cincinnati also is a possibility for the fifth bowl invite, but the Bearcats have games remaining at Southern Miss and Louisville. Army (2-4), Tulane (2-4), South Florida (2-4) and East Carolina (1-5) are longshots, and Houston (1-6) has played itself out of contention. Unexpected BCS surprise Future Conference USA member UTEP, which joins next season when Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, TCU and Army depart, could enter with a reputation, one that has nothing to do with coach Mike Price's background. The Miners, after three consecutive two-win seasons, are 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. More importantly for C-USA's bruised image is UTEP's entry this week into the BCS standings at No. 24. "I know we were ranked earlier in the year, like 116th (of 117 NCAA teams)," Miners coach Mike Price told the El Paso Times. "It's nice to have moved up a little bit." By the numbers 13: Consecutive league victories by Southern Miss, one shy of the record held by Golden Eagles. 34.4: Southern Miss kick returner John Eubanks's nation-leading average. 448: The number of yards UAB QB Darrell Hackney passed for in a loss to Tulane. Quote me "You wish it wouldn't come up, but the way I'm going to handle it is I'm not going to address any speculation on other jobs." -- Louisville coach Bobby Petrino on reports his name is being mentioned for the University of Florida opening. Saturday's games Army at East Carolina, 2 p.m. TCU at Cincinnati, 2 p.m. Tulane at Houston, 4 p.m.

10/29/04		Clearly in control -- No one's knocking Carney's game this year (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 29, 2004 John Calipari loves to stop practice. At any moment, no matter what's going on, the University of Memphis coach will blow his whistle, demand attention and take a minute or so to explain what he just saw happen, good or otherwise. More often than not, it's otherwise with a capital O. But the other day presented one of those exceptions, when Calipari halted things to heap praise on his high-flying junior. ''How many people think Rodney Carney is the dominant player here?'' Calipari asked, prompting most hands in the Finch Center to go up. ''Everybody knows I like to get on him. But we've been here a week or two, and I haven't said one word to him.'' Specifically, Calipari hadn't said one word to him. Never had to tell him to stop settling for 3-pointers. Never had to tell him to get in there rebound. Never had to tell him to run or defend or do anything else because, through the first two weeks of practices, Carney has been doing it all. ''I told somebody that I was trying to base my game off of Richard Hamilton's, and he told me that if I was going to base my game after his then I have to work hard at everything I do,'' Carney explained. ''So in practice, I'm trying to work hard, harder than ever. And it's coming natural now. It's working out.'' Through two years of college, Carney has already exceeded most recruiting services' expectations, secured a reputation as a legitimate NBA prospect and as one of the nation's most athletic players. The problem with that label, though, is that, with the exception of Michael Jordan and few others, scouts tend to use the word athletic as a substitute for underdeveloped. In other words, if a prospect is dubbed athletic, that's usually an indication that there's a ways to go before he's also considered sound in every aspect. This, in some respect, has been the case with Carney. He's always been athletic yet forever needed better ball-handling skills. He's always been athletic yet forever needed a nose for rebounding. But now, those holes in his game are closing. Consequently, there's a new-and-improved Carney leading the Tigers, which is something Calipari has always dreamed about, something Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson helped tap into. Carney was one of 19 players who tried out for USA Basketball's 20-and-under team that competed in the FIBA Americas World Championships this summer. After one day of workouts, Sampson, who coached the team, pulled him aside, and asked the question the 6-7 wing had heard many times from Calipari. ''He asked me why I was just sitting out there running and shooting 3-pointers,'' Carney recalled. ''He said, 'You're athletic. Go jump. Go rebound. Go tip-dunk.' And after he told me that, I went out and did it the next day, and I was the dominant player that day. But I guess it was too late. I guess he felt like if he had to ask me to do those things then he didn't need me. ''It was a humbling experience.'' After four workouts, Carney was cut from the roster. But rather than sulk or blame favoritism, the Indianapolis native took that experience and turned it into a good one, one that has helped his game tremendously. Despite a nagging groin injury, Carney has been impressive in workouts, slashing into the lane almost at will and rebounding above all others when the opportunity presents itself. If that effort translates into games -- the first exhibition is Nov. 6 -- then the Tigers should prove worthy of the No. 23 national ranking they have in the USA Today-ESPN coaches poll released Thursday. Or, as Calipari put it, ''We're going to be really good.'' ''Rodney isn't the same player,'' Calipari said. ''I told the rest of the team that whatever it is Rodney is thinking and doing, that's what they need to do. Because, and I know it's just October, but so far he's just been unbelievable.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/29/04		Tigers ranked 23rd by coaches (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 29, 2004 Proving that the University of Memphis is well versed in the company line, there was little excitement over news that the Tigers are ranked 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll. Call it the John Calipari trickledown effect. ''It doesn't mean anything,'' said senior Anthony Rice. ''We still have to go out there and do it.'' It's possible that the Tigers threw a huge party after practice Thursday night and celebrated their national ranking Red Sox style. But judging from the reaction at the Finch Center, it's doubtful. Just like Calipari always does, the Memphis players downplayed the significance of the ranking and seemed barely interested by it. Perhaps that's because they've seen themselves ranked in virtually every preseason magazine on newsstands since summer. Or maybe it's that they feel slighted, considering the internal expectations apparently exceed those of outsiders. Though the Memphis staff would never say it so boldly, it's clear that they believe this will be the best team Calipari has fielded in his five years at the school. And frankly, the logic is pretty sound, considering the Tigers return four starters from a Top 20 squad, in addition to a healthy Jeremy Hunt. Granted, the guy missing is Antonio Burks and that will be noticeable, especially early. But Memphis replaced him with Darius Washington. So if that tradeoff is anything close to a wash, then the Tigers should be capable of making the deep NCAA Tournament run that has eluded the program since 1995, all while proving they're better than No. 23. ''People probably think because we lost Antonio we're going to go into a slump,'' Hunt said. ''I don't think we're getting the respect we deserve, so we'll just have to go out and earn it.''

10/29/04		UABelieve It! -- Men's Soccer Takes Conference (Daily Helmsman)
		Ben Cowens contact October 28, 2004 With seconds remaining in their conference clinching 2-0 win over No. 17 UAB, two Memphis players hoisted a fully loaded water container and stalked toward head coach Richie Grant. After tracking him halfway down the sideline, Grant finally paused. And just before the final horn sounded he received his icy surprise. Like nearly every Memphis opponent this season, he never saw it coming. The No. 20 Tigers (11-3-1 overall, 7-1 in Conference USA) completed their improbable run to conference glory with the same formula that has served them all season: a balanced offense, an early goal and a staunch defense. It was a recipe that neutralized the Blazers, who were 9-1 in their last 10 games, and assured Memphis — picked ninth of 10 teams in the preseason conference poll — at least a share of their first ever conference championship. “It’s a Cinderella story,” said senior defender Justin Dyer. “It’s a fairytale. I never thought it would (happen). I mean, I’d always hoped, but the past few years it gets doubtful, you know?” “Coming in as freshmen in 2001, they’ve worked really hard to get the program back here,” Grant said of the seniors. “I can’t complement them enough for their efforts and it’s nice to have this type of success in the conference.” Freshman Michael Coburn, who added the Tigers’ second goal off of a corner kick, had similar thoughts about the fourth-year players. “The senior players got us through it, Coburn said. “All the credit to them.” Yet for all the hard work dating to seasons past, the seniors also did plenty against UAB. Daniel Dobson knocked in the game-winning goal and senior goalkeeper Sebastian Vecchio recorded seven saves for his fifth shutout of the season. Dyer added an assist on the second goal by Coburn. But the underclassmen certainly did their part against UAB. Junior Dayton O’Brien collected assists, each off corner kicks. In the 24th minute, his corner floated just over the outstretched hands of UAB goalie A.J Robles. The ball settled on Dobson’s foot and he quickly redirected the ball into the right corner of the net giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead that stood till halftime. Memphis took charge early in the second half, creating many scoring chances. They finally converted on their offensive rush on Coburn’s goal in the 52nd minute. O’ Brien’s kick bounced around the box before Coburn drilled it home. “We’ve worked hard on our set plays, and that’s where our best chances came from tonight,” Grant said. Forty-five minutes after Coburn’s goal, it was time to celebrate. “It was absolute emotion from the players,” Grant said. “They’re the ones that have put in the work. You could see (the excitement) on their faces.” For the seniors, the conference crown is the manifestation of all that hard work. “It means the world to us,” Dyer said. “We hadn’t done it in three years and finally, I get to end on a good year.” Memphis now has a chance to make it a great year. With three games remaining — including one conference game next Tuesday — Memphis can win the conference outright with a win against East Carolina or a UAB loss or tie in either of their final two C-USA matches. The U of M has already clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and a first round bye. They’re also on the fast track for an NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 1992. Since Conference USA started in 1995, only two regular season champions or co-champions were left out of the NCAA field. So what will the Tigers do in celebration? “We’ve got a game Tuesday,” Vecchio said. “We’ll rest and come back to practice on Sunday. Celebrating with rest and practice? Just another Tigers moment that nobody saw coming.

10/29/04		Hunt on rebound after knee injury (Daily Helmsman)
		by Laura Cochran October 29, 2004 The pain will always exist for Jeremy Hunt. When he drives to the basket, when he pulls up for a jumper, when he takes off on a dunk. It might not be as intense every time, but it will never be gone completely either. The first sting starts in his foot. The next in his ankle. The third in his knee. They are all reminders of the setbacks his promising career has suffered since bursting onto the scene as a freshman with the speed to beat any defender to the rack and a shot as sharp as a Ginsu knife. These days he's not into setbacks. He doesn't like thinking about the injuries he's suffered and likes even less to talk about them. He's focused on forgetting. "The pain is mental -- If I don't think about it then I'll be all right," Hunt said. "If I don't think about it too much I think I can be the same player I was." Being the player he was will be a tall order to fill, especially since his most memorable performance as a Tiger came in his first collegiate game. The spry 19-year-old covered Syracuse like Saran Wrap that night in Madison Square Garden, dropping 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to go along with his Coaches vs. Cancer Player of the Game award. He fractured a bone in his foot in the week following that breakout performance and missed 10 games. One trip to the Finch Center might win over his doubters. The 6-5 slasher is playing, well, like himself. He's grabbing rebounds, directing traffic, cutting to the basket and he's hustling. He's flashing the skills that made him a point guard, two-guard and occasional small forward early in his career. The only role he's not comfortable with was as spectator. "It's really frustrating to watch our team go out there and play hard without you," Hunt said. "I want to be a part of that too." When Hunt went down on Feb. 20 with a torn ACL in his left knee, his presence was missed in more than just the box score. "I don't think there is any doubt that when he went down it took away something from the team last year," said Lamar Chance, the assistant athletic director of media relations for the Tigers. After losing the combo guard Memphis dropped close decisions to Louisville and Cincinnati, where the team seemed a couple of tough rebounds or clutch jumpers away from a win. A healthy Hunt factors greatly into coach John Calipari's plans. His versatility could be the greatest benefit to the young team. "Jeremy could be starting at the one, at the two or at the three," Calipari said. "He could play a backup role as a sixth man, but he will probably be in the top three in minutes." The fifth-year coach insists the Craigmont product, who was often called Skinny Penny for his likeness in style to former Tiger Penny Hardaway, should play for himself and no one else. "I don't think he has anything to prove. He's a terrific player who works hard, but he's been injured," Calipari said. "What he'll have to do now is go out on the court and perform and not do it to prove anything. Just go be who you are and play." As far as personal goals, Hunt isn't concerned about scoring averages or assists. His hope is a little more rudimentary. "I want to go through this season injury-free," Hunt said. "I'm just praying that I don't even get hurt again."

10/29/04		Lady Tigers eye trip to tourney (Daily Helmsman)
		Ben Cowens contact October 29, 2004 Three weeks ago, the women's soccer team was happily positioned near the top of the Conference USA standings. Now there is nothing comfortable about their situation. Following four consecutive losses, three of those against C-USA's top three teams, the Lady Tigers are down to their last chance. It's win, or the season's over. "I don't think we've ever had this much pressure on a game in order to make the conference tournament," said Madison Cheek. The Lady Tigers' (10-7 overall, 4-5 in Conference USA) skid has dropped them into an eighth place tie with TCU. But the Horned Frogs defeated the Tigers earlier this season and hold the conference tournament tiebreaker. For The U of M to make the eight-team field, they must defeat Cincinnati and hope for a loss from TCU, DePaul or Charlotte. South Florida must also lose or tie one of its remaining games. Even with all the jostling in the standings, Memphis knows the only element they can control is their performance against Cincinnatti. "We just need to go out and ... win, that's how I'm playing it. Savage said. Then, if things fall into place (with the teams ahead of us) it was meant to be. Otherwise, as long as we go out with a big win, that's really all that matters." The good news for Memphis is that Cincinnati (4-12, 1-7) has been arguably the most disappointing team in C-USA this season. They have been outscored 30-11 this season and rank near the bottom in most offensive statistical categories. Still, head coach Brooks Monaghan is wary of the competition. "They have nothing to loose and nothing to gain, except respect," Monaghan said. "Sometimes, a team that comes in really relaxed can cause problems." The relaxed Bearcats have played better of late. They've won two of their last five games and lost the other three by just one goal, including a 2-1 overtime loss to East Carolina. Regardless of Cincinnati's recent run of improved play, the Lady Tigers are focused internally, and the lose-and-you're-done reality surrounding this match ought to have the Lady Tigers ready to play. This game determines whether or not we go to the conference tournament," said Mary Shelton. "So definitely, there's (a sense of urgency)." The U of M has other elements in its favor as well. Memphis is 6-2 at their home stadium. The game is also Senior Night and it's a chance for the team to give the veterans a great sendoff: a C-USA tournament birth. "People have told us, 'Oh, you're going to beat Cincinnati,' and that's great to hear, but that's not enough," Monaghan said. "It's going to take our team showing up. "Everything on paper is in our advantage, but none of that matters when the whistle blows."

10/29/04		Tigers to face challenge tonight (Daily Helmsman)
		Kenny McDonald Sports Reporter October 29, 2004 When it comes to women's volleyball at Marquette, you can take a few things for granted. The offense is going to be tough and the kill count's going to be high. The defense is going to get digs and take advantage of errors. In short, the competition's going to be tough. That's not bothering the Lady Tigers though, as Marquette marches into Elma Roane Fieldhouse tonight. "We're an evenly matched set of teams," said Nancy Nellans, junior outside hitter, "but we always pull it out and we always win. They talked some smack last year and said they could beat us." "I'm not undermining their team, but I do think that we're a better team this year and we can definitely beat them." Memphis' last meeting with the Golden Eagles was long and drawn out. The quick win that the Lady Tigers were accustomed to turned into five games and a victory. The key to the win was the defense in the fifth game, where Memphis out-blocked Marquette 4-1 and took the edge out of their game. The offense attacked Marquette's defense with returning players Tiara Gilkey (20 kills) and Nancy Nellans (23 kills). This year, with the same offensive key players and the same hot defense, Memphis isn't sweating it. "Win" was the word that came to head coach Carrie Yerty's mind. "Because we're going to," said Yerty. "Which team plays better -- plays the best offensively as well as defensively with the least amount of errors -- is what it's going to come down to. This is a critical weekend. If we can sweep at home we can position ourselves for the tournament." Today's game has some extra heat with the third place conference title up in the air. There's also the idea of the loser having to play St. Louis in the first round of conference -- something that Yerty has no desire to do. With that on the line, Yerty is keeping track of the Golden Eagles' strength. "They're a great competing team," she said during Thursday's practice. "They've got a senior setter running the game. (Theresa) Coughlin is leading them from the back line. I think (coach) Pati Rolf has done an awesome job getting them ready for their conference play." Marquette returns from a game against TCU with a 3-0 win Saturday. Their strength was digging 58 TCU attacks and taking advantage of their offensive errors. Leading the defensive line was Caitie O'Brien, who had four of the seventeen digs Saturday. Coughlin, a junior outside hitter, anchored the net defense and made half of Marquette's total blocks for the match. Several players contributed to the offense, but senior middle blocker, Erica Heisser led them all with nine kills. The balanced team against Memphis' rounded team is going to make for a long battle. "Definitely going to be another see-saw," said senior outside hitter, Tiara Gilkey. "We're just planning on pulling ahead. We're just going to play our game and we're not going to worry about them. When we play our caliber of game, nobody can really stop us." The match is free to attend for any costume-wearing fans. The game is 7 p.m tonight.

10/28/04		Volleyball Set For Third-Place Battle with Marquette on Friday -- Memphis faces hot DePaul team on Saturday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Memphis volleyball will kick off its two-match Conference USA weekend with a battle for lone possession of third place against Marquette on Fri., Oct. 29 at 7p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tigers will then take on a streaking DePaul team on Sat., Oct. 30, also at 7 p.m. Friday's contest with Marquette will pit the league's two third place teams against one another as the conference season heads into its final stretch before the tournament. The winner will emerge as the lone third-place team, which could weigh heavily on possible C-USA tournament matchups. Memphis (21-7; 5-2 C-USA) broke a three-match losing streak in grand fashion, with a dominating performance against in-state rival Middle Tennessee on Tuesday. The Tiger offense got a match-high 14 kills out of junior outside hitter Nancy Nellans, while Ashley Liford and Tiara Gilkey finished with 12 and 11 kills each to help Memphis roll to victory. Nellans posted her ninth double-double of the season with 14 digs as an improving U of M defense out dug the Blue Raiders 36-22, while blocking seven attacks. Memphis' Heather Watts and Christen Clayton continue to keep their names among those in NCAA rankings. Watts remains one the countries top setters, ranking 22nd in the nation with 13.19 assists per game. Her 1,293 total leads all ranked setters. As a team Memphis ranks 29th in assists per game. Clayton checked in at 25 in the nation in aces per game (0.58), while the team ranks 15th. Marquette (15-5; 5-2 C-USA) is one of C-USA's hottest team coming into the weekend. The Golden Eagles are winners of six straight, including four straight league contests. Led by two-time C-USA Setter of the Week Sarah Vernon, Marquette ranks 27th in the nation in assists, while Theresa Coughlin's 3.95 kills per game has powered them to 30th in kills per game (16.27). Marquette leads the league in hitting defense as they are holding opponents to a .140 hitting clip. The Golden Eagles have held opponents under a .150 hitting percentage on 10 occasions. Memphis leads the all-time series with Marquette, 10-7. The Tigers, who have handed Marquette losses in two of the last three meetings, outlasted the Golden Eagles, 3-2 in Milwaukee last year. DePaul (10-14; 3-4 C-USA) comes off an undefeated weekend in Conference play. The Blue Demons upset TCU and Houston in consecutive matches. However, they jumped out of C-USA play for a non-league match against UW-Milwaukee on Tuesday and suffered a 3-1 defeated. DePaul boasts current C-USA Co-Player of the Week honoree Janet Goreham. Goreham leads the team with 112 total blocks and is second in kills with 309. The Tigers are 12-7 all-time against the Blue Demons and have swept them two straight seasons. Saturday night's match with DePaul is Halloween night at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Free admission will be given to all fans with Halloween costumes. There will be a costume contest and Halloween give-a-ways.

10/28/04		Athletic Department to Host Appreciation Parties for Remaining Two Home Football Games -- Just four of the 44 Sky Suites are still available for either the Louisville or Southern Miss game (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis athletic department will host an Appreciation Party for each of the remaining two home football games, beginning Nov. 4th, with the Louisville game. For the Nov. 4th contest, all Tiger Club members are invited to join the Athletic Department in the Barns adjacent to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The party will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will feature food and beverages. Tiger Club members can bring up to three guests, but are asked to please RSVP to the Tiger Club at 901-678-2334. For the Southern Miss contest, all former University of Memphis letterwinners will be invited to join the Athletic Department for the Appreciation Party on Nov. 12th. All former letterwinners will receive two tickets to the Southern Miss football game. The game ticket is also good for admission to the Appreciation Party, which begins at 5:00 p.m. The barns are located on the Northeast end of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, adjacent to Gate 3. University of Memphis officials also announced that just four of the 44 Sky Suites remain available for the last two home games. For $2,500, individuals purchasing a Sky Suite receive parking passes and 16 tickets for either the Louisville or Southern Miss game. Anyone interested in purchasing one of the four available Sky Suites for either of the last two home games can contact Lish Trice at (901) 678-3083.

10/28/04		Memphis Cross Country Teams Prepare for C-USA Championships -- Riendeau and Nemeth lead Lady Tigers and Tigers into conference meet (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn.---The University of Memphis cross country teams will head to Palos Hills, Ill., this weekend for the 10th annual Conference USA Cross Country Championships. The meet, hosted by DePaul University, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30, at Palos Hills Forest Preserve, just outside Chicago. Leading the way for the Memphis women's squad will be sophomore, Daniele Riendeau, who has been the team's top finisher in each of three races this season. She and the remainder of the Lady Tiger runners have made great improvements throughout the 2004 season, and will look to break into the top 10 for the first time at the C-USA meet. "We have had solid training the last few weeks, and now we are looking forward to racing and putting all of our hard work to use," said Coach Jonas Holdeman. Riendeau, who is coming off a personal best 5K time of 18:23.65 three weekends ago, also has a legitimate shot at becoming the first Lady Tiger runner in school history to finish in the top 20 at the C-USA event. Fellow runners Nora Nemere, Becca McMahon, Sarah Janecek and Mary Claire Dake have each finished in the top five for the U of M in each of the three previous races, and are expected to round out the scoring at the C-USA meet. For the men, Mate Nemeth is expected to lead the way, and he also has an opportunity to crack into the top 20. Nemeth is coming off an impressive win at the SEMO Invitational on Oct. 23, and will look to build on that at the conference meet. After Nemeth, Michael Mentz, who placed third at the SEMO meet, will likely fill the second team spot, with Abraham Shaposhnik, Jason Morgan and Gary Nemeth expected to round out the men's top five. The women's 6K portion of the C-USA Championships is set begin at 10:30 a.m., with the men's 8K race to follow at 11:30 a.m.

10/28/04		Tigers blank Blazers for share of C-USA crown -- Chested goal is one for team to treasure (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 28, 2004 Just in case anybody was still unsure how remarkably well things have been going for the University of Memphis soccer team, Wednesday offered further proof. Forget the foot. Forget the head. Now these Tigers are actually scoring goals with their chests. That the unusual approach clinched a share of the Conference USA title is the only thing more amazing. ''Have I ever chested in a goal to win a conference championship? No way,'' said Memphis senior Daniel Dobson. ''Wow.'' Wow indeed. The 20th-ranked Tigers used Dobson's chest-in off of a corner kick in the 23rd minute to defeat 17th-ranked UAB, 2-0, under the lights at Mike Rose Soccer Complex Wednesday night. Consequently, Memphis (11-3-1) earned a share of its first-ever C-USA title and secured the top-seed in next month's league tournament with three regular-season matches still to play. Not bad for a team that didn't even qualify for the C-USA Tournament last season. Not bad for a group of guys picked ninth in the preseason poll. Not bad for a program that has only participated in one NCAA Tournament in its 23-year existence. ''We worked really, really hard in the spring, and we knew we would have a great team this year,'' said Memphis senior John Reilly. '' So we knew we could do this, just nobody else did. But I'm glad we proved them wrong.'' Though the on-the-field celebration was festive and lengthy after the victory over UAB (9-5-0), the Tigers are far from finished accomplishing goals this season. Next up is a non-conference match against Belmont (6-6-2) on Tuesday, and then the league finale at East Carolina (6-9-0) on Nov. 6. If the Tigers win at ECU, they will take the C-USA title outright, which is next on the proverbial to-do list Of course Memphis could back door its way to the outright championship if UAB loses to either Louisville or DePaul in the final week of the regular season. But after beating a nationally ranked team for the second time in five days, the Tigers made it clear they aren't interested in that scenario, and would rather just handle things themselves. Perhaps that's why Richie Grant didn't plan any immediate, grand celebration after the victory, his 56th at the U of M. Granted, the sixth-year Memphis coach was happy, full of joy following another shutout by senior keeper Sebastian Vecchio. But after taking the kind of Gatorade bath reserved only for champions, Grant, still dripping, was composed and calm, and described how the rest of his night would follow suit. ''I'll have a drop of whiskey (to celebrate),'' Grant said with a smile, ''but then it's back to work.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/28/04		Football Notes (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 28, 2004 Star RB in running for award -- Williams among 24 finalists for Wooden University of Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams, Conference USA's leading rusher and 59 yards shy of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, is making a run at yet another national honor. Williams, a junior from Wynne, Ark., is one of 24 finalists for the John Wooden Trophy, presented by Athletes for a Better World. The Wooden Trophy, named after the legendary UCLA basketball coach, is awarded to two distinguished athletes -- one college and one professional -- that best display character, teamwork and citizenship, attributes ABW deems central to transforming individuals, sport and society. The award honors athletes of excellence on and off the field who are role models as performers and individuals. A screening committee selected 24 finalists and another committee will cut the group to 12 by early next week. An executive committee will select six athletes to appear on a national ballot. Those ballots are due in early December, and the award will be presented Jan. 10 in ceremonies held in Los Angeles. Williams, a key to the program's turnaround the past two seasons, is averaging a league-best 134.4 yards. He also has scored a league-high 12 rushing touchdowns. The leading rusher in the program's history, Williams was held to 57 yards in last weekend's 49-10 loss at Cincinnati. But Williams surpassed the 3,000-yard mark for his career in the game and has 3,055 yards heading into next week's nationally televised C-USA game against Louisville. Select company here, too Williams also has made the list of 17 finalists for the Hossman (not Heisman) Trophy, released earlier this week by the Hossman Football Club of Columbus, Ohio. Williams is the only C-USA player on the distinguished list. The Hossman Trophy is presented annually to the National Player of the Year in college football who has demonstrated outstanding athletic skill regardless of position. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald from the University of Pittsburgh won last year's award. Those joining Williams as finalists include USC's Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, Oklahoma's Jason White (the reigning Heisman Trophy winner), Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson from Texas, Purdue's Kyle Orton, California's J.J. Arrington and Auburn's Jason Campbell. Out of action Joining defensive back Scott Vogel on the sidelines at practices this week has been defensive tackle Albert Means. Means attended Wednesday's workout at the indoor turf room at the Murphy Athletic Complex dressed in a jersey top and sweats. He is being withheld from practice with turf toe. Vogel is sidelined as he continues his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery last month. Means and Vogel played in last weekend's game at Cincinnati, although Vogel was limited to three series and about 20 snaps. Heavy rains Wednesday morning forced the Tigers inside for the second straight day. BRIEFLY The Tigers are offering a Two-for-Twenty promotion for their remaining home games: Nov. 4 against Louisville and Nov. 12 against Southern Miss. Fans can purchase two tickets (one for each game) for $20. Tickets must be purchased at the U of M ticket office at the corner of Southern and Normal. ... Louisville quarterback Stefan LeFors leads the nation in passing efficiency with a 179.2 rating. He is completing passes at a nation-leading 76.7 percent and has been intercepted once in 116 attempts. ... Louisville has been overpowering in league play. The Cards have outscored their three C-USA opponents, 152-37. The U of L is attempting to go 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2001. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/28/04		Back to school -- Lady Tigers' new assistant came straight out of the WNBA (Commercial Appeal)
		By Todd Vinyard Contact October 28, 2004 University of Memphis guard Devin Necaise hasn't known new Lady Tiger assistant coach Helen Darling long, but she knows she's got game. "She is very good," Necaise said. "She came out and played in practice when we were missing some people a couple of times, and she was tough to stop. It made us better to face that." Necaise and her teammates don't need to feel bad about having a tough time stopping Darling. The new Lady Tiger assistant plays in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx. Darling, a point guard, tied for 12th in the league in assists per game (3.5) and 17th in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.55). Not long after Darling's season ended in Minnesota on Sept. 27, the former Penn State star got a call from her agent about a coaching opportunity in Memphis. Darling knew Tiger associate head coach Tom Cross from his time as an WNBA assistant. She also knew Cross's wife, Jae, a player with the Phoenix Mercury. "I really liked everything here and coach (Blair) Savage," Darling said. "I like meeting new people and having new experiences, so I gave it a try. Coaching was something I didn't want to do, but I knew I probably would since I did a lot of coaching on the floor as a point guard." Darling's main duty is working with the U of M point guards Necaise, a sophomore, and Tamika Butler, a junior. Necaise led the team last year with 42 3-point field goals, the seventh-best single-season mark in Lady Tiger history, while Butler is already sixth in career 3-point field goals made with 55. "The girls have really responded well here," Darling said. "Butler and Devin have a lot of talent. We're working on getting them to talk more. They have to lead this team by words and actions." The Lady Tigers have new leadership at the top this season, as Savage takes over for coach Joye-Lee McNelis who left after 13 years for Southern Miss. Savage inherits a team that went 21-10 last season and advanced to the second round of the Women's NIT. Memphis opens its 2004-05 season Tuesday with an exhibition game against Australian Institute of Sport in Elma Roane Field House. Savage, who served as an assistant to McNelis for nine years, likes what she is seeing as the Lady Tigers prepare for this season. "We're seeing some good intensity and really starting to get after the ball," Savage said. "Now are we cohesive on the offensive end like we would like? Not really right now, but that takes time." Although the Lady Tigers were picked to finish seventh in a poll of Conference USA coaches released earlier this week, the team has plenty of returning talent. The top three leading scorers from last year and four of five starters return. Seniors Victoria Crawford (16 points per game), Jennifer Sullivan (11.3 ppg.) and Raven Rogers (9.2 ppg.) are back to make up the Memphis front court. "Having this many experienced players has made our transition as coaches easier," Savage said. Having such a young, excited staff has made things interesting this preseason for the players. "Our team intensity is much higher right now than last year," Necaise said. "Our coaches are young and always excited and that really keeps us going." Savage sees the same thing. "I'm 33, and I'm the oldest coach on the staff," she said laughing. "This staff has brought in some new ideas and high expectations. I think our staff feeds off each other, and our players feed off of that." Darling, 26, has been part of that by jumping in, like helping with recruiting right after joining the staff. "Coach Darling has done an outstanding job of making that separation from being a player to being a coach," Savage said. Darling acknowledges going from player to coach so quickly isn't easy. "I have to remember I'm a coach," Darling said. "I'm enjoying this role." And the Lady Tigers say they are enjoying the new staff additions, especially if they don't have to face Darling on the court again. "I think they were glad to see her get off the court," Savage said. -- Todd Vinyard: 529-5343 -------------------- Helen Darling highlights College: Led the nation in assists and was named Big Ten Player of the Year as a senior at Penn State WNBA: Drafted 17th overall in 2000 by the Cleveland Rockers. Played in 2004 with the Minnesota Lynx, averging 4.2 points and 3.5 assists.

10/28/04		This week (Commercial Appeal)
		Friday Men's golf: at Landfall Tradition (Wilmington, N.C., through Sunday) Volleyball: MARQUETTE, 7 p.m. Saturday Cross country: at Conference USA Championships (Chicago) Women's soccer: CINCINNATI, 7 p.m. Volleyball: DePAUL, 7 p.m. Monday Women's golf: at Ross Resorts Invitational (Pinehurst, N.C., though Tuesday) -- home events in ALL CAPS

10/28/04		Campus notebook (basketball, golf, track) (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 28, 2004 Calipari: Tigers will be ready for early start Sean Banks was open in the left corner the other day at practice in one of John Calipari's many fastbreak drills. So he caught the pass. He took his time. He set his feet. He launched a 3-pointer. And ... he missed it. Off to the right, the ball ricocheted toward the free-throw line. Then Calipari stopped the workout, and made a proclamation. ''Sean missed that shot because he's a little rusty,'' the University of Memphis coach said. ''But in two weeks, he'll be making it.'' Which can only be considered a good thing. Because in two weeks -- exactly two weeks from today -- the Tigers will open the regular season at FedExForum against Savannah State in a first-round game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. It is the earliest opener the Tigers have ever had. So the question posed to Calipari was natural. Is this season sneaking up on his team, which has been picked to finish second in Conference USA and is ranked in the top 25 of most preseason publications? ''No,'' Calipari answered. ''I think we're going to be fine. Guys are competing at a high level, but we've got some young guys in there. We're still trying to teach (freshman point guard) Darius (Washington) what we're doing, and we're still trying to teach (freshman forward Richard) 'Joey' (Dorsey), too. So we're not just moving along every day. But we'll be fine.'' Before the game with Savannah State, Memphis will play two exhibitions. The first is Nov. 6 against Christian Brothers. The other is Nov. 8 against LeMoyne-Owen. Four for four? The Tiger golf team will attempt to end its fall schedule with a perfect record this weekend when it competes in the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. The 12-school tournament starts Friday, and is 54 holes. If Memphis can best Duke, Minnesota, Ohio State and the likes, then the Tigers will take their fourth victory of the season in as many starts. The Tigers are the only Division 1 team in the country that has won every start this year. Led by Keven Fortin-Simard, Allan Thomas and Andy Shiels, Memphis is 13th in the latest Golfweek rankings. Another check in the bank The U of M athletic department picked up another $100,000 recently when John Kelley purchased the naming rights for the Tiger football suite. ''With the assistance of Tiger fans like John Kelley, we can continue to grow the athletic programs at Memphis,'' said U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson. ''On behalf of the athletic department and the University, I would like to extend our thanks to John and his family. With their help, the Naming Rights Campaign is gaining more and more momentum.'' The U of M's Naming Rights Campaign has been successful in its first few months of existence. Already, among other things, the rights to Calipari's, Johnson's and Tommy West's offices have been sold. Track signings The Lady Tiger track team announced the addition of six newcomers for the upcoming season. The five freshmen and one junior should add depth for Memphis, which begins the indoor season in a little more than a month. Jumpers Chen Edri and Maria Majzik will likely have immediate impacts. ''This is a very talented group of athletes,'' said U of M assistant Kevin Robinson. ''Chen and Maria should be right at the top of the conference in high jump and long jump.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/28/04		Five questions: Brooks Monaghan, Tiger women's soccer coach (Commercial Appeal)
		Q: You play Cincinnati Friday night, and you need to snap your four-game losing streak to have a shot at being one of the eight schools at the Conference USA Tournament. It's a big weekend, huh? A: Yeah, and we got ourselves into this situation. We've made this very interesting. Two weeks ago we didn't think we'd be in this situation. But our approach now is that our conference tournament starts Friday. Q: It looks like there are four matches -- South Florida at East Carolina, Charlotte at Houston, DePaul at UAB and TCU at Louisville -- that could effect how your season ends. What's the simplest way to break this down? A: If any two of those four home teams win, and we win, then we go to the conference tournament. The positive is that we've got the home teams, and it's all their Senior Nights. Q: How's the mood of the team, having lost four straight? A: You know how it is. Winning is contagious, but so is losing. The last two weeks the kids have been a little down because they're not used to losing. But we've tried to take the approach this week that the past is the past, and that everything, for the most part, is in our control. The mentality is very good, it's very upbeat right now. But it hasn't been there the past two weeks. Q: Because before this losing streak, you had won five of six, and were on the highest of highs, right? A: Yeah. Don't remind me. Q: So is the team in a state of shock, having now to fight for their season on the final day of the regular season? A: It's a little frustrating for the kids to see East Carolina already in the tournament, because we pounded them. And then they see Charlotte, who still has a chance to get in, and we pounded them, too. So it's frustrating. But we put ourselves in this situation. Now it's do or die. -- Gary Parrish

10/28/04		Athletes of the Week (Commercial Appeal)
		Dayton O'Brien Junior soccer player O'Brien assisted on the game-winning goal and scored the insurance goal in a 2-0 victory against 20th-ranked Saint Louis over the weekend. It helped the Tigers to their first regular-season win over SLU in 14 attempts. Thanks to the productive Saturday, O'Brien had a team-high eight assists and seven goals (second on the team) heading into Wednesday night's game against UAB. Beth Tidmore Junior rifle team member Tidmore won her fourth consecutive air rifle event over the weekend against Kentucky. The Decatur, Ga., native finished the event with a score of 589, which led Memphis to a first-place team finish in the air rifle competition. Tidmore also had her best smallbore performance, a 574 that was good for fifth.

10/28/04		Five freshmen golfers contribute to success (Daily Helmsman)
		Matthew Laurie Sports Reporter October 28, 2004 A team comprised of a second-year head coach and five incoming freshmen probably didn't do much too intimidate the opposition of The University of Memphis golf team. However, that same opposition is staring up at the Tigers a little more than four weeks into the season. "Having just taken the job last year I knew it was going to be a rebuilding process, getting young talent in here and getting more competition among the team," said head coach Grant Robbins. That young talent -- in the form of five freshmen - is ranked fourth best in the nation by Golfstat.com, but it would be difficult to find a more successful group. The Tigers have entered three tournaments and have won every one. With two freshmen winning the individual medallist award in the first two events, the impact of these young guns is evident. Keven Fortin-Simard, was the freshman hero of the first tournament, the Michigan-Radrick Farms Intercollegiate. Three under par scoring rounds of 71-69-71, lead the tournament and the Tigers to the win. Andy Shiels followed Fortin-Simard's lead as he tallied a tournament score of 8-under-par in the Memphis Intercollegiate. He also took home the individual medallist hardware. However, credit can never go to just one. "These kids have come in and taken advantage of their opportunity," Robbins said. "I sold them on the fact they could come here and get playing time right away." Instead of spending that time building the Tiger team into a conference contender, they spent it turning Memphis into one of the most successful programs in the nation. "I wouldn't call it exactly luck, but we try to do a thorough job during the summer time of evaluating talent and finding kids that could be a good fit for us," said Robbins. Robbins searched for these puzzle pieces all around North America. Networking skills landed Robbins Fortin-Simard when he was recruiting, the talent conduit known as Robbie Greenwell, in Canada at junior championships. Gavin Aldridge, another promising freshman, was also introduced to Robbins through the recruitment of Greenwell. "Gavin was friends with Robbie and another kid I was recruiting at the time and just happened to see him play a few times," Robbins said. "He liked his game and thought he had a lot of potential. Ian Rochester, a local product, is on the outside looking in at the freshman success. "Unfortunately I haven't contributed to that at all," said Rochester when asked about freshmen ranking fourth. "But, I'm proud of it." On this team, chemistry and camaraderie are paramount. "We all push each other to do a lot better," said Rochester. "And we can tell a big difference in each other's games." They train together, practice together, hang out together, and apparently win together. "We do just about everything together," said freshman Andy Shiels. Another big role in the success has been team veteran Allan Thomas. "Allan is a great mentor and we all look up to him," Shiels said. "He's been in our shoes and he knows what to do." The team travels to Wilmington, North Carolina this week to compete in the Landfall Tradition to try and go win their fourth straight tournament. "I couldn't imagine being at a better place than this," said Rochester.

10/27/04		Tigers Clinch No. 1 Seed in C-USA Tourney With 2-0 Shutout of No. 17 UAB -- U of M guaranteed at least a share of the conference regular season title (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - In a battle for the No. 1 seed in the Conference USA Tournament, the University of Memphis men's soccer team came out on top with a 2-0 shutout of No. 17 UAB on Wednesday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. In front of the second largest crowd ever at a Tigers' game at Mike Rose with 579 in attendance, Memphis clinched at least a share of the C-USA regular season title after beating its second-straight ranked opponent.. The No. 20 Tigers can clinch the regular season title with a win or tie in their final conference game at East Carolina or a UAB loss or tie in one of its two final conference games against Louisville and DePaul. "I'm excited for the players," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "It's very rewarding for a group of players who have put so much effort into the program over a period of years. I congratulate our senior players. They've put out some outstanding performances and set the standard for the leadership in our program. Tonight is their reward." After being ranked No. 9 in the 10 team conference preseason rankings, the Tigers are the lowest preseason ranked team to win a share of the conference regular season tournament. It is the first time ever the U of M has captured a conference regular season title. "This win means a lot," said senior Tiger goalkeeper Sebastian Vecchio. "It's a good reward for all the hard work we've put in. We always knew we were as good as anyone in the conference, and this win shows it." Memphis improves to 11-3-1 and 7-1-0 in C-USA. The 11 regular season wins are the most for a Tiger team since 1992 when the team finished 13-2-2 before losing to Saint Louis in the Great Midwest Tournament. The seven conference wins are the most ever for the Tigers. UAB falls to 9-5-0 and 5-2-0 in C-USA. Daniel Dobson put Memphis on the board first after heading in a ball past UAB goalie A.J. Robles off a corner kick by Dayton O'Brien. It is Dobson's third goal of the season and second game-winner. After leading 1-0 at the half, the Tigers scored an insurance goal six minutes into the second period on another corner kick by O'Brien. The ball was shuffled by Justin Dyer to freshman defender Michael Coburn who kicked it into the net for his second goal of the season. O'Brien increases his conference leading assist total to 10 and point total to 24. The Tiger defense held the Blazers without a shot through the first 23 minutes and then finished strong with several outstanding team efforts on excellent attempts by UAB. The Blazers finished the game with 23 shots, the most Memphis has allowed to an opponent all year with the previous high being 16 to USF. "The shutout is a credit to the team defending," Grant said. "There wasn't one person on the defense that stood out from another. They all did well, and it is an example of the discipline of the whole team." Vecchio earned his second-straight shutout and fifth of the season. The five shutouts ties the Buenos Aires, Argentina native with USF goalie Dane Brenner for the most shutouts in the conference. Vecchio leads C-USA with four conference shutouts. He also leads the conference with a .70 goals against average and a .862 save percentage. A loud and supportive crowd cheered on the Tigers and surpassed the team's average attendance for the season by 277 fans. "The crowd was fantastic," Grant said. "You could sense they wanted a win as much as we did. We really thank them. They've been with us through all our seasons." The Tigers will play their final regular season home game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday against non-conference foe Belmont (6-6-3, 3-3-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference) at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. After the game, the four Memphis seniors, Justin Dyer; Daniel Dobson; John Reilly and Sebastian Vecchio, will be honored for their contributions to the program. Tickets for the game are $2 for adults and free for children 18 and under and students with their ID. Memphis will play its final conference game at East Carolina (6-9-0, 2-4-0) on Saturday, Nov. 6.

10/27/04		Women's Track Adds Six for 2004-05 Season -- Five freshmen and one junior add depth in numerous of events (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn.-- The University of Memphis women's track team has announced the addition of six newcomers for the 2004-05 season. The group of five freshmen and one junior is expected to add needed depth in a variety of events, including hurdles, jumps, sprints, and throws. Jumpers Chen Edri and Maria Majzik will almost certainly have an immediate impact in the Conference USA races in the high jump and long jump. Edri, a freshman from Moshe Sharet High School in Nazaret Ellit, Israel, is an extremely talented athlete, and will compete in the high jump and javelin. The reigning Israeli National Champion in each of the two events, she has personal best of 5'9" in the high jump and 137'9" in the javelin. Majzik, a junior from Budapest, Hungary, is the lone upperclassman in the group of newcomers. She will compete primarily in the long jump for U of M, but will also run 400m hurdles at some meets. The former Hungarian U23 National Champion in long jump features a personal best of 19'8" in that event and a top time of 63.14s in the 400m hurdles. Freshmen throwers, Sivan Aballi and Annette Uzoh will be forced to have an immediate impact on the team, which has suffered from an absence of throwers over the past few years. Aballi, from Kiriat Sharet High School in Holon, Israel, will compete in the shot put, discus, and javelin. Though she will be a major asset in all three events, she is expected to be most successful in the discus, an event in which she is a three-time Israeli champion. Uzoh, is from Earl Warren High School in San Antonio, Texas, where she is the school record holder in the shot put (41'8") and discus (123'11"). She is also expected to be a key performer in the throws, both this year and for year to come. Two other freshmen, Quiana Green and Ashley Stewart are expected to compete in sprints and hurdles. Green, from T.C. Williams High School in Portland, Ore., will added much needed depth at the 100m and 200m distances, where she has personal best times of 12.00s and 25.00s, respectively. Stewart, from McClellan High School in Little Rock, Ark., where she was a state champion in the 300m hurdles, and was a member of the All-State track team. S