Memphis Tigers News Archives

November 2004

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11/30/04		Match-Up Set for Sixth Annual GMAC Bowl -- Two of the Nation's top offense set to battle it out in Mobile (Commercial Appeal)
		MOBILE AL- - The University of Memphis has learned that Bowling Green State University will be its opponent in the Sixth Annual GMAC Bowl as the Falcons have accepted the Bowl's invitation. Both teams enter the game with 8-3 records, and each team will be making their first appearance in the GMAC Bowl. This year, the Falcons boast the most potent offense in the MAC, ranking second nationally in pass offense (335.6), fourth in both total offense (501.6) and scoring offense (43.6) and fifth in passing efficiency (165.9). Defensively, the Falcons rank fourth in the country in turnover margin (1.36) and have eight interceptions in the last three games. BGSU boasts the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in sophomore quarterback Omar Jacobs. He is tops in the nation in TD passes with 36 and has thrown just three interceptions. Jacobs is also the national leader in points responsible for (21.8), second in total offense (357.1), and fourth in pass efficiency (167.8). "The GMAC Bowl is very happy to have two great offensive teams in Bowling Green and Memphis for this year's game. The City of Mobile and college football fans across the country will see one of the most exiting games of the bowl season." stated GMAC Bowl President Jerry Silverstein. "I hope the scoreboard operator gets plenty of sleep the night before the game, because Bowling Green and Memphis can light one up in a hurry." The GMAC BOWL will be played on December 22, 2004, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game will be Nationally televised on ESPN. Kick-off is set for 7:00 pm CST. For Ticket information call the University of Memphis ticket office at (901) 678-2331. Tickets can also be purchased on www.gotigersgo.com.

11/30/04		Tigers sign for a historic 2 in a row -- Back-to-back bowls a first for Memphis (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 30, 2004 It was all over but for the signing. The University of Memphis football team, which had accepted an invitation over the weekend to play in the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., made it official Monday. During a press conference at the school's Athletic Office Building, athletic director R.C. Johnson signed the contract that will send the Tigers (8-3) to the postseason game to play a to-be-determined Mid-American Conference opponent. It will give the UofM back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in the program's history. And, said Tiger players and coaches, it will provide momentum for a school that hopes to make postseason trips a habit. Before last season, Memphis hadn't been to a bowl game since 1971. Now, behind fourth-year coach Tommy West, the Tigers are hoping the groundwork has been laid. ''To me this is really historic,'' West said. ''And not just for the football program, but for the city of Memphis. ''When we started four years ago my words were 'Our job is to build a consistent bowl team' and the key word there was consistent. This is a start because this is two in a row. I'm sure the 1971 team didn't think when it went to the Pasadena Bowl that it would be 30-something years before (the school) went again. So to go back to back is really special.'' The Tigers beat North Texas, 27-17, in last year's New Orleans Bowl, a game that attracted more than 10,000 Tigers fans to the Superdome. GMAC Bowl officials are hoping for a similar turnout for their game, which will be played at 42,000-seat Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Among the reasons for the turnaround has been the emergence of junior running back DeAngelo Williams on the national scene. Williams, the 2003 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for 1,828 yards and scored a nation-leading 22 touchdowns. ''It means a lot to go to back-to-back games,'' said Williams, who rushed for a school-record 263 yards in Saturday's 31-15 win at South Florida. ''It definitely shows where this program has come from and where it's headed. Coach West has already told us he's not going to allow this program to take a step back.'' Quarterback Danny Wimprine, a senior, said he'd like to see what he helped turn around remain strong. ''I'm graduating this year and this is going to be my last college game,'' he said. ''Hopefully when I leave here they are going to keep it rolling. This program is on its way up and next year I want to see them in another bowl, a bowl even bigger than this one.'' The Tigers, who had endured eight consecutive losing seasons before last year's 9-4 finish, built momentum this fall by playing three late-season games on national TV and displaying their high-scoring offense. West said a byproduct of the exposure was apparent when he went to Kansas on a recruiting trip Sunday. ''It's amazing,'' West said. ''There were a lot of those guys talking about watching us on television. We played three of our last four on national television. And with the bowl, we are going to play four of our last five games on ESPN. ''I don't think there's anybody else in the country that can say that.'' The GMAC Bowl, which pays participating schools $750,000 each, gets the second choice of C-USA schools after the AutoZone Liberty Bowl takes the league champion. The Tigers were an attractive choice because of their second-place finish in the conference, their exciting offense and their ability to bring a large number of fans. And, West said, it didn't hurt that his team played well in November for the second straight year. The Tigers' only loss was to seventh-ranked Louisville. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/30/04		GMAC tickets go on sale today (Commercial Appeal)
		By PhilStukenborg Contact November 30, 2004 The University of Memphis ticket office will begin accepting orders for the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl in Mobile starting today at 9 a.m. The Tigers were invited to play in the postseason game over the weekend and officially accepted the offer Monday during a press conference at the UofM's Athletic Office Building. Memphis will play a yet-to-be determined opponent from the Mid-American Conference. Murray Cape, selection committee chairman for the GMAC Bowl, said the Tigers' foe could be known by late today. Ticket orders for the game will be filled first for Tiger Club members, followed by football season ticket holders who are not Tiger Club members. After those requests are filled, the general public will be accommodated. Tickets, which are $45 each, will be available for pickup at the Athletic Office Building beginning Dec. 14 and continuing through Dec. 16. The UofM ticket office will be open from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. today, Wednesday and Thursday. From Friday through Dec. 9, the ticket office will be open from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. UofM officials are asking fans to order tickets through the Tiger ticket office to benefit the institution. The competing schools are provided with prime seating. Captain Wimprine, Captain Means Tiger coach Tommy West said quarterback Danny Wimprine and defensive tackle Albert Means were chosen captains by their teammates. Wimprine and Means were told of the voting before Saturday's game at South Florida. ''It's special knowing that you can look back in 20 years and say I was the captain of my football team," Wimprine said. "And it wasn't the coaches who selected me, it was my peers." Surprise presentation West also gave out two game balls after Saturday's win over South Florida, presenting one to Tiger associate athletic director Bob Winn and assistant athletic director Eddie Cantler. West said he wanted to recognize the longtime members of the athletic department, whose recent promotions will take them away from day-to-day involvement with the Tiger football team. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/30/04		Editorial 11/30: No holding these Tigers (Commercial Appeal)
		Thankfully, University of Memphis football fans didn't have to wait so long between bowl appearances this time. The Tigers officially accepted a bid to the GMAC Bowl Monday, the second year in a row the team has qualified for postseason play. Before last year's New Orleans Bowl appearance, the Tigers hadn't gone to a bowl game in 32 years. For perspective, the U of M team now has a longer streak of bowl appearances than the once-mighty University of Nebraska, which isn't headed anywhere but home for the holidays. This year's Tigers have been particularly fun to watch. Running back DeAngelo Williams has seven single season records, six career records and needs to run for 58 yards to reach 4,000 for his career. The way he's been playing this month, he could hit that milestone in the first quarter of the GMAC Bowl. Danny Wimprine, the team's quarterback, owns seven career passing records and needs 109 more yards to reach 10,000 for his career. Like Williams, he could reach that total Dec. 22 in Mobile, Ala. So Tiger fans, don't wait too long to buy your tickets. Your team deserves your support.

11/30/04		Tigers accept invitation to GMAC Bowl (Daily Helmsman)
		Daniel Ford contact November 30, 2004 The differences between last year's bowl announcement and this year's version speak to the difference in the mood and expectations of the program. Last year, the press conference to announce The University of Memphis had accepted a bid to the New Orleans Bowl was riddled with smiles and hugs. The same smile a kid would give you if you told them you bought too much ice cream. This year the mood around the press conference to announce the Tigers would be heading to the GMAC Bowl on Dec. 22 was decidedly more somber. Don't get Tommy West and his team wrong, they're by no means indifferent about a second consecutive bowl game. But this year the team has felt this is where they would be all along. So it was in the midst of that atmosphere that athletic director R.C. Johnson signed the final papers, sending the Tigers to represent Conference USA in Mobile, Ala. "It is with great pleasure that the GMAC Bowl invites the Memphis Tigers to play in the 6th annual GMAC Bowl," said Murray Kate, co-chairman of the GMAC selection committee. "We also want to invite the entire university, the students, the fans and the alumni throughout the country. We promise you the best time you've ever had." The opponent for the Tigers will be decided Tuesday afternoon. It is likely to be Miami (Ohio) from the Mid-American Conference. Perhaps the only Tiger showing that first-bowl smile that spread around the team last year is running back DeAngelo Williams. Williams did not play in the New Orleans Bowl due to a late season injury and is chomping at the bit to see some postseason action. "It absolutely killed me walking up and down the sideline pacing," said Williams. "I think it actually taught me a lesson. One, play every game like it's your last game and two, when you have (the opportunity) use it." Williams is coming off perhaps his best game as a Tiger, rushing for a single-game record 263 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns in the Tigers' 31-15 win at South Florida this weekend. He hopes the turnout of Memphis fans in Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium can match the estimated 10,000 - 15,000 that made the trip to New Orleans. There is reason for optimism. Memphis led C-USA in attendance for a second consecutive year. They averaged 41,175, outdrawing second place Louisville by 644. And there is at least one person who is excited about making the trip. "There are a lot of people that haven't ever been to Mobile," Williams said. "A lot maybe haven't heard of it, but they say it's a fun place and I'm excited." The nation's leader in rushing yards with 1,828 and scoring with 132 points, Williams admits he's still undecided about his future with Memphis saying, "I haven't had time to think about it or decide on what I'm going to do or not." Johnson closed the press conference by thanking the players, fans and West for orchestrating the Memphis football turnaround. "I want take a couple of moments and thank our head football coach. Coach West had done everything we've asked him to do," Johnson said. "It's been a phenomenal run. It's a great time to be a Tiger."

11/29/04		Tiger Officials Sign GMAC Contract -- U of M to play Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in the GMAC Bowl (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis has officially committed to the GMAC Bowl which will be played Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in Mobile, Ala. U of M Athletic Director R.C. Johnson signed the official contract in front of many media, fans and Tiger football players this afternoon at a press conference held on campus. Murray Cape attended as a representative of the GMAC Bowl, and Coach Tommy West also addressed the media. The Tigers are playing in their second consecutive bowl game for the first time in school history. Memphis' first bowl appearance was in 2003, snapping a 32-year bowl drought. The Tigers defeated North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl, and ended the year at 9-4. Memphis will enter the game with an 8-3 record and ranked second in Conference USA. This is the first time since 1962 and 1963 that the Tigers have recorded back-to-back eight-win seasons. If they can clinch the victory in Mobile, it will mark the first time since 1949 and 1950 that the Tigers had amassed consecutive nine-win seasons. For more information on GMAC Bowl festivities, check out www.GMACBOWL.com. Ticket information is available through the U of M by calling 901-678-2331. Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 30. The cost of the ticket is $45.

11/29/04		Tickets for GMAC Bowl to Go On Sale Tuesday -- Tickets will be available for pick-up on Dec. 14th (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- - The University of Memphis ticket office will be accepting orders for the GMAC Bowl beginning Tuesday morning, Nov. 30th. The ticket office will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. On Friday, Dec. 3rd, the ticket office will be open from 9 a.m. -4:30 p.m. The ticket office will be closed Saturday and Sunday, then will be open from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6th through Thursday, Dec. 9th. The University of Memphis is asking all fans to order tickets through the U of M ticket office as the institution will benefit from all tickets purchased from its allotment. Competing institutions are also provided with prime seating available for their fans. Tickets for the game, which will be Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in Mobile, Ala., are $45. To order tickets, please call 901-678-2331 or fax the order to 901-678-4112. Ticket forms will be available on www.gotigersgo.com Ticket orders will be filled in the following order: 1. Tiger Club members 2. Football season ticket holders who are not Tiger Club members 3. General public Tickets will be available for pick-up at the Athletic Office Building (on the corner of Southern and Normal) beginning on Dec. 14th and running through Dec. 16th.

11/29/04		Women's Basketball to Open Road Schedule at No. 15 Vanderbilt -- Wednesday night game will feature two 4-0 teams (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn.-- - The University of Memphis women's basketball team (4-0) will face No. 15 Vanderbilt in Nashville, Wednesday, beginning at 6 p.m. The women's game will be the front end of a double-header with the Vanderbilt men's team, who will face Austin Peay following the Lady Tiger game. This will be Memphis' first trip to Memorial Gymnasium since 1994-95. Memphis has lost the last seven straight meetings with Vanderbilt, including a 73-49 loss last year that snapped a six-match winning streak to open the Lady Tigers' season, and is 2-9 against the Nashville school. Like Memphis, the Commodores are coming into the contest with a 4-0 record and are coming off a win in their own Thanksgiving Tournament. In the Vanderbilt tournament, the Commodores downed Rhode Island, 108-53, and Siena, 76-47. In all, VU is averaging 86.8 points per game and is holding its opponents to 43.8 points a night. Rhode Island's 53 points was the most points given up by a VU team, but the Commodore offense has been virtually unstoppable, surpassing the 100-point mark twice in the first three games. Senior Ashley Earley (Memphis, Tenn./Briarcrest) leads the Commodores with 18.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Earley was named the Thanksgiving Tournament MVP for Vanderbilt last weekend, and leads the defense with 12 steals. Three other Commodores are averaging double-digit points, including Carla Thomas (15.3), Abi Ramsey (14.3) and Dee Davis (13.8). Davis leads the VU offense with 30 assists, while Katie Antony has added 12 assists so far this season. VU is hitting 53.6 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from beyond the arc, where they've already hit 26 three-point field goals. Ramsey leads the team with 15 treys already this season. Memphis is led by a trio of seniors. Senior Victoria Crawford is averaging 13 points a night, while Jennifer Sullivan is adding 11.5 points an outing. Senior forward Raven Rogers is just under double-digits with 9.5 points a night, but is leading the team with 8.8 rebounds per game, including 10 offensive boards in the first four games. The Lady Tiger defense has been stingy thus far in the season, allowing their opponents to score just 50.2 points per game and holding three consecutive opponents to 52 or fewer points for the first time since 1973-74. Memphis has struggled a bit on the offensive end, hitting 40.5 percent from the floor, but just 21.7 percent from three-point range.

11/29/04		FROM MY SEAT -- DEANGELO'S DILEMMA (Memphis Flyer)
		Frank Murtaugh DEANGELO'S DILEMMA Dear DeAngelo, Okay . . . I know asking you to stay in school one more year is like asking a 5-year-old to stay away from the Christmas tree on December 25th, but some desperate causes are worth the fight. There’s nary a rushing record at the University of Memphis left for you to break. (The numbers are silly, D. With 1,828 rushing yards this year, you now have the top two seasons -- by far -- in U of M history. Your 3,942 rushing yards exceed the next most prolific Tiger by more than 1,300 yards. And 40 touchdowns in three seasons?!) Having hurt your knee before last season’s New Orleans Bowl, you’ll finally be able to play your first postseason game at the GMAC Bowl on December 22nd. With all due respect to the line that opened holes for you this season -- from left to right, Jason Johnson, Blake Butler, Gene Frederic, Jason Matthews, and Jeremy Rone -- you have shown the kind of talent Conference USA programs merely fantasize over. New challenges, for sure, await. But DeAngelo, there is one distinguishing trait between college superstars like yourself . . . and college legends. College legends always -- always -- play their senior year. Can you recall the euphoria in the Mid-South when Peyton Manning announced (with his degree in hand!) that he would stay at the University of Tennessee for his senior season? That emotional spasm throughout Big Orange Country just might approximate the reaction you’d see if you held a similar press conference come January. You would become to the Memphis program -- with one more season of football, good, bad or ugly -- what Earl Campbell is to Texas, Archie Manning to Ole Miss, Tony Dorsett to Pittsburgh, Archie Griffin to Ohio State. Heisman Trophy or no (and apologies to your buddy, Danny Wimprine), DeAngelo Williams would be THE name attached to Memphis football, today and forever. You’d be Larry Finch with a helmet and shoulder pads. Pardon me as I don my rose-colored shades, but there are other reasons for staying on campus. You’re on track to graduate with a degree in marketing management in December 2005. Which means (A) you could start focusing entirely on the 2006 NFL draft once the 2005 season ends and (B) you could put that new degree to use in ways most of us can never fathom. Your mother -- Sandra Hill -- has been an inspiration to your entire team and fan base as she fights breast cancer. Needless to say, a son doesn’t need fame, fortune, or accolades to inspire a mother. But what about doing the unexpected, taking the path not flashing with dollar signs and endorsement deals. I assure you, DeAngelo, I’ve never seen a mom tear up with joy like one does when she sees her “little one” in a cap and gown. I know, I know. An injury is waiting with the very next tackle. But think about the worst-case scenario. You saw it unfold right before your eyes in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl when Miami’s star tailback Willis McGahee blew out his knee. Merely two seasons later, McGahee is starting for the Buffalo Bills. Even career-threatening injuries can be overcome. You’ve done it yourself, for Pete’s sake. Finally, DeAngelo, why not stay in school because you’ll never be appreciated more than you have been here. From your disarming smile to your burst around left tackle in the Southern Miss game, from your charm on Fan Day to your insistence on including your linemen in any and all national interviews . . . you embody what Tiger Nation long believed a U of M football player could be. If you choose to turn pro a year early, there won’t be any finger-pointing, no blaming you. To say the least, you’ve earned the privilege of making this choice so few college juniors get to consider. No, there won’t be any blame . . . just lots of regret. You have been at the forefront of what so many before you hoped (and often promised) to do. You turned the University of Memphis into a football school. And you made fall Saturdays in the Mid-South something a little more grand than a stage for SEC competition. And back to that smile of yours, D. You can’t tell me your three years as a Tiger haven’t been happy days. Why cut the time short? When you get right down to it, Tiger Nation isn’t asking any more from you than it has since you dodged your first tackle. Just be a hero. Sincerely, The Other Option

11/29/04		Tigers off to GMAC Bowl -- A Mid-American Conference team will battle Memphis in Mobile (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 29, 2004 The University of Memphis football team is headed back to the Gulf Coast. The Tigers, who played in last year's New Orleans Bowl, are bound for the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The GMAC Bowl extended an invitation Sunday and Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson accepted. He'll officially sign the contract today at a 3 p.m. press conference at the UofM's Athletic Office Building. With Tiger coach Tommy West out of town on a recruiting trip, Johnson addressed the Tigers at a team meeting Sunday at the Murphy Athletic Complex to break the news and congratulate them on their second straight postseason appearance. Memphis beat North Texas in last year's New Orleans Bowl, the UofM's first bowl in 32 years. After finishing the regular season with a 31-15 Conference USA victory Saturday at South Florida, the Tigers will take a three-game winning streak -- and an 8-3 record -- into the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl. ESPN will carry the game, giving the Tigers a fourth national television appearance since Nov. 4. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ''I am most proud of these guys,'' Johnson said. ''And I'm also proud of what Tommy and his staff have done. We've won 17 games in two years and now we have a chance to win 18. That's something. ''And I'm not only proud of their victories, but I'm proud of their demeanor. This is a classy group. They do the right things. They send the right signals. They act the way you'd like to have your student-athletes act. I think we lose sight of that sometimes in the quest for victories.'' Johnson said the Mid-American Conference opponent for the Tigers -- either Toledo, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois or Miami (Ohio) -- will be picked by early this week. Murray Cape, chairman of the GMAC Bowl selection committee, said he'd like to have the matchup completed ''by no later than Tuesday.'' By contract with C-USA, the GMAC Bowl has the second selection among league teams after the AutoZone Liberty Bowl invites the champion. Louisville will play in the Dec. 31 Liberty Bowl. Cape, who attended Saturday's Memphis-South Florida game and will be at today's press conference, said bowl officials are excited about having a UofM team that not only brings a significant crowd, but features quarterback Danny Wimprine and running back DeAngelo Williams. The duo has rewritten the school's offensive record book. Wimprine, a senior from New Orleans, owns seven career passing marks and is 109 yards shy of reaching 10,000 passing yards. Williams, a junior from Wynne, Ark., owns seven single-season records, six career marks and is 58 yards shy of reaching 4,000 career rushing yards. Williams broke his single-game school record Saturday by rushing for 263 yards against USF. ''We feel we have one of the best running backs in the country coming to Mobile,'' Cape said Sunday from Mobile. ''He put on a star performance Saturday.'' Cape said the GMAC Bowl is familiar with -- and heartened by -- the fact that 10,000-plus Memphis fans attended last year's New Orleans Bowl. ''We know how the university stormed to New Orleans,'' Cape said. ''They had a great time and we hope to show them even a better time.'' UofM officials expect to release ticket information today. The game will be played at 42,000-seat Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Most UofM players said Sunday they didn't have a preference regarding their postseason destination. They were simply proud to extend their season. ''Everything's exciting when you have postseason plans,'' said senior receiver Tavarious Davis. ''In 2000, you couldn't have imagined Memphis being on national television in back-to-back-to-back games. And to go to back-to-back bowls . . . to be part of this is just an honor.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/29/04		Tiger bowl facts (Commercial Appeal)
		What: GMAC Bowl When: Dec. 22, 7 p.m. Matchup: University of Memphis (8-3) vs. a Mid-American Conference opponent picked from among Toledo, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Miami (Ohio). Where: Mobile, Ala. Tickets: University of Memphis officials will announce ticket availability today. Television: ESPN will broadcast the game.

11/29/04		Look homeward, Heisman (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact November 29, 2004 Why not DeAngelo for DeHeisman? Why not now? Yes, it is too late for the University of Memphis's junior running back to reach enough of the Heisman electorate to win the thing, but there's no reason why he shouldn't be in the discussion. In this vote, DeAngelo Williams has been relegated to the role of the National Prohibition candidate (that was Gene Amondson, for you non-teetotalers out there), when he ought to be, at the very least, Ross Perot circa 1992. On Saturday, in Memphis's 31-15 win at South Florida, Williams ran for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Which means, at season's end and with only a few conference championship (and hurricane) games left to play, DeAngelo ... Leads the nation in rushing yards, with 1,828 yards in his 11 games (Cedric Benson of Texas, with 1,764, is second, though Oklahoma freshman Adrian Peterson could catch him with 157 yards in the Big 12 championship). Leads the nation in touchdowns (22) and points scored (132). Leads the nation in all-purpose running yards, with 2,106 yards despite not returning kicks since Sept. 11. Perhaps most impressive is the way Williams finished the season, especially considering the one knock against him when the season began was his durability. Unlike his first two seasons, when injuries cut down his playing time, Williams has been a workhorse, averaging right at 29 touches per game (rushing attempts and receptions), and now he seems like a genius for running out of bounds to avoid meaningless hits in September. (And that doesn't count the punishment he receives protecting his record-setting quarterback, Danny Wimprine, in the spread offense; his coaches will tell you there is not a better pass-blocking tailback in the country.) In his four November games, Williams rushed for 199 or more yards in four straight games and averaged a whopping 222 yards per game. The Tigers went 3-1 and woulda, coulda (maybe not shoulda) beaten Louisville on a Thursday night ESPN game. If Reggie Bush of USC had those kinds of numbers, ESPN would be producing an hourlong SportsCentury documentary to air this week. So here's the deal, Tiger fans. Ask not what more DeAngelo Williams can do for you, Tiger Nation; ask what you can do for DeAngelo Williams. Especially you Tiger fans who spend way too much of your life chattering online -- and you know who you are -- there remains enough time to create a DeAngelo buzz. The Heisman Trophy ballots are out, but deadline for receipt of the ballots isn't until next Wednesday (8th) afternoon. Go to espn.com and E-mail their football writers and broadcasters. Find the usatoday.com Heisman Watch and pummel them with DeAngelo missives. Devote some serious time to hitting the folks at SI.com -- especially Kelley King, who wrote an article Wednesday that somehow omitted the word "DeAngelo" from her list of 20 players from non-BCS schools who might make an NFL impact. Why not DeAngelo for DeHeisman? Why not now? Gameballs DeAngelo Williams: We TIVOed the game, and on that 72-yard run, we estimate DeAngelo actually ran about 130 yards, if you consider the weaving and dodging and sideline-to-sideline effort. Much as Tiger fans want him to return for his senior season, could any reasonable person blame him for leaving after such an amazing year? Well, there is this. If Williams had another phenomenal season, he could contend for some of the NCAA's biggest records. The Division 1 career rushing record of 6,397 yards by Ron Dayne is indeed far to fetch -- he'd need to average 189 yards per game, counting this year's bowl game and assuming one in 2005. Probable? No. Possible? Yes. The career yards per carry record of 6.21 by Ricky Williams is reachable, with DeAngelo at 6.1 yards per carry right now. Most reasonable -- and, if he returns, most likely -- is the career all-purpose yardage category, which Williams holds with 7,206 yards. DeAngelo goes into the bowl game with 5,533 all-purpose yards for his career, meaning 129 all-purpose yards the rest of the way. Danny Wimprine: Because his star running back is so spectacular, it's easy to take the senior quarterback for granted. Wimprine's passing set up DeAngelo's running on Saturday, and, if he does anything at all in the bowl game, has a chance to finish his career with more than 10,000 yards passing, more than 800 completions and (perhaps) 80 passing touchdowns. Tiger D: Say what you will about the extremely malleable U of M defense, but it did not break in the season finale. Three fourth-down stops made the difference in Memphis's eighth win of the season. Ole Miss D: The Ole Miss O gets a huge assist for holding the ball 37:28 of Saturday's 20-3 Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs managed only six first downs and just 220 yards of total offense. Louisville: After the 70-7 rout of Cincinnati, it is reasonable to ask if the Liberty Bowl ever hosted a better, more exciting team than this bunch of Cardinals. While it is in the DNA of Memphians to hate Cardinal red, especially with the Big East defection, this team is worth a second look. If Steve Ehrhart and Harold Graeter can give the home folks a matchup of Top 10s Boise State and Louisville, there's no reason why any half-interested college football fan shouldn't buy a ticket. Matt Leinart: The USC quarterback went out with a bang, throwing for 400 yards in the rout of Notre Dame. Barring an incredible Big 12 performance by one of Oklahoma's Heisman hopefuls (2003 winner Jason White at QB or true freshman Adrian Peterson at tailback), Leinart might've won USC another Heisman. Virginia Tech: What's it say about the Hokies and Hurricanes that this week's game in Miami is for the ACC title? Seems like old times for the former Big East foes. Gassers Arkansas D: With a bowl bid on the line, the Hogs gave up 43 points to LSU. On the season, the Arkansas defense allowed four opponents to score 32 or more points. Boston College: Playing at home with a BCS spot on the line, the Eagles were crushed by Syracuse, 43-17. Which leads us to ... Big East: Since the BCS basically makes up the rules of its exclusive game as it goes, not unlike 10-year-olds playing pretend war games, why not allow the BCS bowls the option of not choosing the Big East champion (likely Pitt, if the Panthers beat South Florida)? MSU: The Bulldogs fizzled away the final game of the season with a lackluster effort in the biggest game of the year. Vols: It has not been a November to remember for the Vols. Give UT credit for a clutch fourth quarter in the 37-31 comeback over Kentucky, but Vol fans have every right to expect an early exit from Neyland Stadium against UK, no matter who is playing quarterback. Tiger Hoopsters: And Tiger basketball fans have every right to expect a ranked hoops team to blow out Arkansas State at home and give Maryland a fight on national TV. "Sometimes you have to get absolutely clobbered to wake up," is how U of M coach John Calipari summed it up after the embarrassment against Maryland. True. And, to Calipari's credit, his Tigers have shown an ability to learn from humiliation the past two seasons.

11/29/04		Calipari storms out, talks about changes (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 29, 2004 Sunday may be a day of rest for some. But at the University of Memphis, it was supposed to be a day of change. After Maryland embarrassed the Tigers on national television Friday, the idea was that they'd return to the Finch Center humbled and practice with a new sense of urgency, determined to never again let such a beating take place. And for a while, that's precisely how things went. It was a high-intensity workout with chest bumps and high fives. But as the minutes ticked on and exhaustion set in, Memphis began to do everything its coach hates. Consequently, Sunday's practice ended abruptly with John Calipari storming off the court, and his players remaining on it in shock. "I've got to make some drastic changes," Calipari said as he walked away. "I need some time alone." With that, the crossroads for this basketball team has officially been reached. Either things start changing, or it's reasonable to assume Calipari might run his head straight through a wall because nothing else seems to be working. On Sunday, the fifth-year Memphis coach tried to get emotion by offering two players two weeks off. That didn't work. He tried to get emotion by asking two other players to explain why he should ever put them into a game? That didn't work. Then, Calipari finally turned his frustration towards the usually untouchable Anthony Rice. Rice's big crime? Being the senior captain who allowed all this to go on. "We've got a lot of issues," Calipari, calmer and in better spirits, said when he emerged from his office. "We've got guys who are looking for excuses instead of looking in the mirror. We've got guys who are just going through the motions and not showing up every day." Though Calipari won't use names, it doesn't take a secret decoder ring to figure out most of his generalizations are directed at Sean Banks. Granted, the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year is averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. But for the past month, Calipari has been pushing the 6-8 forward to be more of a lead-by-example type in practices because ultimately, as assistant Tony Barbee pointed out, the rest of any team will follow the blueprint laid by its perceived best player. So far, the whole thing's been a struggle. But after meeting with Banks following Sunday's practice, assistant Ed Schilling said he sensed the Tigers' standout sophomore is ready to respond. "This is all a natural part of the maturation process if Sean's going to be a superstar," Schilling said. "He's always been able to just coast. But if he's going to be one of the greats, then he has to raise his intensity level. "And he understands that," Schilling added. "I just talked to Sean, and he told me that he felt himself letting down at the end of practice, but he just couldn't pick it up. But this is all new. He's going to be fine." As will the rest of the Tigers. That's what Calipari promised as he left the Finch Center. That's what assistant Derek Kellogg said after a lengthy conversation with a few players. "I think everybody is a little frustrated right now," Kellogg said. "But that's good. That means they care."

11/28/04		Tiger Football Extended Invitation to GMAC Bowl -- Press conference will be held at 3 p.m. at the Athletic Office Building (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - A press conference will be held Monday at 3 p.m. in the Athletic Office Building, at which time the University of Memphis is expected to sign a contract placing the Tigers in the 6th Annual GMAC Bowl held in Mobile, Ala. on Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. The Tigers, with an 8-3 record, will be participating in their second consecutive bowl game for the first time in school history. Their opponent, a representative of the Mid-America Conference is expected to be announced later this week. GMAC Bowl representatives will be in Memphis Monday afternoon for the press conference. This press conference will replace the Monday Tommy West press luncheon. Coach West, as well as several Tiger athletes, will be available after the announcement on Monday. For more information about the GMAC Bowl, please see www.GMACBowl.com.

11/28/04		Fans Can Vote For DeAngelo For Cingular National Player of the Week -- Winner of the weekly award rests in the hands of the fans (GoTigersGo.com)
		Atlanta, GA (November 28, 2004) -- Memphis junior running back DeAngelo Williams has been selected as a Cingular Wireless/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week finalist for the first time this season. Williams was nominated after rushing for two touchdowns with a career high 263 yards in the Tigers' 31-15 victory over South Florida. Williams' performance on Saturday capped a record-setting regular season for the junior running back as he extended his Conference USA single-season rushing record to 1828 yards in addition to his nation-leading 19 touchdowns. Williams is one of four candidates for the All-America Player of the Week, who are selected by a panel of ABC Sports and ESPN college football analysts, led by John Saunders. The other finalists are: No. 1 Southern California junior quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Matt Leinhart, who threw for 400 yards and a school-record tying five touchdowns in the Trojans' 41-10 victory over Notre Dame; No 7 Louisville wide receiver Montrell Jones, who caught two touchdown passes and returned a punt for a score as the Cardinal's routed Cincinnati 70-7 to clinch the Conference USA championship; and Syracuse senior defensive back/running back Diamond Ferri, who rushed for 141 yards with two touchdowns on offense and an interception return for a touchdown on defense to lead the Orange to a 43-17 win over No.17/19 Boston College and a share of the Big East title. Who will be this week's winner is still undecided and the final decision now rests in the hands of college football fans nationwide. For the first time in college football history, fans can now make the call on who they think deserves to be the All-America Player of the Week with the power and ease of wireless text-messaging. Cingular is making the voting open to other wireless carriers* allowing even more fans to participate. Fans can also vote online at www.abcsportsallamerica.com or at ESPN.com (keyword: cingular). Memphis fans can show their support for Williams by voting for him up until 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 28. The winner will be announced during that night's 11 p.m. EST broadcast of ESPN "SportsCenter". Here's how fans can vote for the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week this week and every week: * Text "PLAYER" to "64444" on your wireless phones * Follow the prompt to vote for your All-America selection * Alternatively, go to www.abcsportsallamerica.com or log onto www.espn.com and enter keyword "Cingular" Williams is vying to become the fourth running back and the first player from Conference USA to claim the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week award this season. Previous winners include Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton (twice), Texas Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie, Georgia quarterback David Greene, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson (three times), Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell, Michigan running back Michael Hart , Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, and Auburn running back Carnell Williams. Fans who vote on their wireless phones only need to register one time. Then, each week, the four candidates for Player of the Week are automatically sent to their wireless phones. Each time fans vote, they are entered into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the Bowl Championship Series game of their choice or thousands of other instant prizes. Fans can vote as often as they like. On December 1, fans will also get a chance to determine who the best player in the nation is by voting for the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year. Fans will have until December 8 to choose from among five finalists - voting by either text messaging or online. The selection process will culminate on December 11 at 2 p.m. EST in a one-hour special on ABC Sports when the Cingular Wireless/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year (selected by fans), and the All-America team (selected by the Football Writers Association of America), will be announced. *Other wireless carriers must opt-in for their subscribers to participate ABOUT CINGULAR WIRELESS Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States,serving more than 46 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE: SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE: BLS), has the largest digitalvoice and data network in the nation. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(SM), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com . Get Cingular Wireless press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://www.cingular.com/newsroom.

11/28/04		Williams, Tigers finish strong -- Memphis 31, South Florida 15 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 28, 2004 TAMPA, Fla. -- If this was junior DeAngelo Williams's final regular-season game as an honor-laden, record-breaking University of Memphis running back, at least he sprinted out in style. Much like the previous week's Conference USA game at East Carolina, the Tigers put the game on Williams's powerful, speedy legs when South Florida mounted a comeback, and he responded -- as he has throughout the second half of the season -- with two long touchdowns in the second half. Williams, the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, rushed for a school-record 263 yards and two touchdowns in the UofM's 31-15 victory before 21,392 at Raymond James Stadium. It was Williams's fourth 200-yard game of the season, topping his 262-yard effort earlier this year against Houston that broke Paul 'Skeeter' Gowen's school record of 260 set in 1969. The career rushing day by Williams was coupled with a solid performance by the Tiger defense, which had three key fourth-down stops. The offense assisted by controlling the ball throughout most of the game. The UofM had a 34:52-to-25:08 advantage in time of possession. ''That was a hard-fought game,'' Tiger coach Tommy West said. ''And I knew it would be. I was really proud of our team because we were mentally ready to play.'' The Tigers (8-3 overall, 5-3 in C-USA) await word -- likely from the GMAC Bowl today -- on their postseason destination. South Florida (4-6, 3-5) needed a win Saturday to keep its postseason chances alive. But the Bulls, headed to the Big East next season, had no answer for Williams, whose breakaway speed led to second-half TD runs of 51 and 44 yards. The first touchdown increased the Tigers' lead to 23-7, and the second boosted the Memphis advantage to 31-7. Williams should be ranked as the nation's No. 2 rusher at 166.1 yards per game when the NCAA releases the updated statistics today. He will be the leader in total rushing yards at 1,828. ''He is a special player,'' West said. ''I've always heard people say that someone is worth the price of admission. He is. He is really good at what he does.'' Williams finished the regular season with 36 career touchdowns to tie the school record originally set by Dave Casinelli in the early 1960s. ''We just kept giving him the ball,'' Tiger quarterback Danny Wimprine said. ''We've been doing that all year. And he's the kind of player who'll get one yard, two yards, be stopped for no yards and then pop a big one. That's what he did today.'' Williams helped the Tigers amass 470 yards, including 328 on the ground. Wimprine was 12-of-20 for 142 yards, and receiver Tavares Gideon caught five passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. USF was led by junior running back Andre Hall, who finished with 134 yards on 24 carries. Williams got his record-setting yards on 28 carries. ''Before the game, the offensive line always says it has a total in mind for me,'' Williams said. ''Before this game they said 250 yards. ''I think the offensive line has been blocking outstanding all year. And they know how I run and the wide receivers know how I run as well, and they always stay on their man. They did just that today.'' Williams's second-half TDs prevented USF from coming back after the Bulls had cut the Tiger advantage to 16-7 on a 1-yard run by quarterback Pat Julmiste with 3:54 to go in the third quarter. ''They are a good football team, let's face it,'' USF coach Jim Leavitt said. ''They've beaten some good people. When they get going, they are hard to stop.'' Defensively, the Tigers had a key first-quarter stop of the Bulls on fourth-and-1 from the Memphis 44. The Tigers took over on downs and drove nine plays for a Stephen Gostkowski 47-yard field goal. Memphis had scored on the game's opening drive, an 11-play march, getting a 20-yard TD pass from Wimprine to Gideon. Gideon reached back over USF defensive back Mike Jenkins to corral the ball at the USF 2 and darted in. The Tigers upped their lead to 13-0 early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a 72-yard run by Williams. Williams broke several tackles before breaking into the open and cutting across the field. He was brought down at the USF 8. Five plays later, Gostkowski knocked through a 19-yarder. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/28/04		Tigers expect to get GMAC bid today -- Eight-win U of M would face MAC foe Dec. 22 in Mobile, Ala (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 28, 2004 TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of Memphis football team, which ended its regular season Saturday with a 31-15 Conference USA victory over South Florida, expects to receive an invitation today to play in the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. It will be the second straight season in which the Tigers have gone to a postseason game following a 32-year bowl drought. Memphis's win Saturday gave the program back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time since the early 1960s. GMAC Bowl officials, including president Jerry Silverstein and selection committee chairman Murray Cape, are scheduled to attend a press conference Monday at the UofM's Athletic Office Building to officially present the invitation to Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson and coach Tommy West. Cape attended Saturday's game in Tampa and was prepared to issue the invitation in a joyous locker room setting, but was held back by several factors. Among them was discussion that a Boise State loss to Nevada, coupled with a Georgia loss to Georgia Tech, might move Louisville into a BCS bowl and open a spot in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl for Memphis. But Boise State beat Nevada, Georgia held off Georgia Tech and Louisville, after crushing Cincinnati, 70-7, was extended a Liberty Bowl invitation as C-USA champion. Once the Louisville invite was official, it cleared the way for the GMAC Bowl, which has the second selection among C-USA teams, to choose Memphis, a team it has coveted from the start of the season. Johnson, who huddled with Cape throughout the day Saturday, said he expects the U of M to bring the 10- to 12,000 fans it did last year to the New Orleans Bowl. Memphis beat North Texas, 27-17, in the game played at the Superdome. The Tigers (8-3) will play a Mid-American Conference opponent in the GMAC Bowl, held at 42,000-seat Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. Johnson said the team's back-to-back winning seasons, its appearances on national television (three of the UofM's last four games have been on ESPN or ESPN2) and it's high-scoring offense attracted several suitors. In addition to four of the five C-USA affiliated bowls expressing interest, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport made inquiries, too. ''We are a hot commodity,'' Johnson said. ''I think because of our offense and our fan base we are hot. And everybody knows Tommy and everybody talks about No. 18 (quarterback Danny Wimprine) and No. 20 (running back DeAngelo Williams).'' The GMAC Bowl sent representatives to most of the UofM's games this season. Silverstein attended the team's 30-26 nationally televised C-USA victory over Southern Miss. Cape said the GMAC Bowl selection committee will meet tonight. He said four MAC teams -- Toledo, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Miami (Ohio) -- are possible opponents. ''Everyone of them is 8-3 and their championship game is in Toledo Thursday,'' Cape said. ''There's a good possibility that we'll choose before that game. Hopefully, by Tuesday, we'll have our two teams.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/28/04		University of Memphis Postgame (Commercial Appeal)
		Turning point Pick a DeAngelo Williams run. His 51-yarder, amazingly similar to his 48-yard TD in last weekend's win at East Carolina, gave Memphis a 23-7 lead late in the third quarter. And his 45-yard run midway through the fourth upped the lead to 31-7 to prevent a USF comeback. Unsung hero The Tiger defense had three fourth-down stops, but none bigger than the one that came on fourth-and-goal from the Memphis 1 early in the fourth quarter. On the play, Tiger defensive backs Jake Kasser and Tristan Thomas combined with linebacker Tim Goodwell to stop USF's Andre Hall for a 2-yard loss. Memphis took over and drove 96 yards for the 31-7 lead. Odds and ends Give ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale an assist for helping the Tiger broadcast team. Tiger play-by-play announcer Dave Woloshin called Friday's basketball game between the Tigers and Maryland at Springfield, Mass., then hooked up with Vitale for a trip back to the Tampa area, to do Saturday's football game. Woloshin asked Vitale at the men's basketball game the quickest way back to JFK Airport in New York. Woloshin had a 6:30 a.m. flight booked to Tampa. ''He said 'Why don't you fly with me instead?''' Woloshin said. ''So I flew with him on his eight-seat jet and spent the night at his house (in Sarasota). We got in about 3 a.m.'' Woloshin, who got about three hours of sleep, is getting used to hectic weekend travel plans. He made a similar trip from the New York area last weekend. He handled play-by-play of the Tiger men's basketball team's game against Syracuse in the finals of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden and caught the basketball team's late-night charter, which made a stop in Greenville, N.C., to drop off Woloshin, Tiger AD R.C. Johnson and several other officials before flying on to Memphis. ''I wouldn't want to do this every weekend,'' Woloshin said. South Florida played its final C-USA game Saturday, three years after being admitted to the league. The Bulls, headed to the Big East next season, didn't start their football program until 1997 and initially were promised entry into C-USA in 1999. But the UAB president insisted USF play Division 1-A football for a two-year period as UAB had been instructed to do in the mid-1990s, before gaining entry. South Florida, which opened a $15 million athletic training facility in May 2004, departs from C-USA to the Big East in 2005 along with Cincinnati and Louisville. Tiger receiver Tavares Gideon surpassed 1,000 yards in his career on the first play of the game. Gideon, who entered the game with 996 receiving yards, caught a 10-yard pass from Danny Wimprine to become the 18th player in school history to reach 1,000 yards. Later on the same drive, Gideon added to his touchdown total, scoring his 11th of the season and 19th of his career. Up next Memphis takes several weeks off to prepare for its second straight bowl game, likely the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. It will mark the first time in the program's history that it has participated in back-to-back bowl games. Audible "On the last one, I didn't know the guy was behind me. I was looking up at the (video board), but he wasn't in the screen. I didn't know he was behind me." -- DeAngelo Williams on glancing at the video board again during a long run -- Phil Stukenborg -------------------- go figure 2 The number of 100-yard rushers allowed by USF this season. The other was Army's Carlton Jones, who had 225 yards against the Bulls Oct. 16. 1-2 Memphis's record this season vs. C-USA opponents headed to the Big East in 2005. The Tigers lost to Cincinnati and Louisville.

11/28/04		Lady Tigers show why it's their Classic -- U of M wins tourney for 13th straight time (Commercial Appeal)
		By David Healy, Special to the Commercial Appeal November 28, 2004 University of Memphis senior Victoria Crawford had to laugh when asked if she had ever been named an MVP before. "No," she said. "But now I feel just like Tim Duncan." Crawford's comment wouldn't surprise those who know the young woman from Jonesboro, Ark. Her sense of humor is a big part of her personality. On the hardwood, however, Crawford is all business. And on Saturday she showed once again while she will be a key ingredient to the success of the Lady Tigers this season. Crawford scored 12 points, dished out six assists and grabbed seven rebounds to help propel Memphis to a 71-67 win over Louisiana-Monroe (2-1) in the finals of the 20th annual Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic at the Elma Roane Field House. The victory gave Memphis its 13th straight title in this tournament and also kept first-year Lady Tiger coach Blair Savage's record unblemished at 4-0. "Before the game we talked about how our pride was on the line," said Savage. "It's our court and our tournament, and we have to win it." It wasn't easy, however, as the pesky Lady Indians stayed within shouting distance the entire way. And if it wasn't for Monroe's poor free-throw shooting in the second half (9-of-21), the Lady Tigers' stronghold on this tournament may have been broken. "We had some mental breakdowns that you can't make on the road," said Monroe coach Mona Martin. "But we have to give all credit to Memphis. They have a very good ball club." Senior forward Raven Rogers led Memphis with 16 points and also collected five rebounds. Lady Indian Alicia Pantallion hit a three pointer with 2:10 remaining in the game to cut the Memphis lead to three, at 67-64, but Monroe wouldn't score again until the last 30 seconds of the game. "They were a very good team," said Savage. "ULM doesn't have the SEC or C-USA name, but they are a good team." Memphis sophomore guard Devin Necaise was a key ingredient to helping the Lady Tigers take home the trophy. In the game's final minute, the 5-5 guard had two big rebounds and also made 3-of-4 free throws. Necaise also hit a three-point buzzer beater to give her team a 38-31 edge going into halftime.

11/28/04		Tiger coaches, players not on the same page (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 28, 2004 John Calipari has been at the University of Memphis for five years. And on every foul, in every game, for all five years, he's demanded his players huddle at the free-throw line whenever a whistle is blown. Foul. Whistle. Huddle. Foul. Whistle. Huddle. At this point, it should be automatic, just a natural reaction, like closing the refrigerator when you're finished. But in an 84-61 loss to Maryland on Friday night, there was Calipari, several times, having to yell at his team to huddle after fouls. His frustration was evident and never went away. "It's amazing," Calipari said. "There is some amazing stuff going on out there." Now some may argue that whether a team huddles on fouls or does back flips on fouls is inconsequential, really no big deal either way. And perhaps that's true. But that lone anecdote is a pretty good representation of one of the things that has these Tigers off to a 4-2 start and set to drop out of the national rankings Monday. For whatever reason, Calipari is having trouble connecting with this team, and the things he goes over daily in practice -- huddle on fouls, rebound with two hands, sprint back on defense, etc. -- simply are not materializing in games. It's a problem nobody is downplaying, especially considering the Tigers have now played five straight subpar halves dating to the late collapse against Syracuse Nov. 19. "We're not listening, and really not retaining what it is the coaches are saying to us," said Memphis junior Rodney Carney. "We're just not a good team right now." One of Calipari's complaints through six games has been that Memphis is playing selfishly, and that some of his players are more interested in the number of shots and points they get than the number of wins they produce. Some have agreed. Others have rolled their eyes. But for a completely unbiased opinion, we turn to John Gilchrist, the Maryland point guard who scorched the Tigers and said that in the second half he sensed Memphis quitting. "You could tell that we broke their backs," Gilchrist told The Washington Post. "We knew we had them. Once they started not getting back on defense, they wanted to just add to their stats, at that point." So clearly, Gilchrist is in the Calipari camp. Put Anthony Rice, the Memphis senior, on that side, too. "There are just so many different agendas out there," he said. "There's just so much talent on this team that everybody seems to be just out for themselves." No matter where the blame falls, Calipari acknowledged after the blowout in Springfield, Mass., that it is his responsibility to fix the situation. Among other things, he said "that's why they pay me." But with a relentless non-conference schedule that still features games with Purdue, Pittsburgh, Providence and Texas, there is no time to wait for a change. It has to start today, when the Tigers gather at the Finch Center for their first practice since the Maryland debacle. It has to be fixed by next Friday, when Memphis plays at Purdue. "This is a make-or-break period of time for our team, and for some individuals' careers," Calipari said. "It's make-or-break, because that was on national television with everybody watching. So we're going to see what we're made of. And I told my staff, I told them that the easy stuff is winning. The hard stuff is doing this, being right here and trying to get better. "Sometimes, you have to get absolutely clobbered to wake up," Calipari concluded. "Now we have a week to get this fixed, and it comes down to whether we want to get better. And I think we do." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

11/27/04		Women's Basketball Wins 13th Straight Lady Tiger Classic Title -- Improves to 4-0 on the season heading into Wednesday's game at No. 14 Vanderbilt (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Louisiana-Monroe's Gerline Guillaume missed a three point field goal with 10 seconds remaining and Memphis' Raven Rogers blocked a Jamie Brown putback and Alicia Pantallion's three point field goal fell short in a 71-67 Lady Tiger victory in the championship game of the Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic, Saturday. The victory extends Memphis' hold on the Thanksgiving weekend tournament to 13 consecutive seasons, and sends them 4-0 into a clash at No. 14 Vanderbilt, Wednesday. Memphis was up 20-13 early when UL-Monroe went on a 9-0 run to take the lead 22-20 after a Memphis pass intended for Victoria Crawford was intercepted. Crawford fell on the floor trying to rein in the loose ball, but could only watch from the other end as ULM scored in a 5-on-4 break to take the lead with 7:44 remaining in the half. But the Lady Tigers answered back as Tamika Butler, fresh off the bench, hit her first trey of the season to put Memphis back on top 23-22. Memphis would spend the remainder of the first half, staving off the Lady Indians' runs. ULM would cut an eight point lead with a 4-0 run toward the end of first half before Devin Necaise hit a trey as the first half expired to swing the momentum back to the Lady Tigers, up 38-31 at the break. Memphis came out of the gates and the two teams would exchange mini runs, with the Lady Tigers never able to get the lead into double-digits, allowing ULM to hang around and put together an effort to end the Lady Tigers' home tournament winning streak. Memphis was up eight, 65-57, when Michelle Biley hit two of her 12 points to cut the lead to six. A Latrice Booker would keep the threat at bay, but when Pantallion hit a layup with 2:18 remaining, Memphis had to call a timeout to regroup, holding onto just a 67-64 lead. The Lady Tigers came out of the timeout and committed a turnover, leading to a Biley missed layup. In the scrum for the rebound from that layup, Necaise was fouled and hit one of two free-throws to put Memphis back up by two possessions. Necaise would go after a Nina Randle missed jumper just six seconds later, and would again be fouled , this time hitting both free-throws to put Memphis up six. But then the Lady Tiger defense relaxed and allowed ULM to attempt three shots, including a pair of threes, before the clock expired. Victoria Crawford was named Tournament MVP after scoring 12 points with six assists. Jennifer Sullivan joined Crawford on the all-tournament team following an 11 point, four-rebound night despite fouling out with over five minutes left to play, and Raven Rogers recovered from an off-scoring night Friday night to lead all players with 16 points in the win Saturday. Biley would lead ULM with 12 points, while Nina Randle posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Aishie Banks and April O'Neal would also add 10 points apiece in ULM's first loss of the season. O'Neal would also earn a spot on the all-tournament team, after leading all players with eight assists in the championship game. South Alabama's Qiana Mitchell (Dyersburg, Tenn./Dyersburg) would round out the all-tournament team after USA downed Centenary 69-45 in the consolation game. Memphis will open its 2004-05 road schedule in difficult fashion, traveling to Nashville to face No. 15 Vanderbilt, Wednesday, before traveling to UT-Martin, Saturday, for a second non-conference clash. Consolation Game -- South Alabama 69, Centenary 45 The South Alabama women's basketball team defeated Centenary 69-45 in the consolation game of the Kroger/Lady Tiger Championship to pick up their first win of the year and improve to 1-2. Centenary falls to 1-3 with the loss. The Lady Jaguars outscored Centenary 36-15 in the first half. The 15 points set a tournament record for fewest points scored in a half. The previous record was 19, held by both East Tennessee State and UMKC in games against Memphis in 2000 and 2001, respectively. USA was led a trio of players in double figures as Dyersburg, Tenn. native Qiana Mitchell scored 13, Jackson, Tenn. hative Genevieve Delk had 12, and Joanna Williams contributed 10.Centenary also had three players in double figures as Holli Wilkins scored 19 points while Laura Kizyte had 16 and Jelena Aleksic had 10, but they were the only players to score for the Ladies. By contrast, USA had 11 players get into the points column, as every Jaguar who played scored. USA outrebounded Centenary 38-37 and never trailed from the 15 minute mark of the first half on.

11/27/04		Williams Leads Memphis Past South Florida, 31-15 -- The 217-pound tailback gains a career-high 263 and scores two touchdowns (GoTigersGo.com)
		By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - DeAngelo Williams rushed for more than 200 yards for the fourth time in seven games, gaining a career-high 263 and scoring two touchdowns Saturday to lead Memphis to a 31-15 victory over South Florida. Williams hiked his Conference USA single-season rushing record to 1,828 yards and finished the Tigers' regular season with a nation-leading 19 TDs, as well as nine games with at least 100 yards on the ground. The 217-pound tailback scored on a 51-yard run to give Memphis (8-3, 5-3) a 23-7 lead late in the third quarter. He also set up a first-half field goal with a 72-yard burst and put the game away with a 44-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter. Andre Hall, C-USA's second-leading rusher, also had a big day for South Florida (4-6, 3-5), gaining 134 yards on 24 carries. But the Bulls' hopes for a second-half comeback faded after Memphis stopped Hall on fourth-and-1 from the Tigers' 1 early in the fourth quarter. Williams, who carried 28 times, broke his 44-yard TD run on Memphis' next possession. Tavares Gideon caught a 20-yard TD pass from Danny Wimprine and Stephen Gostkowski kicked field goals of 47, 19 and 37 yards for Memphis, which lost to South Florida each of the past two years with Williams sidelined because of injuries. Pat Julmiste completed 18 of 36 passes for 191 yards for South Florida, which needed to beat Memphis and also upset Pittsburgh next week to become bowl eligible. Julmiste scored both of his team's touchdowns on runs of 1 and 5 yards. A week after giving up a school-record 577 yards in a 45-23 loss to Cincinnati, the Bulls were torched for 470 yards by Memphis. Wimprine was 12-of-20 for 142 yards for Memphis, which has won three straight since dropping consecutive games to Cincinnati and Louisville. Williams, meanwhile, eclipsed his previous career best of 262 yards against Houston on Oct. 2. He also ran for 200 against Louisville and 225 against East Carolina, while just missing the mark a fifth time with 199 against Southern Mississippi.

11/27/04		Box Score -- MEMPHIS 31, SOUTH FLORIDA 15 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis 10 6 7 8-31 South Florida 0 0 7 8-15 First Quarter Mem-Gideon 20 pass from Wimprine (Gostkowski kick), 9:49. Mem-FG Gostkowski 47, 2:53. Second Quarter Mem-FG Gostkowski 19, 11:12. Mem-FG Gostkowski 37, 2:19. Third Quarter SF-Julmiste 1 run (Geisler kick), 3:54. Mem-D. Williams 51 run (Gostkowski kick), 2:10. Fourth Quarter Mem-D. Williams 44 run (Gideon pass from Wimprine), 7:36. SF-Julmiste 5 run (Chambers pass from Julmiste), 5:41. A-21,392. --- Mem SF First downs 21 22 Rushes-yards 51-328 40-240 Passing 142 191 Comp-Att-Int 12-21-0 18-37-0 Return Yards 17 15 Punts-Avg. 4-28.8 3-43.7 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0 Penalties-Yards 3-15 4-41 Time of Possession 34:52 25:08 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING - Memphis, D. Williams 28-263, Wimprine 7-28, Avery 4-21, Doss, 10-14, T. Davis 1-1, Douglas 1-1. South Florida, Hall 24-134, Balloon 1-30, Julmiste 7-28, Crossley 6-24, Henderson 2-24. PASSING - Memphis, Wimprine 12-20-0-142, White 0-1-0-0. South Florida, Julmiste 18-36-0-191, S.J. Green 0-1-0-0. RECEIVING - Memphis, Gideon 5-97, Scott 2-14, D. Williams 2-10, Pratcher 1-11, Doucette 1-7, T. Davis 1-3. South Florida, S.J. Green 3-43, Sheffield 3-19, Lipp 3-19, Hall 3-13, Peyton 2-21, Crossley 2-5, Garris 1-36, Chambers 1-35.

11/27/04		Lady Tigers show no mercy -- Lady Tigers 65, Centenary 42 (Commercial Appeal)
		By David Healy Special to The Commercial Appeal November 27, 2004 Memphis women's basketball coach Blair Savage hopes her team learned an early season lesson Friday night at the Elma Roane Field House -- blow out teams when you get a chance. The Lady Tigers did just that on Friday by beating an undermanned Centenary team, 65-42, to advance to the finals of the 20th Annual Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic. Memphis (3-0) will face Louisiana-Monroe, a 69-56 winner Friday over South Alabama, in the finals of the tournament today at 5 p.m. A win today would give Memphis its 13th straight Lady Tiger Classic title. The Lady Tigers got off to a sizzling start and led 23-2 with 9:51 left in the first half. However, a 15-4 run by Centenary cut the lead to 10 at 27-17 with four minutes left until halftime. This is when the Memphis players seemed to take to heart their coach's message, as the Lady Tigers extended their lead for the rest of the game, with the outcome in little doubt in the second half. "Good teams blow out teams they need to blow out," said Savage. "Our first two games were relatively close, and we didn't have the killer instinct in the first half. (Today) I told them that, 'We have to put teams away. We can't show mercy.'" Leading the way for the Lady Tigers were two senior forwards, Jennifer Sullivan and Victoria Crawford, as well as freshman center Marie Reid. Crawford led Memphis with 14 points, Sullivan scored 12, and Reid had seven points and 10 rebounds. "Overall I think we did good," said Sullivan. "We blew out a team we should have." Crawford said she was most proud of the fact she had only three turnovers in the game, as compared with six last time out. Centenary (1-1), a team that was playing with only seven players due to injuries, was led by junior Whitney Rushing's 10 points. Although Centenary had few players, compared with the 12 who saw action for Memphis, the Ladies didn't try to slow the game up. "I was surprised by this," said Savage. "I thought they would walk the ball up because that's what the first two teams did against us." The Lady Tigers out rebounded the Ladies from Shreveport, La., 40-29 in the contest and also shot 47 percent from the field.

11/27/04		Put this one in a hall of shame -- Maryland 84, U of M 61 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 27, 2004 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Missed layups and fumbled rebounds. Bad passes and defensive breakdowns. This game had all that is bad for the University of Memphis. At times, it was difficult to watch. So really, who could blame John Calipari for spending parts of Friday night disgusted and frustrated, with two hands over two eyes? All things considered, it was a reasonable alternative to watching Maryland pound his Tigers, 84-61, in the 26th annual Hall of Fame Tip-off Classic. "That's as bad as it gets right there," Calipari said. "It's been a while since I've had something like that happen to one of my teams." Any of the 5,926 fans at the Springfield Civic Center expecting Calipari to rekindle some of his magic from the UMass days left disappointed, and in grand fashion. Such a storybook scenario in this birthplace of basketball was not going to play out on this night, and it was obvious early, often and all the way to the final horn. The 23-point difference was bad enough to tie for the most-lopsided loss in Calipari's five years at Memphis. After hanging around for 20 minutes and trailing by just eight at the break, the 25th-ranked Tigers (4-2) were outscored, 47-32, in the second half and blown out on national television. And if it's possible to comprehend, the game was not as close as the score might indicate. Maryland (3-0), ranked 13th in the nation, actually led by as many as 32 points. So when Gary Williams emptied his bench, it was a favor Calipari appreciated. "I thanked Gary for putting the subs in with five minutes left," he said. "Otherwise it could've been ugly." With Arthur Barclay and Jeremy Hunt out with injuries, the Tigers were down two bodies, the latter of which a critical loss to the backcourt that meant Tank Beavers -- and his five minutes of college experience -- was the first guard off the bench. At the risk of sounding like a tennis announcer, advantage Maryland, and its nationally respected backcourt of John Gilchrist and Chris McCray. Those two upperclassmen combined for 32 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and just one turnover. Gilchrist, the heady point guard, lived up to his all-American hype, and then some. He finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five steals in 32 minutes. "That was as good of a point guard performance as you'll find," Williams said. "For this time of the year, that was a great effort." Meanwhile, Memphis, as a team, was turning in just the opposite kind of performance. On offense, the Tigers shot 29.0 percent from the field, and missed 17 of the 20 3-pointers they took. On defense, the Tigers allowed Maryland to shoot 49.3 percent, and get 24 points in transition by way of dunks and layups. All any of the reporters from New England who covered Calipari's UMass teams could muster afterwards was, "That really didn't look like one of his teams." Calipari agreed with that assessment. So did Rodney Carney. "I cannot wait to get back and practice so that we can get our team right," said Carney, the junior forward who led all scorers with 23 points and eight rebounds. "I hate losing like this. I hate it. I hate seeing our team fall apart. But right now we are just not a very good team."

11/26/04		Dunn wants 'D' to show teeth -- Tigers hope to end year with strong defensive effort (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 27, 2004 TAMPA, Fla. -- He has the spent the season searching for answers, trying to find the reasons his University of Memphis defense struggled. There was an impressive debut at Ole Miss when defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn's unit held the Rebels to 58 rushing yards and 240 total in a 20-13 victory. And there was a similar effort in a midseason Conference USA win over Houston. But for the most part, Dunn has been perplexed. ''I don't know whether we lose focus or what have you,'' he said. ''It's still the same ol' thing. We play good at times, and then we lose it. The season has frustrated the heck out of me because we can't play a whole game of defense.'' Today at 10 a.m. (CST) at Raymond James Stadium in a C-USA game against South Florida, the Tigers (7-3 overall, 4-3 in C-USA) will attempt to end the regular season the way they started it: with a strong defensive showing. It won't be easy for the bowl-bound Tigers, who are likely candidates for the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. That's because South Florida (4-5, 3-4) will be scrapping for its postseason life. The Bulls, led by junior running back Andre Hall, need a win today in a game carried by ESPN2 and another next weekend against Pittsburgh to secure the program's first bowl trip. Memphis will be fighting to put together two halves like its opening 30 minutes last weekend at East Carolina. The Tigers picked off three passes -- two that led to touchdowns -- and consistently pressured ECU quarterback James Pinkney. If not for a defensive breakdown on a third-and-28 play, the Tigers would have posted a first-half shutout. ''Every time we went out there it seemed like we got a turnover,'' Tiger linebacker Tim Goodwell said of the team's first-half performance. ''We'd be on the sidelines (after an interception), and the offense would score quick and we'd have to hurry to get back out there. It hadn't been like that much this year. It hadn't happened that fast.'' But as efficient as the Tiger defense was in the opening half, it was mostly ineffective in a high-scoring second half. Up 21-7 at the half, the Tigers allowed ECU to recover. The Pirates tied the game twice -- at 28-all and 35-all -- before Memphis escaped on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal with six seconds left. ''There were a lot of breakdowns on our part,'' said defensive back Dustin Lopez, who had two interceptions, but also had two costly mistakes. Lopez was called for pass interference on third-and-28 from the Memphis 46 in the first half. The 15-yard penalty extended ECU's only first-half scoring drive. In the second half, after Memphis had taken a 35-28 lead, Lopez made an assignment mistake that freed ECU receiver Will Bland for a game-tying 60-yard TD reception. ''I was pressing on that play, and I should have played off my man,'' Lopez said. ''That was my fault.'' As error prone as the Tigers were in the second half, they learned how effective the defense can be if alignments and assignments are right. In the first half, Lopez's 35-yard return to the ECU 15 preceded safety Scott Vogel's 28-yard return to the ECU 21. On the previous two ECU series -- its first two of the game -- the defense stopped the Pirates on successive three-and-outs. ''Coach Dunn blitzed a lot, and guys held their receivers long enough so I could get pressure on the quarterback and sack him,'' said linebacker Quinton McCrary, who had two three sacks. In its regular-season finale, the defense would like to do something it has done only once this season -- score. The Tiger defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns last season and also had a safety. The unit's only score this season came against Arkansas State, a key 10-yard fumble return by Goodwell during a frantic, late fourth-quarter rally. Dunn said he's not as concerned about his defense scoring as much as having it prevent others from doing so. Memphis ranks sixth in C-USA in scoring defense, allowing 30.8 per game. ''If (a season) like this had happened to me several times before this year, I probably wouldn't be in this business,'' Dunn said. ''I'd probably be out selling Coca-Colas in the street.'' South Florida is averaging 37 points a game in November behind Hall and improving quarterback Pat Julmiste. ''South Florida can throw the ball deep, and if we don't get in the right spots, they'll throw several bombs over us,'' Dunn said. ''And the running back, on film, looks a lot like DeAngelo. He makes a lot of people miss. We've got to be on our toes the whole ballgame.''

11/26/04		Lady Tigers Carve Up Centenary in Opening Round of Thanksgiving Classic, 69-56 -- Victoria Crawford leads Memphis with 14 points (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- - Seven-straight points by senior Victoria Crawford helped the University of Memphis women's basketball team take an early 23-2 lead and cruise to a 65-42 victory over Centenary College on Friday night. In the first game of the 20th annual Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, three Classic records were broken in the game. Centenary's 42 points is the fewest points ever by a team in the tournament, surpassing UMKC's 43 in 2001. Memphis and the Ladies' combined 107 points is the fewest combined points by two teams, knocking off the previous record of 113 points by Mississippi College and Cheyney State in 1986. The 15 field goals made by Centenary is also a new record for the fewest made in the tournament. The previous low was 16 by UMKC and Sam Houston State in 2001. After Centenary (1-2) scored in the first minute, Memphis (3-0) went on a 21-point run, holding the Ladies scoreless for the next nine minutes. Seven different Tigers scored in the drive while Centenary committed nine of its 28 turnovers during the stretch. The Ladies then made their best effort to stay in the game with a 10-point run and 15-2 stretch, bringing the game within eight with under five minutes left in the first half. Sophomore Jelena Aleksic led Centenary in the stretch, scoring six of her eight points. She finished second on the team in points behind junior Whitney Rushing's 10. Memphis took a 36-22 lead into halftime before shutting the door on the Ladies with a 15-point drive early in the second half to put the Tigers up 53-26. All of Crawford's five second half points came in the drive while senior Jennifer Sullivan scored six points in the run. Sullivan finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists while Crawford finished with a team high 14 points, three rebounds and two assists. Freshman Marie Reid was three points away from a double-double, leading the team in rebounds with 10 and scoring seven points. The Tigers will next meet UL-Monroe in the Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic Championship game on Saturday at around 5 p.m at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The game is scheduled to start 30 minutes after the Centenary vs. South Alabama consolation game at 3 p.m. Memphis is seeking its 13th straight Classic Title. All Tiger fans bringing two cans of food that will be donated to a Memphis-area food bank in cooperation with Kroger will receive 2-for-1 admission for both games. This weekend is also University of Memphis Faculty/Staff Weekend, and all faculty and staff will receive free admission with their university-issued ID. UL-Monroe 69, South Alabama 56 UL-Monroe (2-0) led 38-24 at the half and never looked back in a 69-56 win over South Alabam (0-2) in the second game of the evening of the Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic. The duo of April O'Neal and Gerline Guillaume were too quick for South Alabama's defense, and each chipped in 12 points, while O'Neal finished with a game-high six steals and five assists. ULM hit 50.9 percent for the game to improve to 2-0 and to advance to Saturday evening's championship game against host Memphis. The championship game will begin 30 minutes following the completion of the consolation round game between South Alabama and Centenary, which tips at 3 p.m. Whitney Woodard and Donyel Wheeler each finished with 14 points, while Genevieve Delk added 10 points in the loss. USA hit 37.9 percent for the game, but committed 20 turnovers and converted just 9-of-15 attempts from the free-throw line, while ULM outrebounded the Lady Jags, 42-34.

11/26/04		No. 25 Memphis Falls to No. 13 Maryland, 84-61 -- Rodney Carney led the way with 23 points in the loss (GoTigersGo.com)
		By HOWARD ULMAN AP Sports Writer SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - John Gilchrist had 16 points, 10 rebounds and led a scrappy defense that helped No. 13 Maryland run past No. 25 Memphis 84-61 on Friday night. Nik Caner-Medley added 15 points for Maryland (3-0), which led 37-29 at halftime then scored the first seven points of the second half before taking a 28-point lead with 10 minutes to go. Most of the Terrapins' baskets in that stretch came on layups and fastbreaks - with many set up by steals. Rodney Carney (4-2) scored 23 points and Sean Banks had 12 for Memphis. Gilchrist, who led the Terrapins last season in points, assists and steals, played an impressive all-around game. He had seven assists and five steals. Memphis, as a team, totaled just five assists and three steals. With the score tied for the fourth time at 16-16 with 11:22 left in the first half, the Terrapins took control by scoring the next nine points. That began a 15-2 run that gave them a 31-18 lead with 6:09 left in the half. Gilchrist scored six of the 15 points, including a dunk after his steal. D.J. Strawberry also dunked off his own steal, making it 25-16, before Anthony Rice's layup broke the 9-0 spurt. Maryland outshot Memphis in the half, 46 percent to 30 percent. And it got worse in the second half. The Terrapins finished 33for-67 shots (49 percent), while the Tigers were 18-for-62 (29 percent) and committed 21 turnovers that led to 32 points. Any comeback hopes for the Tigers ended early in the second half. Travis Garrison made a free throw and a layup, Caner-Medley got a layup off a steal and McCray followed with another layup for a 44-29 lead. It was 53-39 before Maryland pulled away again with a 16-2 surge. Strawberry started it with a layup and McCray scored three of the last four baskets for the 69-41 advantage. The lead increased to 32 points at 79-47 before Memphis cut into it in the last six minutes as Maryland coach Gary Williams cleared his bench.

11/26/04		Memphis Basketball Boxscore -- #13/14 Maryland 84, #25/24 Memphis 61 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS Memphis vs Maryland 11/26/04 9:00 p.m. at Springfield,MA(Springfield Civic Center) ---------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Memphis ( 4- 2) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 10 Carney, Rodney...... f 7-20 0-5 9-10 3 5 8 1 23 0 2 0 0 39 15 Dorsey, Joey........ f 1-4 0-0 2-4 3 1 4 5 4 1 1 1 0 16 32 Banks, Sean......... f 3-11 2-2 4-5 4 6 10 2 12 0 4 1 0 25 23 Rice, Anthony....... g 3-8 0-5 2-2 0 1 1 3 8 3 3 0 0 31 35 WASHINGTON, Darius.. g 4-12 1-4 0-0 2 3 5 0 9 1 6 0 2 38 00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 02 Beavers, Tank....... 0-5 0-4 1-2 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 9 03 Thiero, Almamy...... 0-1 0-0 2-2 3 3 6 0 2 0 1 0 0 17 11 Erwin, Duane........ 0-1 0-0 2-2 2 1 3 4 2 0 2 0 0 16 14 Njoya, Simplice..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 TEAM................ 4 2 6 Totals.............. 18-62 3-20 22-27 21 24 45 16 61 5 21 3 3 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-33 30.3% 2nd Half: 8-29 27.6% Game: 29.0% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-11 18.2% 2nd Half: 1-9 11.1% Game: 15.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 7-10 70.0% 2nd Half: 15-17 88.2% Game: 81.5% 3,1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Maryland ( 3- 0) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 04 GARRISON,Travis..... f 2-9 0-0 5-6 7 3 10 3 9 0 2 1 1 24 22 CANER-MEDLEY,Nik.... f 7-13 1-3 0-1 2 2 4 1 15 5 0 1 1 28 25 IBEKWE,Ekene........ c 1-4 0-0 2-3 0 1 1 4 4 1 2 2 1 19 11 GILCHRIST,John...... g 7-14 0-1 2-2 3 7 10 1 16 7 1 1 5 32 13 MCCRAY,Chris........ g 6-8 0-2 4-4 0 2 2 3 16 4 0 0 2 26 05 STRAWBERRY, D.J..... 3-5 0-1 2-2 0 2 2 1 8 2 2 0 3 21 15 GIST,James.......... 3-4 0-0 1-2 1 4 5 2 7 0 2 2 1 23 20 HENRY,Darien........ 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 21 GRINNON,Mike........ 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 23 JONES,Mike.......... 4-7 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 9 0 1 0 0 11 31 BOWERS,Will......... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 44 FOFANA,Hassan....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 3 0 1 1 0 0 5 TEAM................ 1 1 Totals.............. 33-67 2-10 16-21 13 24 37 22 84 20 12 7 14 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-28 46.4% 2nd Half: 20-39 51.3% Game: 49.3% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-5 0.0% 2nd Half: 2-5 40.0% Game: 20.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 11-13 84.6% 2nd Half: 5-8 62.5% Game: 76.2% 1,1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Officials: John Cahill(R), Ed Corbett(U1), Reggie Grrenwood(U2) Technical fouls: Memphis-None. Maryland-None. Attendance: 5926 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Memphis....................... 29 32 - 61 Maryland...................... 37 47 - 84 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic

11/26/04		Uof M's Jeremy Hunt will not play tonight against Maryland (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 26, 2004 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Limited by injury, University of Memphis junior Jeremy Hunt will not play tonight when the 25th-ranked Tigers meet 13th-ranked Maryland at 8 CST. "Poor kid," U of M coach John Calipari said after the team shoot around this afternoon at the Springfield Civic Center. "He had the foot injury. Then the knee. And now this." A 6-4 guard, Hunt took an elbow to the chest in the Tigers' Tuesday win over Arkansas State, and the area of infliction has swollen considerably over the past few days. The Memphis staff had held out hope that Hunt might be able to play against Maryland despite the obvious pain. But once the Craigmont High product couldn't participate in shoot around today, his participation was ruled out, and it now appears he could be sidelined for seven to 10 days. Consequently, Memphis will play tonight -- and possibly next Friday at Purdue -- without its only experienced backup point guard. Once the Tigers get past freshman Darius Washington, the only other true point guards on the roster are a junior walk-on (Clyde Wade) who missed all of last season and another freshman (Tank Beavers) who has only logged five minutes at the collegiate level. In contrast, Maryland will have John Gilchrist at point guard, a two-year starter who is projected as an NBA lottery pick. Asked what the approach will be tonight, Calipari shrugged. "I'm just going to let the game play out and not even think about it right now," he said. "I don't want to think about it too much because none of my options are good options." This is the third straight season Hunt has missed time because of an injury. He missed 10 games as a freshman because of foot surgery, then 10 more last season when he tore his ACL. In five games this season, Hunt is averaging 5.4 points in 23 minutes per contest. He has 18 assists, eight steals and just four turnovers.

11/26/04		No. 25 TIGERS vs. No. 13 Maryland (Commercial Appeal)
		No. 25 TIGERS vs. No. 13 maryland Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, Mass., 8 p.m. CST Records: Memphis 4-1; Maryland 2-0. Series standing: Memphis leads, 2-0, winning in the 1957-58 and 1966-67 seasons. TV, radio: ESPN2, WMC-AM (790) Latest line: Maryland by 21/2 notables Memphis junior Jeremy Hunt has a deep bruise on his chest, near his shoulder, that is a result of an elbow he took Tuesday night in a win against Arkansas State. It is unclear whether he will play tonight, and if he does, he'll be limited and in pain. For what's it worth, Hunt had trouble even carrying a bag at the airport, and the injury has been described by coaches as what a broken rib might feel like, even though it is not a broken rib. ... Senior Anthony Rice is in a similar situation. His ankle is still bothering him, but the guard is expected to start and play. ... The broadcast team of Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (color analyst) and Doris Burke (sideline reporter) will work the game for ESPN2. ... Maryland is coming off a 93-67 victory over Mercer on Tuesday. ... The Tigers and Terps haven't played since Dec. 17, 1966. Memphis won that game, 55-53. The only other meeting, in 1957, was another close Memphis win, a 47-46 final. ... Like Memphis did last season, the Terps got a headstart on this season by taking a foreign trip of exhibitions. Maryland went to Italy in late August and played five games in 12 days. ... Springfield native Derek Kellogg, a Tiger assistant, will have about 100 friends and family at the game tonight. ... Memphis has lost two of its past three regular-season games played on neutral courts. The Tigers lost to Wake Forest at Madison Square Garden last season, and to Syracuse last Friday night. The win in between was against St. Mary's of California. ... Maryland guard D.J. Strawberry is the son of former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry. ... John Calipari has coached against Gary Williams five previous times, and holds a 3-2 advantage. ... This will be the 14th time Calipari has coached in the Springfield Civic Center. In 13 previous games, he is 11-2. ... This will be the first time Memphis has played a game in Massachusetts since the 1995-96 season. In that game, the Tigers were ranked third and paired against Calipari's top-ranked UMass team. UMass won, 64-61. Probable starters U of M / P / Yr. / Ht. / Pts. / D. Washington / G / Fr / 6-2 / 11.2 / Anthony Rice / G / Sr. / 6-4 / 9.4 / R. Carney / F / Jr. / 6-7 / 21.0 / Sean Banks / F / So. / 6-8 / 19.4 / Duane Erwin / F / Sr. / 6-9 / 4.2 / Md. / P / Yr. / Ht / Pts. / John Gilchrist / G / Jr. / 6-3 / 12.5 / Chris McCray / G / Jr. / 6-5 / 13.0 / T. Garrison / F / Jr. / 6-8 / 12.5 / N. Caner-Medley / F / Jr. / 6-8 / 16.5 / Ekene Ibekwe / F / So. / 6-9 / 10.5 / / U of M / Md. / FG percentage / .423 / .444 / Opp. percentage / .354 / .364 / FT percentage / .669 / .793 / 3 point percentage / .393 / .378 / Opp. percentage / .274 / .368 / Rebounds / 43.4 / 49.0 / Opp. rebounds / 38.2 / 37.0 / Points for / 79.8 / 93.0 / Points against / 63.2 / 62.0 / Keys to the game D-Wash vs. Gilchrist: Though nobody doubts Darius Washington's talent and potential, so far this season he has struggled defensively like any freshman might. Christian Brothers' Clint Dowdle and Syracuse's Gerry McNamara each penetrated at will, and went for 20-plus points against the McDonald's All-American. Now, it gets tougher. In John Gilchrist, Washington will have to defend a taller, more experienced point guard who is an NBA lottery pick in waiting. So the task won't be simple. Still, Washington has to contain Gilchrist, and run his team like his more-experienced counterpart undoubtedly will. Push the ball: With no post presence, the easiest and best way for Memphis to score is in transition. It's one of the advantages of playing with no center and four guys who run like guards. But against Arkansas State on Tuesday, the Tigers had no fastbreak points in the first half, and just 10 in the game. Keep an eye on that statistic tonight. If it's similar, a loss is unavoidable. Banks in the paint: Sean Banks showed against Arkansas State that he is tough to handle within nine feet, and does the other team a favor by standing beyond the arc and shooting 3s, even if he makes them. John Calipari has no doubt Banks can go for 30 points against virtually anybody, if he gets enough touches and plays close to the basket. But does he want to? Or would he rather be a jump shooter? When Calipari was faced with that question, he just shrugged his shoulders. But if Banks makes it a point to post and rebound tonight, then Memphis has a real shot at winning this game and staying in the national rankings. -- Gary Parrish

11/26/04		Cal comes home -- Coach returns to state where he gained national renown (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 26, 2004 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- There was an unusually large crowd at Bradley International Airport when the University of Memphis basketball team landed here well after midnight Wednesday. Some were waiting to greet family members for the Thanksgiving holiday. Others were picking up friends. But when John Calipari walked through the gate in a brown coat and unassuming manner, seemingly everybody's attention turned toward him in a rock star kind of way that would be difficult to understand for anybody who didn't see it. Gook luck, Cal! Go get 'em, Cal! Glad to see you back, Cal! Many of those who didn't speak, instead pointed and waved, nudged and whispered. At the baggage claim, a college kid with a red "Flutie Flakes" shirt could be seen text-messaging a friend. On his screen were three words, all in big, bold, capital letters. CALIPARI IS HERE. "This is a special place to me," said the University of Memphis coach. "We did some special stuff here." Tonight at 8 CST, what's expected to be a near capacity crowd will file into the Springfield Civic Center to watch Calipari coach a college game in this state for the first time since leaving the University of Massachusetts in 1996 for the riches of the NBA. Back home in Memphis, it is simply the 25th-ranked Tigers (4-1) vs. the 13th-ranked Maryland Terrapins (2-0) on ESPN2. But up here in the birthplace of basketball, just 25 miles south of the UMass campus, the 26th annual Tip-off Classic has been billed as something more. As every brochure proudly points out, this is Calipari's return to the place he built his legend, and did the unthinkable at a school that was a perennial loser. "He was a 29-year-old unknown taking over a program that had been bad -- and not just bad, but terribly bad -- for a decade," said Ron Chimelis, a sportswriter at the Springfield newspaper. "There was no reason to expect any drastic change when he came to UMass. So what he did here was nothing short of amazing. "Nobody could've ever imagined it happening. And now, nobody can really ever imagine it happening again." To put the Calipari-at-UMass era into some kind of Conference USA perspective, imagine a 29-year-old with no head- coaching experience taking over the East Carolina basketball program next year. Then fast-forward six years, and imagine ECU being ranked No. 1 in the nation for the better part of two seasons, and going to three Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights and a Final Four. It's crazy, right? Because that kind of stuff just doesn't happen. Well, it happened at UMass, where the Minutemen had suffered through 10 straight losing seasons prior to Calipari taking over in 1988 and reaching an unprecedented level of success. "The first time what we accomplished really hit me was when I was with the Nets, and I was out in L.A. getting ready to play the Lakers," explained Calipari, now 45. "We went over to UCLA, and looked around. We went into Pauly Pavilion, and saw the history, and I just said, 'How could we ever have been better than UCLA?' I'm walking around with Eddie (longtime assistant coach Ed Schilling), and I'm saying, 'Are you seeing this stuff? How could we have ever been better than this? They've got this tradition. They've got 40 of the Top 150 players in the nation within 30 minutes of the school. They've got this campus. They've got these girls. They've got this climate. How could we have ever been better than this?' "But for two years, we were ranked No. 1 in the nation. Kansas fielded a team in those years. So did North Carolina. And Duke. And everybody. They all had teams, and we were No. 1. It was crazy." Even to those who lived through it, and were a part of it. "It's tough to imagine anybody doing what Coach Cal did," explained Derek Kellogg, the former UMass player and current Memphis assistant who is from Springfield. "I think everybody was surprised by what he was able to do up here." Exactly what effect any of this will have on tonight's game is unclear, other than it's safe to assume the Tigers will have a nice, biased cheering section relative to being roughly 1,300 miles from home. Granted, it won't help Darius Washington guard John Gilchrist, nor will it necessarily help Memphis beat a Top 25 opponent for the first time in its past five tries. But if you're the type who's into history and how it repeats, consider that the first time Calipari coached in a Tip-off Classic he did something far more unthinkable than a Memphis win over Maryland. Exactly 10 years and one day ago today, UMass played the defending national champion and top-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks at the Springfield Civic Center. The Minutemen were huge underdogs, and Arkansas star Corliss Williamson had even made a statement about how the Hogs' second string could win the game. Final score? UMass 104, Arkansas 80. The following week, the Minutemen gained their first-ever No. 1 ranking. "Those times up here were great times for all of us," said former UMass player and current Tiger assistant Tony Barbee. "Cal, Derek and I always get nostalgic, and start talking about this game or that game. It was his first head-coaching job, and mine and Derek's college years. "So for all of us to get so much out of that time, you can't help but feel good about this place, and what it means to everybody." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

11/26/04		Decision time nearing -- NFL beckons as Tiger junior smashes U of M records (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 26, 2004 As he nears the end of his record-breaking junior season, University of Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams can hear the footsteps. They're coming from the TV news crews, newspaper reporters, teammates, fans, friends and boosters racing to ask the reigning, and likely future, Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year if he intends to declare for the NFL Draft or play a fourth season at the UofM. Savvy as a freshman (remember the glance at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium video screen to elude defenders on an 86-yard touchdown run against Tulane), he's even more polished, and evasive, as a junior. Ask him if he's going to leave, and he says he's leaning toward returning, citing a love for stretching his youth as long as possible. ''I love college,'' he said. ''I've definitely had fun here, and I could see myself continuing to have fun. It's all about business at the next level, and I'm still a kid, especially at heart.'' Ask if he'll sit down with Tiger coach Tommy West and analyze the situation, and Williams replies he and West ''haven't even discussed a time to sit down and talk about discussing it.'' ''We are definitely just basking in the moment now,'' Williams said. That may be true. But the pressure will mount, the calls from agents will multiply, and the questions from the media will intensify as the Tigers, who play their regular-season finale Saturday at South Florida, prepare for a second straight bowl game. There could be as much as a four-week period between Saturday's finale and the bowl game, likely the Dec. 22 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. That will give Williams plenty of time to weigh the pros and cons of leaving school. Leave now, and he'll take with him most of the school's season and career rushing records. His 1,565 rushing yards this year are both a school and C-USA record. His 3,679 career yards also represents a school mark. He's had a record 22 100-yard rushing games, including a school-record 262 yards against Houston. About the only major record he doesn't own is scoring, which may come as a surprise since he's the co-national leader in the category this week. He's averaging 12 points per game. So should he stay, or should he go? ''With DeAngelo you are going to be able to make an argument either way,'' West said. ''There's no right or wrong when you're in his position. It comes down to what you feel is right for you at the time.'' He's certainly made a case for leaving during the latter half of the season. In consecutive games against Louisville, Southern Miss and East Carolina, he has gained 200, 199 and 225 yards. He is the only back in UofM history to rush for 200 or more yards more than once. In last weekend's 38-35 victory at ECU, he rushed for four touchdowns and 225 yards. It boosted him to fifth nationally in rushing. He's averaging 156.5 yards per game. ''I've had guys I've told they shouldn't go (declare early for the NFL Draft), and I've had a player I've told he should go,'' West said. ''I'll be honest with (DeAngelo). ''But ultimately he's got to sit down with his family and do what's right for him and his family. He's not in a situation where he has to do anything.'' West said Williams, an excellent student, is in good academic standing. ''He doesn't have to go for financial reasons or because of academics,'' West said. ''I still want to wait until the end of (the season and after the bowl game to discuss Williams's future). I've been around this a long time, and I think (Williams) will listen to my opinion.'' When Memphis won a heated recruiting battle with the University of Arkansas for Williams's signature in late February of 2002, no one was happier -- or more relieved -- than Tiger offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, who recruited him. Fichtner told Williams he'd set every Tiger rushing record if he came to Memphis and, in three years, it's a prediction that has been achieved. Ask Fichtner to make another prediction -- will his standout running back be in the NFL next fall? -- and he can't be as certain. ''I don't know,'' Fichtner said. ''That's such a big jump, physically and mentally. I know he enjoys his college experience, and as long as you do, you've got to understand that's it's never going to be like that again. ''I think back to guys like Eli (Manning at Ole Miss) and Peyton (Manning at Tennessee). They're remembered and loved at those schools because they came back.'' Tiger quarterback Danny Wimprine, a senior, said Williams's decision likely will be determined by where he's projected to go in the draft "with all those other running backs coming out also." Williams, who admitted to glancing at the video screen again on a 48-yard TD run at East Carolina, seems to be enjoying the college atmosphere as he approaches the end of his junior season. He is finding a new group of Tiger players, including freshman quarterback Will Hudgens, as fun to harass and joke with as Wimprine, a consistent target of Williams's the past three years. ''I'm not in the same situation as him, so I'm not going to say what's best for him,'' Wimprine said. ''But whatever decision he makes will be best for him. And he'll be successful no matter what he does.'' -- Phil Stukenborg : 529-2543

11/25/04		Tiger Notes (volleyball, golf, basketball) (Commercial Appeal)
		Volleyball standouts receive C-USA honors Conference USA recently announced its 2004 volleyball awards and Memphis seniors Heather Watts and Tiara Gilkey were among those honored for their performances. Watts earned first-team All-Conference USA recognition and was also named the league's Setter of the Year, while Gilkey earned second-team All-C-USA mention. Cincinati's Julie DuPont was named the league's Player of the Year, while Louisville's Leonid Yeltsin garnered Coach of the Year honors. Watts, who became the first All-C-USA preseason pick under Tigers coach Carrie Yerty earlier this season, is a five-time Setter of the Week honoree. At last weekend's C-USA Tournament at Louisville, she broke the previous record of 1,792 assists, which she set in 2003, with a 61-assist performance in the Tigers' five-game victory over TCU in the quarterfinal round. Watts finished the year with 1,830 assists. For the tournament, the Sandy, Utah, native posted 142 assists (13.8 per game) in Memphis's three tournament matches and was named to the all-tournament team. Gilkey received second team All-Conference honors a year after claiming third-team recognition. The St. Louis native leads the Tigers on both sides of the net, pacing the team in kills and digs. Gilkey earned Player and Co-Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks this season. The Tigers finished the 2004 season with a 27-10 mark. Memphis has now won at least 25 matches in each of the last two seasons. The 57 triumphs in 2003 and 2004 are the most over a two-year span since Diane Hale led the Tigers to 68 wins in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. Golf signings Women's golf coach Jenny Bruun announced two golfers have signed national letters of intent for the 2005-06 school year. Rachel Larson from Longmont, Col., and Kayla Stewart from Cookeville, Tenn., will join the Lady Tigers' golf team beginning in the 2005 fall semester. "Both Rachel and Kayla are extremely enthusiastic individuals, and I am really looking forward to the many positive contributions they are going to bring to this team," Bruun said. "The addition of Rachel and Kayla will not only help us become a force in Conference USA, but also in the national ranks." Men's golf coach Grant Robbins has announced the signings of three golfers to national letters of intent: Brad Benjamin of Rockford, Ill., Jeff Hall of Franklin, Tenn., and Josh Ray of New Braunfels, Texas. "I was very excited about this class," said Robbins. "All three individuals have demonstrated success on a national level and I feel they will all be able to contribute to the team right away." The Tigers will graduate just one senior after this year and will return four of the five golfers from their usual starting lineup. Memphis opens the spring season on Feb. 7-8 in Houston at the Rice Intercollegiate. Classic performances Lady Tiger senior forward Jennifer Sullivan can join some elite company with another strong performance in the Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic Friday and Saturday at Elma Roane Field House. Sullivan, a Jonesboro, Ark., native, earned the MVP award at last season's tournament while helping the UofM win the event for the 12th straight time. Only Shannon Hamp (2001, 2002) and LaTonya Johnson (1994, 1996) have won two Lady Tiger Classic MVP awards. Tamika Whitmore, a longtime WNBA player, is the tournament's only three-time MVP (1995, 1997, 1998).

11/25/04		Tiger O-line very protective of QB (Commercial Appeal)
		By PhilStukenborg Contact November 25, 2004 When the University of Memphis closes its regular season Saturday at South Florida, the Tigers' offensive line will be attempting to keep its suspected lead in a statistical category the NCAA doesn't recognize, but one its teammates do. The Tigers, who play USF in a 10 a.m. (CST) kickoff on ESPN2, have allowed only five sacks in 10 games. By comparison, East Carolina has allowed 33. Houston has given up 44. "It's all about taking care of each other up there," Tiger quarterback Danny Wimprine said. "As long as they take care of each other, DeAngelo (Williams) and I will be fine back there." Wimprine, the school's leader in virtually every passing category, is ranked third in Conference USA in passing (242.6 yards per game). Williams, the school's leader in virtually every rushing category, leads C-USA with a 156.5 yards-per-game average. The offensive line is bolstered by four seniors -- center Gene Frederic, guard Jason Matthews and tackles Jason Johnson and Jeremy Rone. Sophomore Blake Butler is the starter at left guard. "They are doing well opening up big holes for DeAngelo and protecting me really well." All but two schools in C-USA have allowed at least 14 sacks this season. "Our line has got to have allowed the fewest sacks in the NCAA," Wimprine said. "When I was in high school (at John Curtis High in New Orleans) we didn't throw the ball hardly at all and I probably was sacked more than I've been sacked this year." An eye in the sky Williams, who admitted to using the video screen to aid him on an 86-yard touchdown run against Tulane during his freshman season, did it again. Williams said his 48-yard third-quarter TD against East Carolina last weekend got a boost from the Pirates' video screen. Williams said it helped him locate a fast-closing defender during the end of his run, much like the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium video screen assisted him two years ago. Williams split two safeties for his TD at East Carolina. "I was actually looking up at the scoreboard," he said. "I knew the guy on my inside was kind of close. If you look at the run on film, you'll see it's up the middle and then to an angle (away from the defender). "After that, it was a footrace. You've got to use everything on the field to your advantage." BRIEFLY Williams did not make the final three for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top running back. California's J.J. Arrington, Texas's Cedric Benson and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson are the finalists. ... The Tigers will enjoy a Thanksgiving meal today at the on-campus Holiday Inn before going through a normal Thursday practice at the Murphy Athletic Complex. ... Since wet practice fields this week have forced the team inside, the Tigers plan to conduct a practice Friday in Largo, Fla., shortly after they land in Tampa. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/24/04		Lady Tigers stampede past the Bison (Daily Helmsman)
		From Our Wire Services November 24, 2004 A trio of Lady Tigers hit double digits in points as The University of Memphis women's basketball team survived a tight 57-52 victory over Lipscomb University on Monday night at Elma Roane Fieldhouse. "It was a close one, we anticipated that style of play from Lipscomb just from reviewing film from last year," Lady Tigers Head Coach Blair Savage said. With a tied score at 48 and just over two minutes left, senior Victoria Crawford nailed a three-pointer to give the Lady Tigers (2-0) a lead it would never relinquish. Crawford's three was the first of the game for Memphis and broke an 0-for-6 stretch. Crawford finished with 15 points and three rebounds. Jennifer Sullivan led the team with 19 points and five rebounds. In the second half, the Lady Tigers used an eight-point run, to take a 45-33 at the 11-minute mark. Sullivan led the team, scoring six of the points and finishing with 13 points in the half. But Lipscomb fought right back, outscoring Memphis 15-3 down the stretch to tie the game with 2:21 left to go, setting up Crawford's heroics. Senior Courtney Bounton led the Lady Bisons (0-1) with 13 points and five rebounds. Senior Raven Rodgers led the Lady Tigers in rebounds with seven, but Memphis was out-rebounded 41-28 in the game. "What we need to get better at is being consistent," Savage said. "We rebounded extremely well against Mercer and tonight we got out-rebounded. Just the consistency on the things we talk about in the locker room. "The thing I do like is that we're winning close ball games. I think that brings confidence from the person that's in to the last person that's on the bench. We understand the game and we understand that we can win the close games." The two teams combined for 50 turnovers in the game with Lipscomb committing 31. Memphis will next host the 20th annual Kroger Lady Tiger Classic beginning Friday when the team plays Centenary at 6 p.m. South Alabama and UL-Monroe are also participating in the tournament with the championship game being held on Saturday at 5 p.m. after the 3 p.m. consolation game. Memphis has won 12 straight Kroger Lady Tiger Classic Titles. The tournament will offer fans 2-for-1 admission for anyone bringing two cans of food that will be distributed throughout the Memphis area. All University of Memphis Faculty and Staff will also receive free admission with their university-issued IDs.

11/24/04		Baseball Adds JUCO Standout Will Petersen -- Tigers gain speedy outfielder (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Middle Georgia College standout outfielder Will Petersen is the latest recruit to make the decision to play for Memphis as head coach Daron Schoenrock announced that Petersen has signed to play for the Tigers beginning with the 2006 season. Petersen, who hails from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, played under current Memphis assistant Jerry Zulli, who was an assistant at Middle Georgia College prior to taking the post at the U of M. At Middle Georgia, Petersen helped the Warriors to an East Central District title and World Series appearance in 2004. He hit .389, stroked eight homers, knocked in 49 and swiped 23 bases as a freshman at MGC. He received First Team All-Conference accolades after leading MGC to a 49-13 record. His performances earned him an invitation to play on the NJCAA All-Star team in the summer. A 2002 draft pick of the Texas Rangers, Petersen was a three-year letterman in both football and baseball at Valdosta High School. Petersen helped lead VHS to a Georgia State football title in 1998 and a Regional Championship in 2002. He shined on the baseball diamond for Valdosta High as well, hitting .492 with 12 home runs and 121 stolen bases in his prep career. He swiped 108 bases in the 2001 and 2002 seasons combined. He led VH