Trip's Tigers: News Archives November 2005

11/30/05		No. 9 Memphis Drops Jackson State, 97-70 -- Tigers hold JSU to 33 percent shooting from the field (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)- Memphis coach John Calipari is constantly yelling "speed, speed, speed" to his team from the bench. The ninth-ranked Tigers followed his orders and used a fast pace to beat Jackson State 97-70 Wednesday night. "It's a big part of our game," forward Rodney Carney said. "If we didn't have any speed, we wouldn't win that many games. We try to press them and try to get them to play fast. That's the way we play. If we don't play real fast, I don't think we have much of a chance to win." Carney scored 25 points and matched his career-high with six 3-pointers. Shawne Williams added 17 points for Memphis (5-1), which won its second straight after losing 70-67 to top-ranked Duke in the finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament. Kareem Cooper finished with 11 points. Darius Washington and Joey Dorsey scored 10 points each, and Dorsey grabbed 11 rebounds for Memphis. Clinton Johnson led Jackson State (1-4) with 24 points, and Catraiva Givens scored 14, but Jackson State shot only 33 percent from the field. "I thought our guys were a little bit timid at the beginning of the game," Jackson State coach Tevester Anderson said. "Instead of going up and finishing and looking for a three-point play, we were trying to sneak in there and get baskets. You can't do that. You have to go in there with some authority." Jackson State (1-4) was never in the game after going scoreless for seven minutes early in the game. Memphis was able to gain a big advantage through its transition game, wearing down Jackson State, leading to turnovers and poor shooting. Memphis also had 15 blocks, tying a school record and intimidating Jackson State's inside shooters. By the end of the game, most of the Jackson State players were settling for outside shots. Williams had four blocks, while Robert Dozier had five to go with a team-high 12 rebounds as Memphis controlled the boards 48-35. "We're not a team to walk the ball up the court all the time," Williams said. "The quicker we get it out and run the court, the better shots we get and the more easy plays we get." Memphis dominated from the start, building a 27-point lead in the first half, before settling in at the break with a 45-25 advantage. The Tigers controlled the inside and shot 49 percent in the half, including 7-of-16 from 3-point range. They would finish 14-of-30 from long range for the game. "They surprised us with the number of 3-pointers they made," Anderson said. "We thought we could play a zone and maybe they would miss some of them. A lot of them were kind of uncontested." Meanwhile, a swarming Memphis defense held Jackson State to 23 percent shooting in the half. Jackson State seemed out of sync the entire game, barely getting off shots as Memphis recorded six blocks in the first half. Despite the 27-point victory, Calipari noted a flaw in his team's performance. He said while they controlled the game, they allowed Jackson State to score more easily after halftime. "The teams that really, truly want to do something unique and special, they dominate," Calipari said. "We come out and kind of bum-rush you, and then we just settle down and play. That's not how you do anything. A team that dominates, dominates."

11/30/05		Memphis Postgame Quotes -- #9/9 Memphis 97, Jackson State 70 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis Head Coach John Calipari "I told the team that teams that really, truly want to do something unique and special - they dominate. We don't dominate. We come out and kind of bull-rush you, and then we just settle down and play. That's now how you do things. A team that dominates, dominates. You're not trying to beat anyone by 60, but when you have those guys in there, they just continue to play an entire game, and we haven't done that yet this year." "I was happy with having Darius back. You see how important he is to this team. It puts Andre Allen in the position we want him in. The greatest thing that came out of this was the way Andre and Kareem played together. If you can have that coming off the bench, wow." "We've got our hands full these next three road games. All three arenas will be packed. None of them have been packed to this point. They'll all be packed for us. It will be the biggest game these teams play on their non-conference schedule. We have a bulls-eye on our back, and we're going to need everyone playing well." "What I do like is that they're passing it to each other. It's amazing. We haven't had this (in the past) where everyone is trying to look for each other so that's been exciting." "This next game (Memphis-Cincinnati) is still Cincinnati-Memphis. Before I coached here and before he (Bob Huggins) coached there, it was still Cincinnati-Memphis and this is still a big game (despite Huggins' departure)." Jackson State Head Coach Tevester Anderson "I thought we played hard for the entire game. We played hard for 40 minutes. We were outmanned by a long-shot, by size and by talent. We were just outmanned, but our guys didn't give up. They fought until the end, and that's what you look for." "We shot the ball behind the three-point line very well. We didn't shoot it very well going to the basket. We didn't finish strong enough going to the basket, and that is what you have to do against a big-time team like Memphis. They are an Elite Eight or Final Four team. They are very talented. They are athletic, and they are strong." "They surprised us with the number of three-pointers they made. We thought we could play a zone and maybe they would miss some of them. A lot of them were kind of uncontested, but they shot the three really well. That did surprise us. Guys that hadn't been shooting the ball well behind the three-point line shot the ball well tonight." "I thought our guys were a little bit timid at the beginning of the game. Instead of going up and finishing and looking for a three-point play, we were trying to sneak in there and get baskets, and you can't do that. You have to go in there with some authority."

11/30/05		Lady Tigers Head to Arizona State to Face No. 13 Ranked Sun Devils -- Memphis will face either two NCAA teams from last year or one NCAA team and one WNIT team (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis women's basketball team (1-4) will wrap up a three-game road trip by participating in the Arizona State/Wells Fargo Invitational, beginning Friday. The Sun Devils are the No. 13 ranked team in the country in the latest coaches' poll and No. 15 in the AP poll. Two Lady Tigers in C-USA Top 10 in Scoring Senior guard Tamika Butler and freshman guard Paris Leonard are each in the Conference USA top 10 in scoring. Butler is fifth with an average 17.0 points per game, while Leonard is 10th with 15.6 ppg. Butler currently leads the conference with 3.8 steals per game, while junior Ashley Howard, who ranks third in the league in rebounding (9.2/game), is 7th with 2.4 steals per game. Howard is also 11th, one behind Butler, in assists per game. As a team, Memphis ranks 7th in the league with 65.2 points per game. Howard Adds First Career Double-Double Junior guard Ashley Howard tallied her first career double-double in the 76-74 win at Lipscomb. Howard had two steals, three lay-up attempts and one free-throw attempt in the last four minutes of the game. She finished with 12 pionts and 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Howard and Paris Leonard have scored Memphis' first two double-doubles of the season. Four in Double-Digits for First Time This Season Four Lady Tigers scored in the double-digits in the win at Lipscomb, Tuesday, led by 19 from Devin Necaise. Tamika Butler (17), Paris Leonard (16) and Ashley Howard (12) all got in on the double action as well. That was the first time all season that four Lady Tigers have hit double-digit action. Howard Turning in Solid Numbers Junior college transfer Ashley Howard has turned out to be a solid signing for Blair Savage's initial recruiting class. A late signee, Howard came to Memphis after spending the past season at Holmes Community College. Through the first five games, she is leading the team with 9.2 rebounds per game and is second on the team in assists (15) and steals (12). She also averages 6.4 points per game.Howard is one of just three players to start all five games so far this season. Necaise Snaps Shooting Slump With Career High Junior guard Devin Necaise has battled a shooting slump to start the season. Necaise was 7-for-42 (16.7 percent) heading into the Lipscomb game, where she was 7-for-18 and 3-for-7 from three-point range, finishing with a career-high 19 points. With her five threes on the season, Necaise now has 65 career three-point field goals made. She needs just six more to tie Lauren Jackson (1998-2002) for sixth in school history and seven more to tie Raven Rogers (2001-2005) for fifth in Lady Tiger history. Against Arizona State & Holy Cross Memphis has not faced either Arizona State or Holy Cross before. Against Western Kentucky Western Kentucky leads the overall series with Memphis 5-2 and has won the last five meetings, including an 84-64 win in Cancun, Mexico, last year. Memphis Picks up First Road Win of Season The win at Lipscomb in Nashville was Memphis' first road win since Jan. 12 of 2005. The Lady Tigers prevailed 51-47 over host UAB in that game. The last time the Lady Tigers have managed to win a non-conference game on the road was last season at UT-Martin (Dec. 4), where the Lady Tigers held on 77-74. Butler Passes 600 Points, Looking for 100th Trey Senior point guard Tamika Butler tied a career-high with 30 points in the loss to Clemson. That point total rocketed her past the 600-career point mark, and she now has 629 career points. She also has 97 career three-point field goals, just three three-point field goals shy of her 100th career three pointer. Only three other Lady Tigers have hit 100 or more threes for their respective careers (LaTonya Johnson, Kitty Allen and Kelly Herron). Leonard Makes Some History Freshman Paris Leonard made her first mark in the Lady Tiger record book against Austin Peay, Friday. Leonard tied a tournament mark with 10 offensive rebounds in the loss, tying the record set by Mississippi State's Jackie Perry vs. Alaska-Anchorage in 1987. Leonard also tallied her first collegiate double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

11/30/05		Williams and Gostkowski Earn C-USA Player of the Year Awards -- Memphis has two Player of the Year honorees for the first time since the start of C-USA (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Heisman Trophy candidate DeAngelo Williams and Lou Groza Award candidate Stephen Gostkowski have picked up two of Conference USA's highest post-season awards as selected by league coaches and media, and announced today by the league office. Williams, who led the league in rushing and ranks second nationally, received his third consecutive Offensive Player of the Year honor. Williams tied Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone who won three straight Offensive Player of the Year awards from 2000-02. For his career, Williams has also been selected as a first-team All-C-USA honoree three times, and was picked to the All-Freshman team in 2002. A native of Wynne, Ark., Williams was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and will travel next week to Orlando, Fla., for the Home Depot College Football Award show which is presented by ESPN. He has rushed for 1,726 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, including the 127 yards last weekend against Marshall that helped Williams tie the NCAA record for career 100-yard games with 33. He also holds the NCAA record for all-purpose yards with 7,337, and ranks fourth all-time in rushing yards with 5,788. Gostkowski earned his first Special Teams Player of the Year honor after leading the Tigers in kicking with 19-of-22 field goals and connecting on all 32 PATs this season. A native of Madison, Miss., Gostkowski was named a league Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Tigers past Marshall with four field goals and two PATs. He hit a school-record 53-yard field goal against the Thundering Herd, and is an impressive 9-of-9 this season from 40-plus yards. Gostkowski holds U of M and C-USA records in PATs (156), field goals (67) and scoring (357 points), and is the NCAA's "active" career leader in field goals and PATs. This is the first time since the league's inception in 1995 that the Tigers have garnered two Player of the Year honors in the same season. Memphis also had the Special Teams Player of the Year in Ryan White in 1998, and quarterback Travis Anglin was the co-Freshman of the Year in 1999. Southern Miss linebacker Kevis Coley garnered the Defensive Player of the Year Award, while UCF running back Kevin Smith earned Freshman of the Year honors. UCF's George O'Leary was picked as the league's Coach of the Year.

11/30/05		DeAngelo Williams Named a Finalist for ARA Sportsmanship Award -- Tailback continues to pick up recognition in 2005 (GoTigersGo.com)
		GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS - The Awards and Recognition Association today announced ten finalists for the inaugural ARA Sportsmanship Award - a new national award for NCAA Division I College Football. "We knew we would find outstanding role models throughout college football, and we were not disappointed. Our selection committee will have a difficult time selecting one person to win the first ARA Sportsmanship Award," said ARA President Charles Miles. Former Brigham Young University Head Football Coach LaVell Edwards chairs the selection committee. The 2005 ARA Sportsmanship Award recipient will be announced in mid-December. The finalists for the 2005 ARA Sportsmanship Award are: James Anderson Virginia Tech Antoine Huffman University of Kentucky Luke Johnson University of Southern Mississippi Matthew Leinart University of Southern California Grayling Love Arizona State University Ryan Neill Rutgers University Ben Obomanu Auburn University Devarick Scandrett Middle Tennessee State University Scott Smith University of California, Berkeley DeAngelo Williams University of Memphis "We are particularly pleased that these fine examples of good character and athletic excellence come from different parts of the country. Good sportsmanship is demonstrated on and off the field at all levels of amateur and professional athletics, and we expected to see strong candidates from throughout the United States," Miles said. All NCAA Division I schools were eligible to submit nominations for the ARA Sportsmanship Award. The finalists were selected in a blinded process. The winner will be selected by a blue-ribbon panel of former football coaches, sports and media professionals and representatives from ARA and other complementary organizations. To qualify for the award, an athlete must be a starting player or significant contributor on his team, be a senior in good academic standing, demonstrate great respect for competitors, school, teammates and coaches, show an ability to accept victory and defeat graciously, convey a high degree of humility and integrity, and demonstrate commitment in the classroom and to the community. The Awards and Recognition Association is the official sponsor of the ARA Sportsmanship Award. ARA is a membership organization of 4,000 companies dedicated to increasing the professionalism of recognition specialists and advancing the awards and engraving industry.

11/30/05		Dorsey packs in production -- Tiger efficient on court, not so much at foul line (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak Contact November 30, 2005 John Calipari didn't much care. Darius Washington, perhaps out of empathy, hardly batted an eyelash. It seems the only person upset by Joey Dorsey's unfortunate 1-for-8 performance from the free-throw line Monday against Lamar was, well, Dorsey. "That's a big issue, my free throws," the Tigers' 6-9, 265-pound sophomore forward said Tuesday as the team prepared for today's 7 p.m. meeting with Jackson State at FedExForum. "I go to the free-throw line and I get so nervous. That's why I've been working hard, taking 100 free throws every day before practice. The problem is I keep changing my form up because I want to be perfect." Dorsey takes pride in maximization. As a freshman last season, the Baltimore native averaged more rebounds per minute played (0.4) than any player in the country. Through five games this season, Dorsey is averaging 8.0 rebounds and 6.6 points in a mere 18.8 minutes per game. He also leads the No. 9-ranked Tigers (4-1) with 14 blocked shots. All of which is enough to make his wayward free-throw shooting, if not inconsequential, then at least somewhat beside the point. Dorsey, Calipari said, was rated by at least one index service as "the most productive player in the country" last season despite playing in a largely reserve role. "What he's doing this year, everybody says he's the most improved player we have," Calipari said. "He's missing free throws but that doesn't matter to me a whole lot." With a nine-man rotation and fellow big men Kareem Cooper, Robert Dozier and Simplice Njoya vying for playing time, Dorsey knows he must be even more efficient with his allotted minutes this season. "You get out there on the floor and you have to make your mark," Dorsey said. "Sometimes I only play 16-to-18 minutes and I want to get double-figure rebounds in every game." When Dorsey pulls down 10 or more boards in a game, which he has done eight times now in his short career, including Monday against Lamar, the Tigers are 8-0. "His job is to block shots and rebound," senior forward Rodney Carney said. "Now that he knows what to do, he does it better than anyone on the team. We rely on him to block shots and rebound." While Dorsey may be uncomfortable at the line, he's right at home amid the hurly-burly of the low blocks. His preparation includes studying opposing shooters to get a feeling for where their misses might go off the rim. "I used to watch a lot of Dennis Rodman tapes, and Ben Wallace and Kenyon Martin tapes too," Dorsey said. "They read the shooter. A 3-pointer is gonna be a long rebound and a layup is gonna be closer to the rim. I watch who's shooting the ball so I know where to be." Because of that, no one took the Tigers' loss Friday to No. 1 Duke harder than Dorsey. In the wake of that three-point defeat in New York City, Dorsey swallowed his pride and watched the grisly video evidence of a game in which Blue Devils forward Shelden Williams ran roughshod over the Tiger front line to the tune of 30 points. For Dorsey, who picked up four fouls and just four rebounds in 14 minutes against Duke, the game drove home the points Calipari has been making since the player arrived on campus. "His game has to be that he's gonna be more relentless than other guys. Shelden Williams was more relentless than him," Calipari said. "He gets in foul trouble because he's just learning how hard he has to play. Shelden Williams outworked him. Joey was getting beat to the post-up, and then he fouls as a result." Harsh though the lesson was, Dorsey said it resonated. "Sometimes coach says, 'Joey, you're not playing hard.' I pick up fouls if I stop playing and my man is playing harder than I am. But he shouldn't ever beat me to the spot," Dorsey said. "I watched the tape of the Duke game to see how Shelden got to the spot. I need to make sure I get there first from now on." On the other end of the court, Calipari has been encouraging Dorsey to attack the basket. " 'Don't dribble the ball in the paint,' we tell him," Calipari said. "'Get up to the rim right away because if you're not getting fouled, you're not missing free throws.'" While Dorsey's offensive game remains limited, he's a favorite among his teammates for his unselfishness. His style also complements that of Cooper, who is better with his back to the basket while Dorsey has a knack for finding space when the guards penetrate. "He's a gentle giant, but on the court he's a monster," Washington said. "When Joey's in the paint, he kind of clogs the lane. It's great. If I get in trouble (on the drive), I know I can rely on him. "And if he gets an and-one and misses the free throw, we're happy. Nobody gets down on him if he misses. We just tell him to get more and-ones." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 Tigers vs. Jackson St. When, where: Today, 7 p.m., at FedExForum TV: WLMT (30)

11/30/05		Tigers Preview: Jackson State (Commercial Appeal)
		Notables Memphis point guard Darius Washington did not practice again Tuesday because of his bruised right thigh. Although the sophomore said, "Every day it is getting better," he said that he will not play for the second straight contest tonight. "(John Calipari) doesn't want me at 80 percent," Washington said. "He wants me at 100 percent, and I respect that." As of now, the plan is for Washington to return in time for Saturday's game at Cincinnati. ... Washington wasn't the only person sitting out Tuesday's practice. So did Calipari, after briefly addressing his team. "I'm not sure if I got food poisoning or what," he said. "But I'm dying right now, and I don't want to give whatever it is to the team." Calipari said it was the first time he had missed a practice in 14 years. His absence was proof enough to his players that the illness must've been serious. "He usually doesn't get sick at all," said senior Rodney Carney. "Once he said that he was going to leave, I said, 'He must be really sick.'" ... Shawne Williams was honored Tuesday by Rivals.com, which named the UofM forward its National Freshman of the Week thanks to averages of 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds last week in two games against UCLA and Duke. .. This is the 12th meeting all-time between these two schools, and the first since the 1999-00 season. All 11 previous games have also been in Memphis, and the UofM's only loss in the series came in the 1993-94 season. ... Proof that playing bad teams isn't good for the RPI came Tuesday, when the UofM's CollegeRPI.com ranking dropped from 18 to 29 after a 25-point win over Lamar. Tonight's expected victory could have a similar effect. As of Tuesday, JSU's CollegeRPI.com ranking was 297. ... Memphis freshman Kareem Cooper is expected to play tonight. He served a one-game suspension against Lamar for a violation of team rules team officials said was related to academics. Scouting the Tigers Memphis is ranked ninth in the nation and is coming off a 108-83 victory Monday night over Lamar at FedExForum. In that game, Williams paced the Tigers with a 21-point, 10-rebound, five-assist effort, and was one of five players in double-figures. The leading scorer was Chris Douglas-Roberts, another freshman who got 23 points and eight rebounds while starting at shooting guard. Joey Dorsey had 13 rebounds against Lamar, and is now averaging 8.0 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game. Scouting the JSU Tigers Jackson State, coached by Tevester Anderson, is coming off a 75-66 victory Saturday over Shawnee State, a non-Division 1 school. The Tigers have lost each of their other three games, to Oklahoma State, TCU and Buffalo, and by an average of 16.3 points. Clinton Johnson, a 6-5 guard from Jackson, Miss., is the Tigers' leading scorer, averaging 19.8 points per game. Key Matchup: Rodney Carney vs. Clinton Johnson It was the tale of two Carneys, from last Friday to Monday. In the second half against Duke, the UofM senior held All-American J.J. Redick scoreless, and earned praise from both Calipari and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Then against Lamar, Carney was lit up by Alan Daniels to the tune of 23 points in the first half, which angered Calipari so much that he benched Carney to start the second half. Daniels finished with 41 points. Tonight Carney has another defensive challenge, namely Johnson, a 6-5 wing. He's coming off a 26-point performance and is obviously a capable scorer. If Carney can control him, he'll be back in good graces with his coach. -- Gary Parrish No. 9 Tigers vs. Jackson State 7 p.m., FedExForum TV, radio: WLMT (30), WMC-AM (790), WKBQ-FM (93.5) Records: No. 9 Memphis 4-1, Jackson State 1-3 Series standing: Memphis leads, 10-1.

11/30/05		Lady Tigers top Lipscomb for first victory of season (Commercial Appeal)
		Memphis 76, Lipscomb 74 NASHVILLE -- Freshman Paris Leonard hit a jumper with 7 seconds left in the game to propel the University of Memphis women's basketball team to its first win of the season, 76-74, at Lipscomb on Tuesday night. Leonard scored Memphis' last six points, grabbing an offensive board and sticking it back, then stealing the Lady Bison in-bounds pass and dropping that in to tie the game at 74 with 1:57 left in the game. The comeback capped a Memphis (1-4) run back from 18 down. Devin Necaise led the Lady Tigers with 19 points, while Tamika Butler added 17 points. Leonard finished with 16, and junior Ashley Howard finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Kaleigh Gossman led Lipscomb (0-4) with 15 points.

11/30/05		DeAngelo leads five Tigers on All-C-USA -- Memphis ties USM for most on league first team (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 30, 2005 Led by All-America running back DeAngelo Williams and kicker Stephen Gostkowski, the University of Memphis placed a league-high five members on the Conference USA first team. C-USA announced its all-league teams Tuesday as selected by the 12 head coaches and media members in each conference city. Memphis tied Southern Miss with five first-team selections. The Tigers also placed punter Michael Gibson on the second team and two players -- offensive lineman Brandon Pearce and receiver Maurice Jones -- on the all-freshman team. "Going through the year we did, it's nice to see our guys being recognized," said Tiger coach Tommy West, whose team overcame multiple injuries to finish bowl eligible at 6-5. Much of the team's success during a stretch of three consecutive winning seasons has been tied to Williams, who earned first-team running back honors for the third straight year. Williams averaged 172.6 yards per game and is a leading candidate for a third straight offensive player of the year award, which will be announced today. "Picking him (to the first team) was a no-brainer," West said. "They just don't get any better than that." Williams rushed for 1,726 yards during the regular season and ranks fourth in NCAA history with 5,788 career yards. Teammates joining Williams on the first team were Gostkowski, offensive lineman Andrew Handy, defensive lineman Marcus West and defensive back Wesley Smith. Gostkowski, who holds the conference record with 67 career field goals, repeated as a first-team selection. A senior from Madison, Miss., he connected on 19 of 22 attempts and finished third in scoring behind Williams and Southern Miss kicker Darren McCaleb. "It feels good to be on (the first team) this year in Conference USA because there were five or six kickers who had good numbers," Gostkowski said. "There were four or five who kicked above 80 percent." West said Gostkowski "kicked as good as anyone in our league for two straight years." Handy, a senior from Miami, was the anchor of an offensive line that helped the UofM rank fourth nationally in rushing. "I'm really excited he was recognized," West said. "He was the most consistent guy we had on the line all year. He was the tough guy." Defensively, Marcus West improved upon a second-team selection a year ago. West, a senior from Columbus, Miss., was a key contributor on a unit that led the conference in rush defense and scoring defense. "When we got crushed with injuries on the defensive line (losing Van Houston and Rubio Phillips early in the season), he had to play inside, which is not his bag," coach West said. "But he did it unselfishly." Smith, a junior, earned his third straight first-team honor. A native of Oxford, Miss., Smith ranked third on the team with 79 tackles. "Wesley puts his body on the line," Marcus West said. "He stays more hurt than anybody because he puts it on the line every week, he hits people face up when most people in the secondary hit (opponents) in the legs." Gibson ranked second in the conference in punting with a 44.4 average. Gostkowski said Gibson was worthy of a first-team selection. Gostkowski also thought the conference fell short of a category. "If there was one for a utility player, (receiver/quarterback) Maurice Avery could have been on the first team, too," Gostkowski said. Avery moved from receiver to quarterback in midseason and led the Tigers to four wins in six starts. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/30/05		Weekend will clear bowl situation -- Memphis is Detroit's third choice, Liberty Bowl will determine fates (Daily Helmsman)
		by Justin Kissell Sports Reporter November 30, 2005 All over sports talk radio and Internet message boards, debates rage on what bowl the Tigers could play in, and the options range from the sunny beaches of Hawaii to Detroit, which features a new state-of-the-art stadium, Ford Field. Third string is a term that has seen plenty of play this season when dealing with The University of Memphis quarterback situation. The term�s connotation is usually negative, but for the Tigers� bowl hopes it might just be their lucky number again. According to Motor City Bowl Executive Director Ken Hoffman, Conference USA is one of the back-up plans in case the Big Ten or Big East cannot field a bowl-eligible team. �We�ve got a contract with the Big Ten, but if Ohio State goes to a BCS bowl, then there won�t be enough Big Ten teams (for the Motor City Bowl),� he said. Hoffman said this weekend�s matchup between Louisville and UConn is crucial in providing a possible Big East team. If Connecticut loses, their overall record would fall to 5-6, and the conference would not have enough teams to fill all available bowl slots. �So we�ve been talking very closely with C-USA and the Mountain West Conference (about the Motor City Bowl),� he said. The Tigers, one of six C-USA teams that can go to a postseason bowl, would then be in the running for a trip to Detroit. The other bowls that currently have ties to Conference USA are the Liberty Bowl, Forth Worth Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, New Orleans Bowl and GMAC Bowl. The Tigers have played in the latter two games, but the situation is wide open. �Right now, we�re just on a holding pattern with the Liberty Bowl,� said Frank Modarelli, executive director of the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The Memphis-based bowl has first choice of any C-USA team and does not necessarily have to choose the winner of this weekend�s conference championship between UCF and Tulsa. �After the Liberty Bowl chooses, we�ll just gather our selection committee and pick a team,� Modarelli said. �We�ll be looking for the best matchup and which school has the most fans as the main factors.� On Sunday, the BCS will unveil their bowl game series, much like �Selection Sunday� for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. According to Hoffman, the BCS revelations will determine many teams� fates. �We�ll pretty much know what will happen after the BCS makes their announcements,� he said. �As far as what we�re looking for, we are looking at geography and teams with high-profile players.� Memphis, with Heisman-candidate DeAngelo Williams, would be an attractive draw for neutral television viewers. So in case the Tigers are forced to go with their back-up option for a December bowl game, U of M fans should keep an eye on Saturday�s matchups before making travel arrangements.

11/30/05		Tiger ticker (Daily Helmsman)
		RECENT RESULTS TUESDAY Nov. 29: Women�s Basketball Memphis at Lipscomb - late THIS WEEK TONIGHT: Jackson St. at Memphis FedexForum - 7 p.m. THURSDAY: No games or matches scheduled FRIDAY: Women�s Basketball Memphis at Arizona St. Tempe, Ariz. - 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Men�s Basketball Memphis at Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio - 2 p.m. TV- ESPN Men�s Track Early Bird Invitational Jonesboro, Ark. Women�s Track Early Bird Invitational Jonesboro, Ark. SUNDAY: No games or matches scheduled

11/29/05		Paris Leonard Helps Memphis to 74-72 Road Win -- Necaise leads team with 19 points (GoTigersGo.com)
		NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Freshman Paris Leonard hit a jumper with seven seconds remaining in the game to propel Memphis (1-4) to its first win of the season, 76-74, at Lipscomb, Tuesday. Leonard scored Memphis' last six points, grabbing an offensive board and sticking it back, then stealing the Lady Bison in-bounds pass and dropping that in to knot the game at 74-74 with 1:57 remaining in the game. Lipscomb got a good shot off which did eventually roll in, but Katie Rollins' jumper was ruled to not have gotten off before the buzzer to send the game to overtime. The comeback capped a Memphis run back from 18 down "Right there in that spread I was trying to coach them too much. But we have tough kids and our contain defense just really bothered them. And our kids just really wanted this game and you could see it in their eyes." Memphis' offense got off to a slow start, not hitting its first field goal until Ashley Howard dropped in an offensive rebound at the 15:04 mark. Memphis trailed 12-9 before Paris Leonard and Devin Necaise sunk back-to-back three-point field goals. But Lipscomb exploited the Lady Tigers' transition defense for a two-minute spark that pulled the Lady Bison back into the game and back in front. The two teams then exchanged runs and buckets, and headed into the locker room with Lipscomb up 38-36 after Necaise hit a runner with 0.3 seconds left in the game. Necaise led the team with 19 points, while Tamika Butler added 17 points. Leonard finished with 16 and junior Ashley Howard finished with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. Lipscomb was led by Kaleigh Gossman with 15 points, while Penny Jones and Jillian Partin added 14. Catie Woods finished with 10 points in the loss.

11/29/05		Williams Named Rivals.com National Freshman Of The Week -- The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 20.5 points, 7.5 boards vs. UCLA and Duke (GoTigersGo.com)
		NASHVILLE, Tenn. - University of Memphis' Shawne Williams was selected the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week, the website announced Tuesday afternoon. Williams was picked for the weekly national honor for his performance from Nov. 20-27. In the Tigers two games versus UCLA and Duke in the NIT Season Tip-Off, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. The Memphis, Tenn., native shot 57.1 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the arc in the two contests. In the UCLA game, Williams set season highs for points (26), field goals (10) and three-pointers (5). He scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half in helping the Tigers build a 51-34 halftime lead. Against Duke, Williams converted a clutch three-point play with under a minute to go to tie the game at 67-all. For the season, he leads the team with a 17.2 scoring average. Williams is averaging 6.4 boards (second on team) and is shooting 51.7 percent from the floor. Last year, Darius Washington Jr. earned the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week award twice. The Tigers (4-1), ranked No. 9 in both national polls, return to action Wednesday, Nov. 30 when they host Jackson State (1-3). Game time is 7:00 p.m. (CT) at FedExForum.

11/29/05		Baseball Inks Chris Kirkland for 2007 Season -- Former Alabama catcher and high school phenom to become a Tiger (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Head coach Daron Schoenrock announced that the Tigers have signed former Alabama catcher Chris Kirkland for the 2007 season. Kirkland is currently spending his sophomore season at Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida, after transferring from Alabama. One of the top high school catching prospects in the nation as a senior, Kirkland signed with Alabama in 2004 and saw considerable playing time as a freshman. The Knoxville, Tenn. native saw action in 15 games and made seven starts as a rookie. One of his seven starts came in a 1-for-3 effort against the Tigers on April 12. Kirkland hit .261, scored two runs and drove in five in 2005. He posted one game in which he collected multiple RBI and finished the season on a two-game hitting streak. He earned playing time in two of the Crimson Tide's three SEC Tournament games and hit .333. A product of South-Doyle High School, Kirkland had a stellar career and was rated by Baseball America's Top-10 high school catchers. Kirkland was drafted in the 49th round of the 2004 Major League draft by the Florida Marlins following his senior campaign in which he batted .436 with nine round trippers, 55 RBI and 25 doubles. He was a First Team All-State selection by the Knoxville News Sentinel, as well as earning All-East Tennessee and All-Knoxville Interscholastic League accolades. As a junior, the 6-3 Kirkland was tabbed the No. 1 prospect at the 2003 Southeast Top Prospect Showcase. He participated in the 2003 Perfect Game National Showcase and was selected as the No.2 catcher and 20th-best prospect overall. He was tabbed an AFLAC High School All-American and was member of the West team in the inaugural 2003 AFLAC All-American High School All-Star Game. He also was a Street and Smith's High School All-American. As a sophomore, Kirkland hit .406 with 25 RBI and one home run. "We are so very fortunate Chris has decided to continue his collegiate career with us here at Memphis," said Schoenrock. "He has the ability to change the momentum of the game both offensively and defensively. He possesses the leadership qualities you look for in a catcher."

11/29/05		Eight Tigers Honored By Conference USA -- Memphis places five Tigers on the C-USA First-Team (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis placed five Tigers on the Conference USA first-team, including Heisman Trophy candidate DeAngelo Williams who picks up his third first-team honor. He is the only running back to ever be named to the C-USA first-team three consecutive seasons. Williams is joined on the first-team squad by offensive lineman Andrew Handy, defensive lineman Marcus West, safety Wesley Smith and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Smith has also been honored to the league's first team three straight seasons, and Gostkowski was a first-team member last year. West was a second-team pick in 2004. The Tigers also placed punter Michael Gibson on the C-USA second-team, and receiver Maurice Jones and offensive lineman Brandon Pearce were both selected to the All-Freshman team. This is the second time since 1996 that five Memphis players had been selected to the C-USA first-team. In 2000, Memphis landed five Tigers on the team, all of which were defensive players. A two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, Williams leads the league in rushing yards, touchdowns, attempts and yards per game. He also leads the conference in all-purpose yards and scoring. Earlier this season, Williams became the NCAA record holder in all-purpose yards (7,337) and currently ranks fourth in rushing yards with 5,788. He is currently tied with Archie Griffin and Tony Dorsett for 100-yard rushing games with 33, and was most recently listed as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate running back. A Lou Groza Award candidate the last two seasons, Gostkowski was named a C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after booting four field goals, including a school record 53 yarder against Marshall. Gostkowski finished the regular season 19-of-22 on field goals and 32-of-32 on PATs. With the four made attempts against Marshall, he now holds the C-USA record for career field goals with 67. He is also the league's scoring leader with 357 career points and holds school and C-USA records in PATs made with 156. He has hit 133 of his last 134 PATs, including his last 45 consecutive attempts. Handy returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the 2004 season with an ankle injury. Handy has started all 11 games at left guard, and has been a key component to Memphis leading C-USA and ranking fourth nationally in rushing offense. The Tiger offensive line has only yielded nine sacks this season. An anchor on the defensive line, West has started all 11 games this season and is second on the team in sacks with three for 16 yards. West totals 39 tackles, 26 of which were solo stops, and also has logged five TFL for 20 yards. He recorded his first fumble recovery of the season last weekend against Marshall. The Tigers' third-leading tackler this season, Smith has amassed 79 tackles and one sack for 13 yards. He has recorded three pass breakups this season, and intercepted a pass against Tulsa. Smith had a stellar game against Houston earlier this season, registering 13 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. He has nine career games of double-digit tackles, including four this season. A junior college transfer from Itawamba Community College, Gibson has changed the face of the Memphis punting scheme this season. He is currently second in C-USA, and ranks 10th nationally with an average of 44.4 yards on 55 punts. He booted a career-long 70 yarder last weekend against Marshall, and has pinned the opponent inside its own 20-yard line 10 times this season. Gibson is only the second Tiger punter ever to receive a C-USA post-season honor. In 2001, James Gaither was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team. True freshmen Jones and Pearce have logged significant playing time this season. Jones has played in all 11 games this season and is third on the squad in receiving with 15 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He caught a pass in nine consecutive games, and is one of just three Tigers to log multiple touchdown receptions this season. Pearce opened the season as a reserve at right tackle, but has started the last seven games of the season. He played every snap of the East Carolina game, and logged more than half of the team's offensive snaps in six games. The league office will announce the individual awards, including the Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Year, on Wednesday. Also included in the announcement will be the Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year. 2005 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS FIRST TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Darrell Hackney, Sr., UAB Running Back- Ryan Gilbert, Sr., Houston Running Back- DeAngelo Williams, Sr., Memphis Offensive Lineman- Andrew Handy, Sr., Memphis Offensive Lineman- George Batiste, Jr., Southern Miss Offensive Lineman- Jesse Stoneham, Sr., Tulsa Offensive Lineman- Matt Batusic, Sr., UAB Offensive Lineman- Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Jr., UCF Tight End- Garrett Mills, Sr., Tulsa Wide Receiver- Aundrae Allison, Jr., East Carolina Wide Receiver- Vincent Marshall, Sr., Houston Wide Receiver- Reggie Lindsey, Sr., UAB DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Marcus West, Sr., Memphis Defensive Lineman- John Syptak, Sr., Rice Defensive Lineman- Larry McSwain, Jr., UAB Defensive Lineman- Paul Carrington, Sr., UCF Linebacker- Chris Moore, Sr., East Carolina Linebacker- Kevis Coley, Sr., Southern Miss Linebacker- Anthony Cannon, Sr., Tulane Defensive Back- Wesley Smith, Jr., Memphis Defensive Back- Trevis Coley, Sr., Southern Miss Defensive Back- Bobby Blackshire, Jr., Tulsa Defensive Back- Joe Burnett, Fr., UCF SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker- Stephen Gostkowski, Sr., Memphis Punter- Luke Johnson, Sr., Southern Miss Kick Returner- Ashlan Davis, Sr., Tulsa John Eubanks, Sr., Southern Miss Punt Returner- Joe Burnett, Fr., UCF SECOND TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Jordan Palmer, Jr. UTEP Running Back- Ahmad Bradshaw, So., Marshall Running Back- Kevin Smith, Fr., UCF Running Back- Quinton Smith, Jr., Rice Offensive Lineman- Doug Legursky, So., Marshall Offensive Lineman- Travis Cooley, Jr., Southern Miss Offensive Lineman- Chris McGee, Sr., Tulane Offensive Lineman- Josh House, Sr., UTEP Offensive Lineman- Jose Garcia, Sr., UTEP Tight End- Darcy Johnson, Sr., UCF Wide Receiver- Brandon Marshall, Sr., UCF Wide Receiver- Mike Walker, Jr., UCF Wide Receiver- Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr., UTEP DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Kade Lane, Sr, Houston Defensive Lineman- Justin Rogers, Jr., SMU Defensive Lineman- Tom Johnson, Sr., Southern Miss Defensive Lineman- Alex Obemese, Jr., UTEP Linebacker- Nelson Coleman, So., Tulsa Linebacker- Thomas Howard, Sr., UTEP Linebacker- Jeremy Jones, Sr., UTEP Defensive Back- Chris Hawkins, Sr., Marshall Defensive Back- Joe Sturdivant, Jr., SMU Defensive Back- Brandon Sumrall, So., Southern Miss Defensive Back- Nick Graham, Jr., Tulsa SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker- Darren McCaleb, Jr., Southern Miss Punter- Michael Gibson, Jr., Memphis Punt Returner - Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr., UTEP THIRD TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Kevin Kolb, Jr., Houston Running Back- Uril Parrish, Sr., Tulsa Running Back- Tyler Ebell, Sr., UTEP Offensive Lineman- SirVincent Rogers, So., Houston Offensive Lineman- David Douglas, Sr., Houston Offensive Lineman- Matt Traina, Sr., Tulane Offensive Lineman- Jeff Perrett, Jr., Tulsa Offensive Lineman- Julius Wilson, Jr., UAB Tight End- Shawn Nelson, Fr., Southern Miss Wide Receiver- Bobby Chase, Jr., SMU Wide Receiver- Preston Brown, Jr., Tulane Wide Receiver- Chris Francies, Sr., UTEP DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Marcus Hands, So., East Carolina Defensive Lineman- Adrian Haywood, Fr., SMU Defensive Lineman- Brandon Lohr, Sr., Tulsa Defensive Lineman- Ernest Respress, Sr., UAB Linebacker- Wade Koehl, Sr., Houston Linebacker- Nick Bunting, Sr., Tulsa Linebacker- Troy Collavo, Jr., UTEP Defensive Back- Rocky Schwartz, So., Houston Defensive Back- Jamey Harper, Sr., SMU Defensive Back- Dominique Cosper, Sr., UAB Defensive Back- Rolando Humphrey, Sr., SMU SPECIAL TEAMS Kick Returner- Jessie Henderson, Fr., SMU Punt Returner- Vincent Marshall, Jr., Houston 2005 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Chase Clement, Rice Running Back- DeMyron Martin, SMU Running Back - Kevin Smith, UCF Offensive Lineman- Brandon Pearce, Memphis Offensive Lineman- Austin Wilkinson, Rice Offensive Lineman- Michael Parenton, Tulane Offensive Lineman- L.J. Anderson, UCF Offensive Lineman- Patrick Brown, UCF Offensive Lineman- Robby Felix, UTEP Tight End- Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss Wide Receiver- Maurice Jones, Memphis Wide Receiver- Jarrett Dillard, Rice Wide Receiver- Cary Koch, Tulane DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Cody Pree, Houston Defensive Lineman- Phillip Hunt, Houston Defensive Lineman- Albert McClellan, Marshall Defensive Lineman- Moton Hopkins, Tulsa Defensive Lineman- James Olalekan, UTEP Linebacker- Cody Lubojasky, Houston Linebacker- Kris Guyton, UAB Linebacker- Jordan Richards, UCF Defensive Back- Kenneth Fontenette, Houston Defensive Back- Roy Roberts, Tulsa Defensive Back- Joe Burnett, UCF Defensive Back- Jason Venson, UCF SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker- Ben Bell, Houston Punter- Marty Biagi, Marshall Kick Returner- Jessie Henderson, SMU Punt Returner- Joe Burnett, UCF

11/29/05		Tigers escape Lamar upset bid -- Letdown is obvious after close game with Duke (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 29, 2005 pictureJohn Calipari walked into the locker room after the win, said very little, then walked out. And really, that said it all. "He didn't say much, so we knew he was mad," explained University of Memphis point guard Andre Allen. "I know at practice we're going to get it." On Monday afternoon the Tigers officially became the ninth-ranked team in the country when the latest Associated Press poll was released. On Monday night, they looked like anything but, struggling early before pulling away late in a 108-83 victory over Lamar before an announced FedExForum crowd of 11,244. "I know I should be happy with a 25-point win," Calipari said. "But I'm not." Credit a lack of focus, mental errors and sub-par effort as the reasons. For the most part, it was exactly what many coaches fear and programs face when the contrast between back-to-back games is so large. Duke on national TV one night. Lamar on local TV three nights later. It's the stuff of which letdowns are made. "We came out and underestimated our opponent and tried to play laid back, and it showed," said Memphis freshman Shawne Williams, the Hamilton High product who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a team-high 32 minutes. "We were trying to get one-handed rebounds, and we weren't coming up with loose balls. Everybody could see we just weren't focused." Which is why Memphis (4-1) didn't score in the opening three minutes, and fell behind 21-12 barely eight minutes into its first game since last week's 70-67 loss to No. 1 Duke. On the bench, sophomore point guard Darius Washington sat in street clothes and helplessly rested his bruised right thigh. On the court, the Tigers were getting bruised on nearly every possession, and Calipari was trying all sorts of unusual combinations, mostly to no avail while Lamar's Alan Daniels was on his way to a career-high 41 points. But then, something clicked. It happened with three minutes left in the first half, and the Tigers trailing, 39-31. It started with a Chris Douglas-Roberts jumper and ended with Allen stealing a ball and laying it in at the buzzer to complete a 12-2 run and give Memphis a 43-41 advantage at halftime. After that, the Tigers cruised. They scored 65 points in the final 20 minutes and outrebounded Lamar (1-3) by a 38-12 margin. Five players -- including Rodney Carney (21 points and four rebounds), Robert Dozier (14 points and 11 rebounds), Douglas-Roberts (23 points and eight rebounds) and Allen (10 points, five assists, five rebounds and three steals) -- finished in double-figures for the contest "In the second half, Memphis really took off, and that was the real key to the game," said Lamar coach Billy Tubbs. "Memphis was getting a lot of second shots, and they hit some threes in the second half, and they really whipped us inside." Still, it did little to ease Calipari's disgust. Staring at a boxscore, the sixth-year Tiger coach seemed furious during his postgame press conference while citing statistics such as poor free throw shooting (24-of-45) and turnovers (21, compared to just 18 assists). At one point, Calipari even stopped to ask reporters if he looked angry. The answer? Yes. And his players knew it, too. "(Practice today is) going to be terrible," Douglas-Roberts said. "He's really angry. He's really angry. So practice is going to be terrible, and he's going to have a bad attitude. "But maybe it'll be good for us." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

11/29/05		After close loss to No. 1 Duke, Tigers move up to 9th (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 29, 2005 pictureLast week in New York, the University of Memphis proved it was good enough to battle top-ranked Duke into the final minute. Consequently, the Tigers -- even in defeat -- moved up two spots in the latest Associated Press poll, and are ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since 1996. "Isn't that awesome?" Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson asked prior to the No. 9 Tigers' 108-83 victory over Lamar Monday night at FedExForum. "I'm so proud." Duke, 5-0 heading into Wednesday's game at 17th-ranked Indiana, remained No. 1 in the AP poll for the fourth straight week, and received 61 of the 68 first-place votes. Texas, which plays at Memphis on Jan. 2, was second. Connecticut was third, Villanova was fourth, Oklahoma was fifth and Gonzaga, which plays at Memphis on Dec. 27, was sixth. Louisville and Boston College preceded the Tigers in the rankings, and Kentucky wrapped the Top 10. Thirteen of the other 15 schools remained the same. Only West Virginia, thanks to three straight losses, and Syracuse, which lost at home to Bucknell, dropped from the rankings. North Carolina State and LSU replaced those teams in the rankings, at No. 24 and No. 25, respectively. "I think it's a good thing to have high expectations for your basketball program," North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek said. "But I think we all recognize at the end of the day, what the polls say on Nov. 28, in the whole scheme of things, isn't really important. It's early, those polls and rankings are going to change."

11/29/05		Tigers replay: Lamar (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 29, 2005 As The Game Turned Memphis struggled the entire first half, and seemed destined to enter the break behind. But five points in the final 6.1 seconds prevented such a scenario, and allowed the Tigers to go into the locker room with momentum, and a 43-41 lead. It was a three-point play from Shawne Williams that tied the score. Then Andre Allen stole the ball on the subsequent possession, and converted a layup at the buzzer to give Memphis the advantage. After that, the Tigers never trailed again, thanks to a 16-3 run that opened the second half. As The Rotation Turned Because Darius Washington was in street clothes resting his bruised thigh, the Tigers' rotation was unusual from the opening tip. It required Antonio Anderson to start at point guard, and Chris Douglas-Roberts to start at shooting guard. That meant Allen was first off the bench, and Clyde Wade even got a minute toward the end of the first half, marking the first time the senior from Kingsbury High has been on the court since the Nov. 15 opener against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Wade finished with three points and an assist in four minutes. Rim Gems Allen threw a couple of alley-oops, but the one to Rodney Carney was the better of the two. With the Tigers leading 59-50, Allen crossed halfcourt on the run, and it was clear the ball was headed for the square on the backboard. So he tossed it up, and Carney caught it near the top left corner of the square, and completed the dunk to give Memphis a 61-50 advantage with 13:52 remaining. Hide Your Eyes Every time the Tigers went to the free-throw line, it was reasonable to not want to watch. Memphis came into the contest shooting an unimpressive 64.5 percent from the line. Against Lamar, it was way worse, as Memphis missed 21-of-45 attempts. Joey Dorsey was the biggest contributor to the bad statistic. He was 1-of-8 on free throws. Allen was 1-of-6. Meanwhile, Williams was 6-of-7, and Douglas-Roberts was 8-of-8. Scorer's Table On the other hand, Memphis dominated on the glass, and out-rebounded Lamar by a 65-32 margin. In that category, Dorsey was the best. He grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds, seven of which were offensive. Robert Dozier added 11 rebounds, and Williams got 10. There is a pattern developing that is not good for the Tigers. It involves allowing an opponent to have a big night. Against UCLA, it was Jordan Farmar for 28. Against Duke, it was Shelden Williams for 30. Against Lamar, it was Alan Daniels for 41. Odds and Ends Kareem Cooper, a freshman, did not play against Lamar because of a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules. Team officials said it was related to academics. "If you don't go to class, you're not starting, and if you don't go to class twice, you're not playing, and we're sitting you out," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "Why? Because I have enough guys. If this team is supposed to be something unique, and this team is supposed to be something special, then they have to hold each other accountable, and they have to be responsible, and they have to be mature." With 67 seconds left, Calipari was yelling for his team to foul so he could empty his bench and get walk-ons Chance McGrady, Jared Sandridge and Travis Long into the game for the first time. On the court with Wade and Simplice Njoya, they were outscored 6-0 down the stretch. With two against Lamar, Carney now has 197 career 3-pointers. Forty-six more, and he will pass Anthony Rice and become the school's all-time leading 3-point shooter. Monday marked the 100th time in school history that Memphis has won when scoring at least 100 points. In such games, the Tigers' record is 100-2. Looking Ahead Tigers vs. Jackson State, Wednesday, 7 p.m., at FedExForum -- Gary Parrish

11/29/05		West wants Tigers in Liberty Bowl -- C-USA title game will determine destination (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 29, 2005 pictureThe University of Memphis likely will have to wait until after Saturday's Conference USA Championship game between Tulsa and Central Florida to determine its postseason destination, but Tiger coach Tommy West has begun campaigning for the shortest of trips. West said Monday if Tulsa (7-4) wins Saturday's game in Orlando, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl should consider his 6-5 team, which averaged nearly 40,000 attendance this season and features All-America running back and Heisman candidate DeAngelo Williams. The Liberty Bowl, which no longer is contractually obligated to take the C-USA champion, likely will invite UCF if it wins Saturday. The Golden Knights are one of college football's best stories this season. They followed a winless 2004 with an 8-3 regular-season finish and the league's East Division title. But if Tulsa were to upend the Golden Knights, would it open the door for a six-win Memphis to play another home game? "We don't have the best record, but I think we should have a shot to go to the Liberty Bowl (under that scenario)," West said. "To me, it would be hard to vote against Central Florida because we got it handed to us pretty good down there (in a 38-17 loss). "As far as the rest of the league, we lost an overtime game (at) Tulsa. We beat UTEP here. So, personally, I think our team is as deserving as anyone else if it comes down to that." Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart wouldn't comment on a scenario featuring Memphis in his game, only saying "we are going to wait until after the championship game to make our selection." Memphis became bowl eligible for the third straight season last weekend with a 26-3 C-USA victory over Marshall at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The game drew 46,403 and boosted the team's average attendance to 39,991. Memphis averaged 41,175 in 2004 and 40,621 in 2003. "I think there is still a possibility for us to go to the Liberty Bowl," said Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson. "I think the Heisman candidate is a plus. I think the job that Tommy has done with the team is a plus. I think the way we draw is a plus." The Tigers are one of six bowl eligible teams in C-USA, which has only five bowl tie-ins: AutoZone Liberty, GMAC, Fort Worth, New Orleans and Hawaii. The league could place a sixth team in one of several bowls that may have an opening, including the Motor City in Detroit. "The reason we don't know anything (about the UofM's bowl destination) is (the league) has a new contract with the Liberty Bowl," Johnson said. "They have the right to pick, and we have not been released (as a potential choice). And we will not be released until after the championship game Saturday in Orlando." Johnson said Monday, "no one is really buying that we don't know anything, but it is the truth." West, whose team overcame the loss of eight starters to become bowl eligible, said if UCF wins and earns a Liberty invitation, he believes Memphis should have the first pick of bowl options after Tulsa and UTEP are placed in bowls. The GMAC in Mobile, which selected Memphis last year, has the No. 2 pick. "You have three teams sitting there that I think are very deserving," West said. "Once those three are settled, we have three 6-5 teams (Memphis, Houston and Southern Miss). And I really feel strongly that we should be at the top of those three 6-5 teams because we beat Southern Miss and Houston at their places. "I think we should be at the head of making the decision moreso than them if it is done the right way. I think us beating both of those schools on the road and being 5-3 in the league should make a difference." The Tigers beat Houston, 35-20, in mid-October and defeated Southern Miss, 24-22, two weeks ago in Hattiesburg, the UofM's first win at USM in 21 years. Johnson said he and the other ADs at the bowl-eligible schools have met via conference calls with C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky the past two days. "After the Liberty Bowl and the GMAC Bowl make their picks, we will work with the various athletic directors to see who goes where," Johnson said. "There is no pick (No. 3, 4 or 5). The television partners, the conference office and the various bowls all aid in the decision." While several Web sites have the Tigers earning a trip to the Hawaii Bowl to play Nevada, it's conceivable the UofM could be an option for the Motor City Bowl in Detroit if there's not an available Big Ten team. The Motor City is one of seven bowls tied to the Big Ten. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/29/05		Tigers fly high over Cards (Daily Helmsman)
		by Daniel Ford Sports Reporter November 29, 2005 It took until the last shot of the first half for Tiger basketball to take control of its game over Lamar, and though it never looked back, winning 108-83, the team never looked great either. An Andre Allen layup as time expired in the first half gave the No. 9 Tigers its first lead of the game and closed out a very sloppy frame that saw Memphis commit 12 turnovers, make just 6 of 17 free throws and get beaten to just about every loose ball. �Twenty-one turnovers (in the game), we got beat to every ball, I�m just worried because it�s not hitting home yet,� said a visibly upset John Calipari after the game. �You cannot win good games playing the way we�re playing.� For large stretches of the game it seemed the Tigers (4-1) stopped trying to score inside on the undersized Cardinals and instead settled for outside shots, hitting just six of 21 three pointers for the game. �We�re not as good as everyone thinks, and we�re not as bad as I think,� Calipari said. �I think we�re somewhere in the middle. �We�re nowhere near what we can be right now.� Part of the malaise could be credited to the absence of point guard Darius Washington Jr., who sat out due to a deep thigh bruise. His return for Wednesday�s game against Jackson State is questionable. Center Kareem Cooper was also held out of Monday�s game due to a violation of team rules. Calipari didn�t clarify what the violation was but said it was minor and Cooper would only miss one game. One important lesson Calipari said he hopes his young team learns from this early season challenge is that ability alone won�t win many games. �When you get beat to loose balls, when the other team wants it more, talent doesn�t matter,� Calipari said. �They�re going to win the game, and that�s what happened in the first half.� The Tigers appeared more resilient in the second half, scoring 65 points and taking 14 more shots than its opponent and out-rebounding Lamar 38-12. �A lot of players on get up for big games and play down to the level of their competition,� said reserve point guard Andre Allen. �That�s what we did tonight.� Allen scored 10 points, made five rebounds, five assists and three steals in increased action. Three Tigers scored in double-figures, led by guard Chris Douglas-Roberts� 23. Forwards Shawne Williams and Rodney Carney added 21 each. Forward Robert Dozier registered his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Lamar�s Alan Daniels blitzed the Tigers� defense for 41 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Calipari didn�t say much to his team after the game, just that this kind of game is what the players better be ready for every time they take the floor this season. �Everywhere we go we�re going to be the biggest game on everyone�s schedule,� he said. �These young guys don�t understand that yet.�

11/28/05		No. 9 Memphis Downs Lamar, 108-83 -- Douglas-Roberts scores 23 points; Carney and Williams score 21 points (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 23 points and Rodney Carney and Shawne Williams each added 21 as No. 9 Memphis overcame a sluggish start and the absence of point guard Darius Washington to beat Lamar 108-83 on Monday night. Douglas-Roberts, Carney and Williams were a combined 21-of-42 from the field goals for the Tigers (4-1), who shot 48.8 percent overall. Joey Dorsey had 13 rebounds, Robert Dozier 11 and Williams 10 as Memphis outrebounded Lamar 65-32. Alan Daniels, a first-team all-Southland Conference selection last season, led Lamar (1-3) with 41 points. He was 13-of-29 from the field, including 6-of-17 on 3-pointers, and made nine of 11 free throws. Matthew Barrow added 15 points for Lamar. Washington, the team's leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, didn't play because of a deep thigh bruise that limited him in last week's NIT Season Tip-Off in New York. Memphis reached the tournament finals, losing to top-ranked Duke 70-67. Memphis also played without reserve center Kareem Cooper, who was serving a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules. The 6-foot-11 Cooper was averaging 8.3 points. Memphis started slowly against Lamar's 2-3 zone and fell behind by as many as 10 points midway through the first half. The Tigers committed eight turnovers in the gam's first 8 minutes. But Memphis went on a 12-2 run to close the first half, including scoring five points in the closing 6 seconds. After Williams made a free throw to complete a three-point play, Andre Allen stole the inbounds pass and drove in for a layup, which he missed. But Allen followed with a short putback as the buzzer sounded for a 43-41 lead. In the second half, the Tigers went on an early 10-0 run to take a 59-49 lead and pulled away late in the game when Carney and Allen powered a 14-0 run with 3-pointers. Allen hit a 3-pointer to start the run and less than 2 minutes later, Carney hit consecutive 3-pointers to give the Tigers a 92-65 lead. Allen, starting in place of Washington, finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. On the strength of Memphis's showing in the NIT, the Tigers moved into the Top 10 for the first time since 1996.

11/28/05		Memphis Postgame Quotes -- #9/9 Memphis 108, Lamar 83 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis Head Coach John Calipari "Twenty-one turnovers, and we got beat to every ball again. I'm just worried because it's not hitting home. We went after balls with one hand. They will run a 33 -- which is a killer -- for each one-handed catch that they made. So, we have guys running, maybe 10 of those. Those guys may not be able to play against Jackson State. It's got to stop. We did it against Duke. We did it against Lamar. We'll do it against Jackson State. We'll do it against Cincinnati. You can not win big games playing the way we are playing." "Now everybody understands the importance of Darius Washington with this team - his energy as much as anything else, his ability to get us up and down the court, and score baskets when we need some baskets to be scored. Now he has to get his defense up and get a better feel for what we are doing." "I like that Robert Dozier got a double-double. He should in this kind of game. With Rodney (Carney) in the first half, he didn't have a rebound and his guy scores 23, so I'm starting the next guy. That's the greatest thing about having a deep team. So, what's Rodney do in the second half? He comes out and gets 20 points, four rebounds and three blocks. That's how you play, or someone else plays. He's capable of doing that every night." Lamar Head Coach Billy Tubbs "Memphis just whipped us on the boards, especially in the second half. The second half Memphis really took off and that was the real key to the game. Memphis was getting a lot of second shots and hit some threes in the second half, but they really whipped us inside." "Memphis is a really good team, and in the second half, we quit doing the things we did in the first half. In the first half, we did a great job against the press, but the first 10 minutes in the second half, we did a bad job and we wound up with the wrong people handling the ball. That hurt us and you can't win games when you don't rebound."

11/28/05		Stephen Gostkowski Earns C-USA Special Teams Honor -- Senior kicker picks up fourth Player of the Week award (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis senior kicker Stephen Gostkowski was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week as released by the league office today. This is the fourth time in his career that Gostkowski has been honored with the league's weekly award. He was selected twice last season, and once in 2003. A native of Madison, Miss., Gostkowski was a key part in Memphis defeating Marshall this past weekend, 26-3, and becoming bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. Gostkowski hit four field goals in the victory, including a career-long and school-record 53 yarder. He also had makes from 49, 43 and 42 yards out. A Lou Groza Award candidate the last two seasons, Gostkowski finished the regular season 19-of-22 on field goals and 32-of-32 on PATs. With the four made attempts against Marshall, he now holds the C-USA record for career field goals with 67. He is also the league's scoring leader with 357 career points and holds school and C-USA records in PATs made with 156. He has hit 133 of his last 134 PATs, including his last 45 consecutive attempts. The Tigers ended the season 6-5 and are awaiting word on their bowl possibilities. Memphis has now had three straight winning seasons, marking the first time since 1992-94 (all three years were 6-5) that the Tigers had recorded three consecutive winning seasons.

11/28/05		Women's Basketball Back on Road -- Lady Tigers to face Atlantic Sun pre-season favorite Lipscomb, Tuesday night (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis women's basketball program (0-4) will head back out on the road for a three-game road trip, starting in Nashville on Tuesday against Lipscomb. The Lady Bisons were picked as the Atlantic Sun pre-season favorites after tying for sixth in the league last year and going 13-15 overall. The Lady Bisons tied Belmont for the regular season title in 2003-04 and won the tournament championship, advancing to the NCAA tournament in their first year of eligiblity at the Division I level. Memphis will cap the week at the Arizona State Tournament. Memphis faces host Arizona State, the No. 15 ranked team in last week's polls, on Friday, then faces either Holy Cross (a 2004-05 NCAA team) or Western Kentucky (a 2004-05 WNIT team) in the second round. Last 0-4 Start in 1990-91 The Lady Tigers will be looking for their first win of the season beginning Monday at Lipscomb. The last time the Lady Tigers started the season 0-4 was in 1990-91. Memphis has never started the season with an 0-5 record. Butler Passes 600 Points, Looking for 100th Trey Senior point guard Tamika Butler tied a career-high with 30 points in the loss to Clemson. That point total rocketed her past the 600-career point mark, and she now has 612 career points. She also has 96 career three-point field goals, just four three-point field goals shy of her 100th career three pointer. Only three other Lady Tigers have hit 100 or more threes for their respective careers (LaTonya Johnson, Kitty Allen and Kelly Herron). Leonard Named to All-Tournament Team Freshman guard Paris Leonard was named to the All-Tournament team after scoring 26 points with 13 rebounds in the loss to Austin Peay, then scoring 25 points, including 6-of-7 from three-point range in the loss to Clemson. Leonard tied a tournament record with 10 offensive rebounds in the Austin Peay game. Against Lipscomb Memphis is 3-0 against Lipscomb over the past three seasons. All three games with Lipscomb have been close ones, though, with the 10 point margin of victory in 2003-04 the largest in the series' history. The 2002-03 game was decided by just three points, while last year's game was decided by five (57-52). Prepping for a Big Weekend Memphis is getting ready to face two teams that advanced to the post-season last year. The Lady Tigers will open against host Arizona State, currently the No. 15 ranked team in the country. The Sun Devils were an NCAA Sweet Sixteen team last year. Memphis will then face either Holy Cross, an NCAA team from last season, or Western Kentucky, a WNIT team that has beaten Memphis in each of the past two seasons. Last Road Win Memphis' last road win was on January 12 of last season at UAB, where the Lady Tigers prevailed 51-47. The last time the Lady Tigers have managed to win a non-conference game on the road was last season at UT-Martin (Dec. 4), where the Lady Tigers held on 77-74.

11/28/05		FROM MY SEAT: Tiger Highs -- In a season of sports highs, a 24-hour period last week may have been the all-time highest at the U of M (Memphis Flyer)
		BY FRANK MURTAUGH If it wasn�t the greatest 24 hours in University of Memphis sports history, it belongs in the conversation. Last Friday night in New York City, the Tiger men�s basketball team fell four points shy of beating the top-ranked team in the nation. Then Saturday afternoon, the football team rose to the occasion for a must-win that extends the collegiate career of the greatest player in the program�s history. Have you exhaled yet? I can�t stand labeling a defeat as �a good loss.� It�s like describing a blind date as having a good personality. That said, it�s hard not to use the backhanded qualifier in reflecting on the U of M�s narrow loss to Duke in the championship of the NIT Season Tip-off at Madison Square Garden. (The Tiger program is now 0-7 when facing teams ranked number one in the country.) My favorite image of the game? Believe it or not, it wasn�t Joey Dorsey�s summary rejection of a Josh McRoberts dunk attempt early in the first half. (Not only did this play set the tone for how Friday�s game would be played, it may well serve as this season's performance marquee. It was that great a play.) No, my favorite image was that of freshmen Chris Douglas-Roberts and Robert Dozier, arms linked on the bench late in the second half, linked in tension, rooting interest, and hope. The kind of image you expect to see on the bench of, yes, Duke in late March. But on the Memphis sideline, the day after Thanksgiving? Coach John Calipari has spoken early and often about this team's enthusiasm for playing together, for �buying in� as the cliche would have it. Friday night, in the world's most famous arena, against college basketball's most famous program of the last quarter century, Memphis fans saw a team on the launching pad of greatness. Based on their performance, it would seem the moon may not be too ambitious an aim. With chatter of the previous night's basketball game filling the Liberty Bowl Saturday afternoon, the Tiger football program took the field for perhaps the most significant Senior Day in school history. As if saying goodbye to the greatest Tiger of them all weren't enough, there were 15 other seniors �- including such notables as Maurice Avery, John Doucette, O.C. Collins, Andrew Handy, and Marcus West � who will now be remembered for being the class that took a sleepy program to three consecutive bowl games. (Among the possible December destinations for the Tigers are Fort Worth, Detroit, and Honolulu.) And DeAngelo Williams would be the first to sing the praises of a class that met cynicism with an optimism almost exclusive to youth, and that met adversity with stubborn flexibility (the team's top returning receiver at quarterback for the last six games?). Appropriately enough, Williams shared the spotlight in the 26-3 win over Marshall with senior kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Drilling four field goals, from distances of 42 yards to a school-record 53 yards, Gostkowski established a new Conference USA record with 67 career field goals, and moved his U of M scoring record up to 357 points (a mere 13 ahead of Williams, who with two touchdowns Saturday now has 57 for his brilliant career). The 2005 Tiger football team was not as good as the '03 or '04 squads. Their defense was second-tier in a second-tier conference. Offensively, they were carried by Williams and picked up by the midseason promotion/rescue of Avery at quarterback. But when measuring the impact of this team for posterity's sake, listen to coach Tommy West for a dose of perspective. �I don't know if I've ever seen as much fight in a football team,� said West after Saturday's win. "Regardless of how bad it gets, or how bad it looks, you work your tail off to try and make it happen. I told them today that if they could win this game, they'd be special, more special than the 9-win team or the 8-win team. To go through what they've gone through, and find a way to win six . . . it's almost incredible. This has been the most frustrating season I've ever been through, and now it's been one of the most gratifying. It meant a lot to those 16 [seniors]. You want to leave something. For these guys to go to three straight bowls � we'd only been to two [in history] � that's a sizable accomplishment.� A basketball program with its sights on the top ten and a football program making bowl preparations. Right here in Memphis. Happy holidays.

11/28/05		Injury benches Washington -- Tiger guard's thigh still sore as Lamar comes into town (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact November 28, 2005 While the University of Memphis spent Sunday afternoon going through its first practice since returning from New York, Darius Washington was lifting weights off to the side, one repetition after another. He worked his arms. He worked his chest. He even rode a bike and stretched. But what the hampered sophomore point guard didn't do was practice, a development that will serve as a precursor to Washington missing the first game of his career tonight at 7 when the 11th-ranked Tigers (3-1) host Lamar (1-2) at FedExForum. "And I'll hold him out Wednesday (against Jackson State), if I have to," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "It's no disrespect to Lamar, because they can beat us. But there's no sense in him continuing to play hurt. "We just need to get him healthy." An All-American candidate, Washington has been hurt since he took a knee to his right thigh in the Tigers' 87-76 victory at Alabama on Nov. 17. The injury wasn't initially considered severe, but it grew that way in the subsequent days because the bruise was deeper than originally thought, and it also contributed to a swollen knee. Still, Washington opted to play last week at Madison Square Garden -- albeit with a limp and football pad protecting his thigh -- in the Tigers' 88-80 win over 16th-ranked UCLA and 70-67 loss to No. 1 Duke. Though he scored a combined 27 points and earned respect from coaches for going hurt, Washington clearly wasn't his same explosive self in either game, and so Calipari has decided to deactivate him in hopes that rest and rehabilitation will have him ready in time for Saturday's contest at Cincinnati, at the latest. "When I played (in New York), it felt like my leg wouldn't move," Washington said Sunday. "It feels better today, but we just don't want this to turn into a nagging injury that lasts all year." Thus, Washington will sit, and it's affordable for two reasons. One, the opponent is Lamar, a team coached by the legendary Billy Tubbs, but still one that opened the season with losses to Southern Miss and Kennesaw State, the latter of which is a first-year Division 1 school. Two, Washington's backups are Andre Allen and Antonio Anderson, a pair of solid point guards who have shown the ability to run this team in crucial situations. A 5-10 sophomore, Allen is in his first season at the U of M after failing to qualify academically. But through just four games, he already seems comfortable, and has displayed some of the characteristics that helped him become a two-time Tennessee Mr. Basketball honoree, specifically against Duke last Friday when the Booker T. Washington High product got two points, two assists and three steals in 11 minutes. Meanwhile, Anderson has been even better, and in all the ways Calipari loves, namely defensively. The 6-6 freshman is averaging 5.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in a team-high 30.3 minutes per game. He's been starting at shooting guard, but tonight he'll likely be introduced at point, and joined in the backcourt by Chris Douglas-Roberts, also a 6-6 freshman. "Playing point really won't change what I do," Anderson said. "I'll basically do the same thing, because I really don't look to score that much, and that's what Coach wants out of his point guards, to only score when we have the opportunity. But that's what I do anyway. So I'm just going to be out there playing defense, passing the ball, getting guys good shots and trying to win the game." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 Tigers vs. Lamar When, where: Today, 7 p.m., at FedExForum TV, radio: WLMT (30), WMC-AM (790)

11/28/05		Preview: Tigers vs. Lamar (Commercial Appeal)
		Notables This is just the third meeting in history between these two programs. The Tigers won the first, 67-45, during the 1959-60 season. Lamar won the second, 82-68, during the 1968-69 season. Both those games were played in Memphis. ... As of Sunday, the UofM's CollegeRPI.com ranking was 18. Lamar's was 316. ... Larry Rose, Jim Burr and Tom O'Neill will officiate tonight's game. ... This will be Lamar's 35th game in history against a team ranked in the AP Top 25. In previous attempts, the Cardinals are 5-29, with the last win coming over No. 12 Louisiana Tech in 1985. Lamar is 1-16 all-time against Top 25 teams on the road. ... Lamar's coach, Billy Tubbs, is of legendary status, and is at Lamar after coaching at Oklahoma and TCU. He is only the ninth coach in NCAA history to record 100 wins at three different schools, and has a career record of 625-320. Still, he is 0-4 all-time against the Tigers, and just 30-31 in two-plus years of this second stint at Lamar, where he is also the athletic director. ... Set to succeed Tubbs whenever he retires is Lamar assistant Steve Roccaforte. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Roccaforte came to Memphis with John Calipari, and spent three seasons on the UofM staff before returning to his alma mater. Since there, the native of Port Arthur, Texas, has been named by Sportsline.com as one of the top four assistants ready to take over his own program. ... There are a couple of connections between players in this game. The UofM's Shawne Williams played at Hamilton High with Lamar's Dee Burchett. The UofM's Robert Dozier and Lamar's Durand Murray are both from Lithonia, Ga., and played AAU together for Georgia Elite. The Tigers' Joey Dorsey was also on that summer team, in 2003. ... Though Tulane's displacement has garnered most the headlines, Lamar's basketball team was actually forced from home, too. Hurricane Rita required that the Cardinals spend four weeks practicing at a junior college 100 miles from campus because the Montagne Center was damaged. They play their home opener Dec. 3 against Oklahoma City. Scouting the Tigers Memphis, coached by John Calipari, is ranked 11th in the nation and coming off a 70-67 loss to No. 1 Duke on Friday at New York's Madison Square Garden. It was the Tigers' first defeat of the season, and followed wins against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Alabama and UCLA. Four games in, Darius Washington is the UofM's leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points and 3.3 assists per game. But the sophomore has played the last two contests with a badly bruised right thigh that has diminished his ability, and thus will not play tonight. In his place running point will be Antonio Anderson. With the freshman getting the start there, expect Chris Douglas-Roberts to start at shooting guard, considering that's how the Tigers prepared Sunday. Also in the starting line-up should be Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams and Joey Dorsey, the latter of whom is averaging a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game despite playing only 18.8 minutes per contest. Scouting the Cardinals Lamar, coached by Billy Tubbs, started the season 1-2 with losses to Southern Miss and Kennesaw State, and a win over Montana State while finishing seventh in the eight-team field at the BP Top of the World Classic in Alaska. So this will be the Cardinals' fourth straight game away from home, and first since Nov. 20. In that victory over Montana State, senior Alan Daniels scored a game-high 34 points, proving worthy of his selection as Sportsline.com's Southland Conference Preseason Player of the Year. A 6-6 wing, Daniels is one of two Cardinals averaging double-figures in points. The other is Josh Goodwin, a senior forward who comes in averaging 11.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest for Lamar, which was picked to finish second in the Southland Conference by league coaches and sports information directors, behind only Northwestern State, the school that won at Mississippi State on Sunday. Key Matchup: Rodney Carney vs. Alan Daniels How much time they'll actually spend guarding each other is unclear, but a match-up between Rodney Carney and Alan Daniels, probably the two best wings in their respective leagues, is one worth watching. Daniels averaged 19.9 points per game last year, and is averaging 18.7 this year, thanks to a 34-point performance against Montana State. But considering Carney just held Duke's J.J. Redick to no points in the second half of Friday's loss, the UofM senior probably has the confidence going in that he can lock-up anybody. Tigers vs. Lamar 7 p.m., FedExForum TV, radio: WLMT (30), WMC-AM (790) Records: Memphis 3-1, Lamar 1-2 Series standing: Tied, 1-1. Latest line: No line.

11/28/05		Season has taken odd turns since opener -- Emotions of Tigers, Rebels reversed by season's end (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact November 28, 2005 If it's not how you start, but how you finish, then this 2005 college football season ends with mixed results for Mid-South college football fans. To see the stark difference between a season deemed a success and one deemed a failure, go back to the first weekend of the season, to the Liberty Bowl and Ole Miss-Memphis. Remember that ending? Seems so long ago now. Maurice Avery, then the Tigers' No. 1 option at receiver, taking a ball into Rebel territory but fumbling when his own teammate's helmet hit the ball. Micheal Spurlock, the Rebels' quarterback, looking like the answer to Ole Miss fans' prayers, making a fourth-down touchdown play out of nothing. And DeAngelo Williams, frustrated and as angry as his genial disposition ever gets, at not getting the ball at the end of the game. Instead, freshman quarterback Will Hudgens, called into duty when starter Patrick Byrne snapped his fibula, had thrown an interception into the end zone. The impressive contingent of Rebel fans, some of them certainly affected by Hurricane Katrina, serenaded the giddy Rebels. The Ed Orgeron Era -- the Coach O Era -- had begun swimmingly. The Tiger season, without Byrne, felt doomed even with Williams back for his senior season. Ten games and nearly three months later, and two more scenes unfolded. At the Liberty Bowl, the Tiger football players ran back onto the field, following a 26-3 domination of Marshall, to thank their fans. Williams and Avery (now the Tigers starting quarterback), ran to the opposite end zone to conduct the band. "Gratifying," said Tiger coach Tommy West, and that sentiment would be echoed over and over. Ole Miss, ending the season at another visiting stadium, was walking off Mississippi State's Scott Field with humiliation heaped on top of the disappointment that defines the worst Rebel season since 1987. Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State's bold-talking coach, had made waves by telling a Quarterback Club in Alabama that his team would "beat their butts" in the Egg Bowl, and the 35-14 whipping on the scoreboard and 409-yard to 189-yard domination on the stat sheet told the story. "Mississippi State beating Ole Miss? It couldn't get any better," said State's superlative running back, Jerious Norwood. In the space of two weeks, Orgeron had gone from presiding over a program trying to rebuild to one that is, officially, the worst in the Southeastern Conference. The 40-7 loss in Oxford to LSU the week before, coming on the heels of his firing of offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, was bad enough. Getting crushed in Starkville by what was the SEC's worst offense, in the week after dissembling and evading the obvious with Mazzone's status, will require Coach O to land a recruiting class of monumental proportions to win back confidence from Ole Miss fans. Serious question, Rebel fans: If you could snap your fingers, right now, and choose David Cutcliffe or Ed Orgeron as the coach -- or Sylvester Croom? -- whom do you choose? Back at the Liberty Bowl, West was explaining that he wants Williams to return soon to have his jersey retired because he didn't want "some other jackleg" coach welcoming Williams in 10 or 15 years. "You're not going to be here in 10 or 15 years?" I asked. "No," West said. "No. I'll be in the pasture." After the job West and his staff did this season, guiding a team decimated by injuries to a 6-5 record and third-straight bowl game, many Tiger fans wouldn't want to think of West not being around in 10 years. Of course, if the Tigers are as good next season as West and his staff believes they can be, this time next season West could be deflecting questions about some BCS school's interest in him. Maybe even one an hour down the road? Or maybe, if Coach O opens next season by putting another knot on Memphis's head, Rebel fans will be ready to fall in love, all over again. More finishes Arkansas fans watched the Hogs lose another tough, taut game to a Top 10 opponent, falling 19-17 at LSU. That ought to be enough to keep Hog fans hopeful as they head into the offseason, visions of a Mitch Mustain-Darren McFadden-Felix Jones backfield dancing in their heads. Arkansas State fans should be crowing after ASU's dramatic victory at North Texas which, combined with Louisiana-Monroe's loss to Louisiana-Lafayette, puts ASU in the New Orleans Bowl. Antonio Warren scored the game-winning TD with 30 seconds left, and now it's possible that Warren could face Memphis and his high school teammate, DeAngelo Williams, in the relocated New Orleans Bowl in Lafayette. Final finale If Tennessee wins a football game and nobody notices, is it really a win? In the case of Saturday's 27-8 win at Kentucky, a win's a win's a win's a ... you get the picture. Emerging tailback Arian Foster would've had monster stats if not for two penalties. After this wreck of a Tennessee season, it's at least a few dollops of hope to take into the offseason. And not finishing last in the SEC East is something, even if these 2005 Vols were the runaway winners in the ESPN poll for the season's biggest disappointment. Heisman conclusions Vince Young and Texas and Reggie Bush and USC each play this week, but it's pretty clear that unless A) Young follows Saturday's ho-hum game vs. Texas A&M with another monster game against Colorado and B) Bush and USC get stuffed by UCLA, Bush is your winner, followed by Young. Matt Leinart, the USC QB and 2004 winner, might slip to fourth after Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn's fourth 400-plus yard game in leading the Irish to a 38-31 comeback win over Stanford. Apparently, some CBS commentators predicted DeAngelo Williams would be the fifth invitee to New York. Could happen, if Washington State running back Jerome Harrison doesn't get it. Go to voteforheisman.com to participate in the fan portion of the balloting. Gameballs Kudos to Tommy West for making the right decision on the right time to retire DeAngelo Williams's jersey. Williams got enough attention on Saturday, and, besides, coming back to do it in the next few seasons would provide a nice treat for fans. ... Williams may have had an average day in terms of stats, but he gained tough yardage and his two TD runs broke Marshall early. ... What about the kickers? Former Tiger kicker Joe Allison, who won the Lou Groza award, was at Saturday's game to see senior Stephen Gostkowski put on one of the greatest kicking performances in school history -- four field goals from 40-plus yards, including a 53-yarder, on a very windy day. The U of M should come up with a creative way to honor those two guys for posterity, too. ... Arkansas, unlike another Mid-South team, did not quit, and probably should've won Friday's game at LSU. Coach Houston Nutt and his staff deserve credit for keeping the Hogs believing in themselves. ... Jerious Norwood endured some of Mississippi State's worst seasons ever, but the running back was always tough. He capped off a great career with 204 yards in the thumping of Ole Miss. ... The Liberty Bowl's aggressive move to bring Fresno State to Memphis was inspired, even if the Bulldogs blew it by losing at Nevada. I'm not sure I see a problem with the logic of some U of M fans who think the Liberty Bowl should invoke it's "we-can-invite-whomever-we-want-from-C-USA" clause and invite the Tigers. What's C-USA going to do? Pull out of an agreement with what Fresno State coach Pat Hill repeatedly called one of the best non-BCS bowls in the country? Gassers What a week for Ole Miss and coach Ed Orgeron. There was the mishandling of offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's dismissal, then came the fig leaf of an explanation by Rebel athletic director Pete Boone concerning Orgeron's attempt to recruit Tulane players. Top it off with a 35-14 whipping at Mississippi State, and you can literally hear Rebel fans peeling the big "O: The Coach" stickers off their SUVs. ... The Big 12 North was pathetic enough already without Colorado backing into the league title game when Iowa State lost to Kansas. Too bad Auburn can't serve proxy for Colorado and give Texas a real challenge. ... What's with the big rush on announcing of finalists for awards before the season is finished? It likely robbed Memphis kicker Stephen Gostkowski of a shot at the Lou Groza, and, anyway, wouldn't waiting until after the regular season create more publicity? ... After the beating at Florida, Florida State is proving Ole Miss isn't the only team to quit. Can the Seminoles get it together in time for next week's ACC Championship game? How about Ohio State serving proxy in that one? ... Say it ain't so, South Florida. Needing to win at Connecticut to set up a showdown with West Virginia for a BCS berth, the Bulls blew it.

11/28/05		Rating the area (Commercial Appeal)
		Memphis (6-5, 5-3 C-USA) * * * * About the only thing preventing the Tigers from getting five stars was the lack of a passing attack. It was non-existent (one completion, eight attempts, -3 yards). But there was no other facet of the Tigers' performance Saturday against Marshall that didn't get high marks. The defense had its best effort of the season, holding an opponent to fewer than 200 yards for the first time this year. Memphis held the Thundering Herd to 57 yards rushing and 97 passing. Offensively, running back DeAngelo Williams played his final regular-season game much like he had the majority of games in his record-setting career, eclipsing 100 yards rushing for the 33rd time (an NCAA-tying record) and scoring twice. Special teams got an All-America type effort from kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who blasted four field goals of 40-plus yards -- including a record-setting 53 yarder. Now the Tigers, one of six bowl eligible C-USA teams, await their assignment. C-USA has five bowl affiliations, but is expected to place all six teams in the postseason since several bowls will not be able to fill with their openings. Up next: Bowl game to be determined Tennessee (5-6, 3-5 SEC) * * * The Vols found an SEC team more bumbling than their own offense, and the superlative UT defense took advantage in ensuring a 27-8 victory in Lexington. This promises to be the most interesting offseason in the Phillip Fulmer era, and the good news for Vol fans is they enter 2006 with the potential to be the team that surprises the SEC and exceeds expectations. Up next: Sept. 2, 2006 vs. California. Ole Miss (3-8, 1-7 SEC) Zero stars Year one of the Coach O era came to a resounding thud as the Rebels were thoroughly whipped by their in-state rival, Mississippi State, 35-14. The Rebels were whipped on both lines of scrimmage, allowing the Bulldogs to rush for 304 yards, while picking up only 34 yards on the ground themselves. In addition to giving MSU its only SEC win of the year, Ole Miss ended its 3-8 season with four consecutive losses to finish with its worst record since 1987. Coach O now turns his focus to recruiting, where the Rebels need help at all positions. He can only hope to finish better in that area than he did in his first season as a head coach. Up next: Sept. 2, 2006 vs. Memphis Mississippi State (3-8, 1-7 SEC) * * * * State coach Sylvester Croom earned enormous loyalty points by predicting the Bulldogs would stomp Ole Miss and then seeing to it that it happened, emphatically. The 35-14 victory and late-season coaching meltdown in Oxford puts State ahead of Ole Miss in the SEC pecking order. The mission for Croom and his staff now is to capitalize on the recruiting trail. Up next: Sept. 2, 2006 at UAB Arkansas (4-7, 2-6 SEC) * * * 1/2 But for a play here or there at LSU, it would have been a five-star upset special to remember. Alas, some problems in the kicking game and a failed 2-point conversion hurt the Hogs, but after the last three weeks, Arkansas fans can look ahead to the Sept. 9 home game with Southern Cal with some measure of hope. Up next: Sept. 2, 2006 vs. Louisiana-Monroe at Little Rock

11/27/05		A bowlful of joy -- Led by spirited seniors, never-say-die Tigers run over Marshall, earn third straight postseason chance (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 27, 2005 All-American running back closes out his record-setting career by rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns and being told his jersey will be retired. Lou Groza Award kicker boots four field goals, including a school-record 53-yarder. Wide receiver-turned-quarterback rushes for 93 yards and leads team to fourth win in six starts since taking over at midseason. Two linebackers from what had been a much-maligned defense at midseason combine for 20 tackles, including three for lost yardage, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Want a script for an ideal Senior Day for the University of Memphis football team? One would be hard-pressed to top Saturday's 26-3 Conference USA victory over Marshall before 46,403 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Senior running back DeAngelo Williams rushed for a pair of 1-yard first-quarter touchdowns, senior kicker Stephen Gostkowski had field goals of 42, 43, 49 and 53 yards, senior quarterback Maurice Avery rushed 19 times for his 93 yards and senior linebackers Tim Goodwell (13 tackles, 2 for loss) and Carlton Baker (seven tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery) excelled to lead the Tigers to the brink of their third straight postseason appearance. Memphis (6-5 overall, 5-3 C-USA) is expected to earn an invitation within the week to either the Hawaii, New Orleans, GMAC or Motor City bowls. The Tigers earned the right by closing the season with back-to-back wins, starting with a rare victory last weekend at Southern Miss. "The 16 seniors started it and now have kept it going," said Tiger coach Tommy West. "I don't know if I have ever seen as much fight in a football team. They just don't give up." The Tigers returned to the postseason by overcoming a rash of injuries during the year that included losing two quarterbacks and two defensive linemen. Each obstacle only seemed to present a challenge. "Regardless of how bad it looks, or how bad it gets, this team works its tail off and tries to find a way to make it happen," West said. They made it happen Saturday, easily defeating Marshall (4-7, 3-5) despite completing just one pass for minus-3 yards. A running game ranked fourth in the nation was able to overcome the worst passing day in school history by amassing 243 yards on 54 rushes. Williams, who tied an NCAA record with his 33rd 100-yard game, and Avery provided the bulk of the rushing yards, and a Tiger defense, which entered the game ranked 11th in C-USA allowing an average of 421 yards, yielded only 154. "They were just sitting on some of our passing routes," Avery said. "They seemed to change their defense just for us. So coach said 'we'll just run the ball the whole game,' and that's what we did." Marshall got a team-high 89 yards rushing from running back Ahmad Bradshaw, and quarterback Jimmy Skinner completed 11 of 19 for 97 yards, but the Thundering Herd had few other contributors. Three turnovers hampered Marshall's plans. Two of the miscues led to Tiger scores. Linebacker Heath Grant and defensive lineman Marcus West recovered fumbles that led to Gostkowski field goals. "You can't come into a hostile environment against a good football team and have three turnovers," said Marshall coach Mark Snyder. "I didn't feel like we had a letdown at all. I felt like our effort was good. The wind got taken out of our sails when they went up 14." Early on, the Tigers relied on their ground game to take a 14-0 first-quarter lead and a 17-3 halftime advantage. On its three scoring drives, the UofM attempted only two passes, both of which fell incomplete. The Tigers grabbed a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter by marching 78 yards in six plays. Williams picked up 40 of the yards, including the touchdown from a yard out. Memphis made it 14-0 on its next possession, this time driving 56 yards in 10 plays. Avery had the key pickup with a 23-yard keeper to the Marshall 25 and Williams, again, got the TD on a 1-yard run. A solid Tiger defensive effort limited the Thundering Herd to 103 yards in the opening half, but Marshall was able to get a 37-yard field goal by Ian O'Connor late in the second quarter. Memphis closed the half by keeping the ball for the final 4:50, scoring on a 49-yard Gostkowski field goal into a strong southerly wind. It gave the Tigers their 14-point halftime lead as time expired. In the second half, the Tigers got three Gostkowski field goals, and their defense held Marshall scoreless to ensure a bowl trip. "Everyone was counting us out this year," Avery said. "This stands out as the most satisfying of the bowl teams I've been on because of everything we went through." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

11/27/05		Calkins: They won, celebrated as a team (Commercial Appeal)
		By Geoff Calkins Contact November 27, 2005 A good five minutes after the game was done, DeAngelo turned to his buddy, Mo. "Hey, Mo, let's go lead the band!" "OK!" So DeAngelo Williams and Maurice Avery ran down the field and led the band. Then they jumped up and down on the Memphis logo. They ran to the parents section and started stripping off their clothes. Gloves, elbow pads, socks, shoes. All went flying into the happy crowd. Carlton Baker ran laps with an enormous Memphis flag. John Doucette rolled, like an oversized kid, down the field. "I don't want to leave," said Tim Goodwell. "None of us want to leave." He could have been speaking for the players or the coaches, for the fans or the mildly confused band. "My hat's off to those drum people," said Williams. Their hats are off to you, too. And to the rest of the 2005 Memphis Tigers, who defeated Marshall, 26-3, Saturday to qualify for a third straight bowl. That explains why LaVale Washington stood at the 40 and rolled an imaginary strike. "I want to go hula-hooping," he said. That would be Hawaii, right? But let it be Honolulu or Mobile, Lafayette or Detroit. The point is, they're going. Again and again and again. Q: Does three bowl games make Memphis a perennial bowl team? A: "Sure," said Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson. "Why not?" Johnson said he'd spent the second half of the game listening to boosters debate possible bowls. "Three years ago," he said, "we'd have been happy to go to any bowl at all." Then came Williams and Avery, and Goodwell and Doucette, and the rest of the merry band. "Sixteen guys," said Memphis coach Tommy West. "Sixteen seniors who bought into this thing." West has all the respect in the world for DeAngelo. He considers him a close friend. But the reason Memphis announced that Williams' jersey would be retired at a later date -- and not actually retired Saturday -- is that West didn't want the ceremony to detract from the whole. The guy has always been about the whole. "It was Senior Day, not DeAngelo Day," West said. DeAngelo Day will come down the road. This day was somehow bigger than that, if only because there was work yet to be done. The players felt it in the hotel before the game. They felt it on the bus ride to the Liberty Bowl. After the pregame ceremony, someone asked Sandra Hill, DeAngelo's mother, how it felt to watch her son play his last college game. "It's not his last game," she said. "We're going to a bowl." And isn't that the biggest difference in this program? The simple expectation that good things will come? Used to be, the Tigers figured out a way to lose games like these. Now they find a way to win. Start with this stat: Memphis quarterback Maurice Avery completed one pass for minus-3 yards. That's right, one pass for minus-3 yards. That's the worst passing day in the history of the school. And nobody cared, not the quarterback, not the offensive coordinator, and certainly not the head coach. Memphis won. The other guys lost. Isn't that what counts? And isn't that the ethic that carried Memphis through this most trying of seasons, when just about everything went wrong? The Tigers lost eight starters for the season. They lost two quarterbacks, two receivers, and two starters off the defensive line. Heck, they lost another cheerleader (knee) and orthopedist (hamstring) against Marshall Saturday. "It's the most frustrating year I've ever been through," West said. Which makes it the most rewarding, too. West told the players they had a chance to be special if they won this final game. Truth is, they already knew. "We didn't say too much," Goodwell said. "We just looked at each other. At different situations throughout the game, if it was third-and-2 or fourth-and-1, we didn't have to say anything at all. We just looked around and knew. Everybody knew." So there was Michael Gibson, uncorking a 70-yard punt. There was Goodwell, racing in for the sack. There was Avery, swerving upfield for 93 rushing yards. There was Stephen Gostkowski, smacking four field goals, all from beyond the 40, one from 53. "I think I got a little lucky," he said. "The wind swirled behind my back." BOOM. It was the longest field-goal in Memphis history. "I'll miss this place," he said. Which is the best kind of accomplishment, isn't it? Maybe even more than three straight bowls? Used to be, Memphis has a hard time recruiting good people. Now they can't get them to leave. So they ran around the field and took pictures and pointed up to their fans. They danced. They hugged their coaches. They gloried in what they had done. Together. They had done it together. It doesn't get better than that. And now they were going bowling. To, uh, where do you think, guys? "You know," said Goodwell, "as long as I get to go with this team, I don't even really care." To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or send an e-mail.

11/27/05		Tigers' kicker won't be blown out -- Gostkowski enjoys record day despite conditions (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact November 27, 2005 To most football players, the architectural dimensions of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium are irrelevant. For kickers, the stadium's sombrero shape can add a degree of difficulty, especially on a windy autumn afternoon. Which is just one reason why University of Memphis special teams coach Tyson Helton was gushing about Tiger kicker Stephen Gostkowski's contributions to the UofM's 26-3 win over Marshall on Saturday. "Greatest performance I've ever seen by a kicker," Helton said. "Unbelievable." On a day given over, in large part, to celebrating running back DeAngelo Williams as the acknowledged greatest player in the history of the program, Gostkowski used his right leg to remind the crowd of 46,403 that there was another senior leaving his own considerable legacy. He also made a strong case that the voters for the Lou Groza Award may have acted in haste in leaving him out of the top three. Gostkowski's first field goal, from 49 yards and into a stiff wind, came on the final play of the first half and pushed Memphis's lead to 17-3. His second, from 53 yards, set a new school record. His fourth, back into the wind from 42 yards, gave him 67 career field goals to set a new Conference USA record. He also converted two extra points and put four of his six kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks. On a day when the Tiger offense managed minus-3 yards of passing offense and 240 total, Gostkowski was the difference between a tight win and a dominating performance. "Just the situation we were in, to go out there like he did and hit those four shots, with authority, right down the pike, he was just a clutch guy," Helton said. Gostkowski came to Memphis as a baseball player, with a promise from the football program for a chance to try out as a kicker. As he stood next to his mother, Cindy, during the pregame Senior Day ceremony, Gostkowski said he reflected on a career that certainly seemed unlikely from someone who had gone one for eight on field goals as a senior at Madison (Miss.) Central High. "It was a little emotional before the game, I saw my mom had a few tears in her eyes," Gostkowski said. "She's been there for me, and she was real proud. I got a little caught up in the moment, and, you know, Coach West told us not to get too caught up, we still got a game to play." Helton, for one, had no worries. He described Gostkowski's previous effort, at Southern Miss, as substandard, and he had admired the kicker's work all week. "Being a senior, his last game, chance to go to a bowl, I could tell all week he wanted to come out here and have a great performance," Helton said. After each successful kick, Gostkowski and his holder, junior punter Michael Gibson, perform a little celebration, taken from the movie, "Top Gun." On Saturday, Gibson actually got them started when he boomed a 70-yard punt after Memphis's first possession to grab momentum. Gostkowski took it from there. Though he said being snubbed by the Lou Groza Award voters this week had no effect, his booming kicks told a different story. They cut through the tricky Liberty Bowl wind with power, their trajectory unlike ordinary kicks the way a drive by Tiger Woods or John Daly is unlike any other golfer's. Now 19-of-22 on the season and 9-for-9 from 40 yards or farther -- 2-for-2 from beyond 50 -- Gostkowski's stats are right there with finalists Mason Crosby of Colorado, Jad Dean of Clemson and Alexis Serna of Oregon State. "If they could've waited one more week," Gostkowski said. "Maybe it could've happened." Gostkowski can still prove to the NFL that he's the best kicker in college. He said baseball coaches have assured him he can do whatever is needed to pursue the NFL during baseball season, so long as he's ready to pitch when called upon. Gibson, his holder, punted in SEC stadiums before transferring from Auburn, and he said NFL scouts need to know something else -- Gostkowski has done it at the kicking equivalent of the British Open on a windy day. "The way the stadium is shaped and everything, the wind really whips through here hard," Gibson said. "That makes what he has done just that much more impressive. This is a tough place to kick. "The wind was blowing, and Stephen just came through with it." -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

11/27/05		Defense feels vindication -- Limiting Herd to 154 yardstakes sting out of criticism (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak Contact November 27, 2005 As far as LaVale Washington is concerned, the University of Memphis' success against Marshall on Saturday was as simple as one, two, three, punt. "When we come out of halftime, we usually play around and let teams score and get back in the game," said Washington, the Tigers' senior nose guard, following his team's 26-3 victory over the Thundering Herd at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. "Today we came out and got a three-and-out, and it was the best feeling ever. Right then I said, 'I know we're gonna win.' There was no doubt in my mind." The Tigers' much-maligned defense signed off for the regular season by thumbing its collective nose at those who have questioned its play under third-year defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. As porous as a colander for much of the season, allowing an average of 420.9 yards through its first 10 games, a depleted UofM defense limited Marshall to a minuscule 154 on Saturday. That's nearly 200 below the Thundering Herd's usual 350.1 yards per game. "It's something real special to come in and win when some people are doubting you," senior linebacker Tim Goodwell said. "(UofM coach Tommy West) told us if we stop them from running the ball and we ran the ball well, we'd win the game. And he was right." Goodwell, who had 13 tackles and one of the Tigers' three sacks Saturday, said he and his fellow defenders were well aware of the criticism being directed their way. It reached its peak following a 37-20 home loss to UAB in which the UofM allowed more than 500 yards for the fourth time this season. Having lost a number of key players up front, including Rubio Phillips, Ryan Williams, Van Houston and Quinton McC