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Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 18

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal reports that the Tiger's defense is starting to get it. He writes,"As he spent the final minutes of Wednesday's football practice at a local high school chatting near midfield, Tiger defensive coordinator Tim Walton had more than kind words to share with former Miami coach Larry Coker.

Walton had some impressive numbers to toss his former boss' way.A defensive assistant under Coker two years ago, Walton, in his first season at Memphis, has molded the Tigers' defense into one of Conference USA's best units during a seasonlong training session that finished with an impressive flurry. In the Tigers' final three games of the regular season, they played a complicated defense at a high level of comprehension and effectiveness.

In a win at SMU, a loss at home to UCF and a bowl-clinching victory over Tulane at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Tiger defense held the three C-USA offenses to an average of 255 yards per game. Combined, the three opponents managed but 156 rushing yards, or an average of 52 per game."

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 17

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal reports that Memphis players and coaches have welcomed the Florida sunshine. He writes,"It only took University of Memphis football players a matter of minutes to change their demeanor ... and their clothes.

After bundling up and boarding their charter flight in Memphis on Tuesday morning amid chilly temperatures and freezing rain, the Tigers landed in warm, sunny Florida two hours later, trading their warmups for shorts, T-shirts, sunglasses, sandals and smiles.

Linebacker Greg Jackson donned a straw hat for a stroll to a nearby strip of shops. Other players changed into their swim suits. Some tested their skills on several personal people movers in the hotel parking lot."

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 16

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal compares the Tigers' on field successes but points out the programs struggles to fill the Liberty Bowl. He writes,"But as successful as the period has been, the past five years also have unveiled an unsettling trend for U of M athletic department officials. While the Tigers have been earning bowl invitations, their attendance has been steadily declining.

In 2004, All-America running back DeAngelo Williams' junior season, the football program averaged 41,175 fans for home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Since the '04 season, the attendance numbers have fallen, dipping into the 30,000 range in the 2005 and '06 and slipping to 25,000 this season.

? The Memhis Sports Blog, the Memphis Edge

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 15

? GoTigersGo.com releases "The University of Memphis nominated Tiger junior quarterback Brett Toney for the second annual College Football Rudy Award, it was announced today by The Rudy Foundation 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

The award honors student-athletes who demonstrate exemplary character, courage, contribution and commitment as members of their collegiate football teams. These same traits were immortalized in the blockbuster film "Rudy" in 27 seconds and against all odds on a gridiron in South Bend, Indiana, enabling Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger to carve his name into college football lore."

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal reports that Memphis receiver Brian will be back for the St. Petersburg Bowl. He writes,"Hall tore his posterior cruciate ligament in the loss to Louisville and the rehabilitation lasted at least a month.

"B-Hall is going to play," Tiger coach Tommy West said. "He's back about right when we thought he'd be back. He's looked good. If (his knee) doesn't swell, he'll be ready to play in this game."

? Stukenborg also writes a feature on the Tigers group of 'unselfish' receivers as they were touted as one of the best corps in Conference USA. He writes,"The preseason football magazines stocked in the bookstores and grocery stores last summer might not have picked the University of Memphis to win Conference USA, but they proclaimed one certainty.

The Tigers, coming off a New Orleans Bowl appearance, would be returning one of the league's best receiving corps, a group led by juniors Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton and seniors Maurice Jones, Earnest Williams and Steven Black."

? Stukenborgs' Memphis Football Notebook.

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 12

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal writes, "University of Memphis junior quarterback Brett Toney, who was pressed into starting this season for several games because of injuries at the position, may be able to escape a rush, but he's having difficulty sidestepping postseason attention."

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 11

? Frank Murtaugh of the Memphis Flyer writes,"Perhaps most worrisome for Tiger fans is the fact that this game will essentially be on home turf for the Bulls. A packed Tropicana Field, however, will be an improvement on the thousands of empty seats at the New Orleans Superdome when the Tigers played there in 2003 and 2007. And heck, folks, it's a bowl game, BCS connection be damned. Ask Tennessee and Arkansas fans how much they'd mind playing a road game this time of year."

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal writes of the Tiger's eagerness to play BIG EAST opposition. He writes,"When the University of Memphis football team plays South Florida in the Dec. 20 St. Petersburg Bowl the Tigers, of Conference USA, will find themselves battling a Big East Conference opponent for the second time this season."

? GoTigerGo.com's Bowl Central

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 10

? GoTigersGo.com reports that Memphis Junior Running Back Curtis Steele was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year.

? Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal reports  3 Memphis football players named to All-Conference teams. He writes,"St. Petersburg Bowl-bound University of Memphis placed two players -- offensive lineman Brandon Pearce and defensive lineman Clinton McDonald -- on the All-Conference USA Football Coaches first team and running back Curtis Steele was named to the second team, the league office announced Tuesday."

Scouting the Memphis Tigers

December 9

? Frank Murtaugh of the Memphis Flyer writes,"While it's the fifth bowl game in six seasons for coach Tommy West's Tigers, this will be the first contest in which the U of M is matched up with a so-called "BCS" team, a program belonging to one of the six conferences that qualify for the mythical BCS national championship."

? The Commerical Appeal out of Memphis released an editorial stating,"After an up and down season, the resilient University of Memphis football team is once again going bowling... It may not be the creme de la creme of college bowls, but the game offers the U of M an opportunity to play against a team, South Florida, from a Bowl Championship Series conference. "

? A look back to Phil Stukenborg of the Commericial Appeal Football Notebook from a week ago. He writes,"During the regular season, Memphis ranked second in C-USA in rushing at 205.6 yards per game. It marked the first time the Tigers had surpassed a 200-yard average since 2005 (DeAngelo Williams' senior season) and only the third time since 1976. The Tigers averaged 267 yards in 2005."

? Stunkenborg ranks the Tiger's sixth in his final Conference USA Power Rankings, and his blog.

? The offical bowl announcement release courtesy of GoTigersGo.com.

? The recap of the Tiger's 45-6 over against Tulane in their regular season finale.

? CBSSportsline.com breaks down the Memphis personnel and gives you a season review, as well as, a few notes and quotes from the Memphis camp.

? ESPN.com's statistical break down of the bowl matchup between the Bulls and Tigers.

? A list of team awards given out at Memphis' recent team banquet.
Offensive Player of the Year - Curtis Steele
Defensive Player of the Year - Greg Jackson
Offensive Lineman of the Year - Philip Beliles and Brandon Pearce
Special Teams Player of the Year - Brent Sutherland
Role Player Award - Brett Toney and Maurice Jones
Black and Blue Award - Steven Black
Top Tiger - Murray Armstrong, Will Hudgens and Earnest Williams
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year - Robbie Hardie, Trey Johnson
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year - Derrick Odom and Tommy Walker


Media Outlets Covering Memphis Football
? The Memphis Commercial Appeal
? The Memphis Flyer
? http://www.gotigersgo.com/