Memphis Tigers News Archives

October 2004

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10/27/04		Women's Track Adds Six for 2004-05 Season -- Five freshmen and one junior add depth in numerous of events (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn.-- The University of Memphis women's track team has announced the addition of six newcomers for the 2004-05 season. The group of five freshmen and one junior is expected to add needed depth in a variety of events, including hurdles, jumps, sprints, and throws. Jumpers Chen Edri and Maria Majzik will almost certainly have an immediate impact in the Conference USA races in the high jump and long jump. Edri, a freshman from Moshe Sharet High School in Nazaret Ellit, Israel, is an extremely talented athlete, and will compete in the high jump and javelin. The reigning Israeli National Champion in each of the two events, she has personal best of 5'9" in the high jump and 137'9" in the javelin. Majzik, a junior from Budapest, Hungary, is the lone upperclassman in the group of newcomers. She will compete primarily in the long jump for U of M, but will also run 400m hurdles at some meets. The former Hungarian U23 National Champion in long jump features a personal best of 19'8" in that event and a top time of 63.14s in the 400m hurdles. Freshmen throwers, Sivan Aballi and Annette Uzoh will be forced to have an immediate impact on the team, which has suffered from an absence of throwers over the past few years. Aballi, from Kiriat Sharet High School in Holon, Israel, will compete in the shot put, discus, and javelin. Though she will be a major asset in all three events, she is expected to be most successful in the discus, an event in which she is a three-time Israeli champion. Uzoh, is from Earl Warren High School in San Antonio, Texas, where she is the school record holder in the shot put (41'8") and discus (123'11"). She is also expected to be a key performer in the throws, both this year and for year to come. Two other freshmen, Quiana Green and Ashley Stewart are expected to compete in sprints and hurdles. Green, from T.C. Williams High School in Portland, Ore., will added much needed depth at the 100m and 200m distances, where she has personal best times of 12.00s and 25.00s, respectively. Stewart, from McClellan High School in Little Rock, Ark., where she was a state champion in the 300m hurdles, and was a member of the All-State track team. She is expected to be a key hurdler for the Lady Tigers in the very near future. "This is a very talented group of athletes," said U of M assistant track coach Kevin Robinson. "Chen and Maria should be right at the top of the conference in high jump and long jump, and some of the others will definitely score in meets. All of the girls are great additions to our team." These newcomers along with the rest of the Memphis women's and men's track teams will not have much longer to prepare for the start of competition, as the indoor season will get underway in just over a month. The first indoor meet will be the ASU Kickoff, hosted by Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark. 2004-05 Newcomers: Name Class Event Hometown/Previous School Maria Majzik Jr. Jumps/Hurdles Budapest, Hungary/Fenyes Elek S.S.E. Sivan Aballi Fr. Throws Holon, Israel/Kiriat Sharet HS Chen Edri Fr. Jumps/Javelin Nazaret Ellit, Israel/Moshe Sharet HS Quiana Green Fr. Sprints Portland, Ore./T.C. Williams HS Ashley Stewart Fr. Hurdles Little Rock, Ark./McClellan HS Annette Uzoh Fr. Throws San Antonio, Texas/Earl Warren HS

10/27/04		Tigers Looking for Fall Sweep at Final Tournament of the Fall in Wilmington, N.C. -- Memphis tries for fourth straight tournament win at Landfall Tradition (GoTigersGo.com)
		This Weekend Memphis will be looking to make it a clean sweep of its fall tournaments when they look for their fourth straight win at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. One of the top events in collegiate golf, the tournament will be held from Friday-Sunday, October 29-31 at the Jack Nicklaus Course of the Country Club of Landfall. Tournament Format The tournament will be 54 holes, with 18 to be played each day from Friday through Sunday. There will be a practice round on Thursday, October 28 and first round tee times will begin at 7:50 a.m. on Friday. There is also a women's tournament being held concurrently with the men's tournament. Tournament Field (12) Coastal Carolina, Duke, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue, Tulsa, UNC-Wilmington, Virginia Tech, Xavier About Memphis The Tigers are arguably the hottest team in the country right now after winning their first three tournaments of the year. Not only have the Tigers won all three tournaments, but a different Memphis individual has won individual medalist honors in all three tournaments. Keven Fortin-Simard, Allan Thomas, and Andy Shiels have shot under par in their respective tournament victories. Fortin-Simard, who won the Radrick Farms Intercollegiate at Michigan back in September, currently leads the Tigers with a 71.1 stroke average. Coming in second in stroke average for the Tigers is both Shiels and Justin Miers, who both average a 72.1. Thomas is a close fourth with at 72.2. Memphis owns six rounds of below 70 this year, four of which came at their last tournament in Missouri, including their lowest round of the year, a final round 6-under 65 by Shiels that locked up the individual medal for him. Comeback Kids Memphis has had to rally from a deficit entering the final round to win all three of its tournaments this year. At Michigan, the Tigers were two strokes down to Purdue entering the final round and rallied to tie for the team title. At the Memphis Intercollegiate earlier this month, Memphis trailed Central Florida by four strokes going into the last round and shot the lowest final round score of any team to win by seven strokes. In Missouri, the Tigers trailed Miami (Ohio) by two strokes after two rounds but then blitzed the field with a final round of 11-under 273 as a team to win by nine strokes. The 273 included a 65 by Andy Shiels and a 67 by Keven Fortin-Simard. Memphis Only Undefeated Team in the Country Since won-loss records are not an official part of golf, Golfweek lists de facto won-loss records in its rankings, which are based on the number of teams that an individual program finished above (wins), behind (losses), and tied with (ties) in its tournaments. Not including dual meets, Memphis is the only school in Division I with an undefeated record (38-0-2), and therefore the only school that was won each of its tournament starts this year. Furthermore, the Tigers are also the only program in the Golfstat Top 25 rankings that has three wins to its credit. About the Tournament Field Coastal Carolina: The Chanticleers, an NCAA West Regional team from a year ago, own a pair of second place team finishes in their four tournaments so far this year. Moises Cobo has been the top finisher for CCU in two tournaments while Dustin Johnson has been the top finishers in two others. CCU has had five individuals finish in the top 10 in their three tournaments. Finishes: Raines Development Group Intercollegiate (Francis Marion) - 2nd of 13 Opus NW Invitational (Washington) - T4th of 10 Club Glove Intercollegiate (Pepperdine) - 2nd of 12 Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic (Duke) - 8th of 14 Duke: The Blue Devils own a tournament victory and a second place finish in their three tournaments so far this year. Junior Ryan Blaum tied with teammate Michael Quagliano and two other individuals for medalist honors at the Coca Cola Duke Classic. Blaum was also Duke's top finisher in the Windon Memorial in Chicago, where he finished tied for second. Finishes: Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (East Tennessee State) - T10th of 15 Windon Memorial Classic (Northwestern) - 2nd of 18 Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic (Duke) - 1st of 14 Michigan: The Wolverines finished 13th this Monday-Tuesday at the Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge in Oregon before coming to Wilmington. They have competed in four tournaments so far, with their best finish being in 6th place at the Northern Intercollegiate. Christian Vozza and Kevin Dore both finished in a tie for 7th place there, which was the best individual finishes for Michigan so far this year. Vozza leads the Maize and Blue with a 73.67 stroke average on the year. Finishes: Radrick Farms Intercollegiate (Michigan) - 13th of 14 Northern Intercollegiate (Wisconsin) - 6th of 13 Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic (Duke) - 13th of 14 Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge (Oregon) - 13th of 14 Michigan State: This will be the fifth and final tournament of the fall for the Spartans, who own one tournament win, two second place finishes, and a third place finish. MSU won the weather-shortened Adams Cup in September. Andrew Ruthkoski has been the top Spartan finisher in three of the four tournaments, including a second and third place finish, while Matt Harmon tied for individual medalist honors at the Coca Cola Duke Classic and tied for third in another tournament. Finishes: Inverness Intercollegiate (Toledo) - 2nd of 13 Notre Dame Invitational (Notre Dame) - 2nd of 15 Adams Cup of Newport (Rhode Island) - 1st of 13 Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic (Duke) - T3rd of 14 Minnesota: The Golden Gophers were declared winners of the Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge this week in a tiebreaker before heading to North Carolina. The 2002 NCAA National Champions are the two-time defending champions of the Landfall Tradition. They have played in just two tournaments so far this year. Josh Parsons has been their top finisher in both of those tournaments, including a second place finish at the Windon Memorial Classic and a third place finish in Washington. Finishes: Opus NW Invitational (Washington) - T4th of 10 Windon Memorial Classic (Northwestern) - 5th of 18 Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge (Oregon) - T1st of 14 Ohio State: This will be the fourth tournament of the year for the Buckeyes, the defending Big 10 champions and NCAA Central Regional qualifier from last year. OSU finished fifth at the Barona Invitational in San Diego this Monday-Tuesday before coming to Wilmington. The Buckeyes have finished 10th and 14th in their two events so far, however the SMU Stonebridge Invitational was shortened to just one round due to rain. Scott Anderson has been the top finisher for OSU in all three events so far. Finishes: SMU Stonebridge Invitational (SMU) - 10th of 16 Gary Koch/Cleveland Golf Intercollegiate (Florida) - 14th of 15 Barona Invitational (San Diego State) - 5th of 14 Purdue: One of the teams that Memphis tied for the team title at the Radrick Farms Intercollegiate back in September, the Boilermakers have placed third and second in their two tournaments since the Radrick Farms. They also finished ninth at the Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge this Monday-Tuesday. Both Peter Richardson and Bobby Bennett own an individual medal to their credit, Richardson at the Windon Memorial and Bennett at the Alister Mackenzie Invitational. Bennett also finished tied for second at the Radrick Farms. Bennett leads Purdue with a 71.3 stroke average while Richardson is just behind him at 71.9. Finishes: Radrick Farms Intercollegiate (Michigan) - T1st of 14 Windon Memorial Classic (Northwestern) - T3rd of 18 Alister Mackenzie Invitational (California) - 2nd of 15 Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge () - 9th of 14 Tulsa: This will be only the third tournament of the year for the Golden Hurricane. A pair of sophomores have been their top finishers in their two previous tournaments as Brett Myers was their top finisher at the Notre Dame Invitational and Ryan Henry came in ninth at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational. Finishes: Notre Dame Invitational (Notre Dame) - 11th of 15 Franklin Street Partners Invitational (North Carolina) - 6th of 9 UNC-Wilmington: The host Seahawks will be playing in their fifth and final tournament of the fall. Their best finish so far came at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational where they came in seventh. Will Shambley has been the team's top finisher in three of the four tournaments so far and the best individual finish has been by Marc-Andre Roy, who finished in a tie for 11th at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational. Finishes: Radrick Farms Intercollegiate (Michigan) - 11th of 14 Mason-Rudolph Championship (Vanderbilt) - 14th of 15 Franklin Street Partners Invitational (North Carolina) - 7th of 9 Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic (Duke) - T6th of 14 Virginia Tech: This is the fourth and final tournament of the year for the Hokies. Their best finish so far was a tie for seventh at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational. Scott Wise has been their top finisher in two of the tournaments while Ryan Sypniewski finished in a tie for seventh at the Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic. Finishes: Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (East Tennessee State) - T13th of 15 Franklin Street Partners Invitational (North Carolina) - 8th of 9 Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic (Duke) - 12th of 14 Xavier: This will be the fifth and final tournament of the fall for the Musketeers, and will be the third contest in which they will be competing with Memphis. Their best finish so far was a second place performance at the Memphis Intercollegiate where they finished second to the Tigers. Xavier has had three different top finishers in each of its four tournaments. Jason Kokrak has been their top finisher twice, while their best finisher was Neal Grusczynski in second in Memphis. Finishes: Radrick Farms Intercollegiate (Michigan) - 6th of 14 Notre Dame Invitational (Notre Dame) - 7th of 15 Memphis Intercollegiate (Memphis) - 2nd of 16 Xavier Invitational (Xavier) - T5th of 19 Other Tournament Field Facts - Seven of the teams in the field, including Memphis, played in the tournament last year. They included defending champion Minnesota, Ohio State, UNC-Wilminton, Purdue, Tulsa, and Virginia Tech. - Five teams, those being Memphis, Michigan State, Duke, Minnesota, and Purdue, are ranked the Golfweek Top 25. Those same five are also ranked in the Golfstat Top 25. The Course The Country Club of Landfall Jack Nicklaus Course was designed by the "Golden Bear" himself and opened in 1990. The par 72, 6,948 yard, private course consists of bent grass greens and bermuda grass fairways. It can be a difficult course at times due to the many wetlands coming into play on several holes. There is water on parts of 15 of the 18 holes consisting of both saltwater and freshwater marshes. There are rolling oak and pine lined fairways and at some bluffs areas on the course, the Atlantic Ocean is visible. Most holes present the opportunity for a roll-on approach shot. Tigers Freshmen Ranked Near the Top in Country The Memphis freshman class is currently ranked fourth in the country in Golfstat's Top 25 Freshman Class Impact Rankings. This ranking attempts to measure the contributions of freshmen to the team's overall success. Memphis, which has had two freshmen, Keven Fortin-Simard and Andy Shiels, in its lineup for its first three tournaments, has a relative strength ranking of 381.057 out of a possible 1000 and Fortin-Simard and Shiels are averaging a combined 71.61 stroke average per round. Quartet Ranked in Golfstat Cup Top 250 Four Memphis golfers are also ranked in the top 250 standings for the Golfstat Cup. Keven Fortin-Simard is ranked #50, 2.684 strokes out of first place in adjusted average. Both Justin Miers and Andy Shiels are ranked #144, 3.684 strokes out of first. Allan Thomas is ranked #162, 3.796 stokes behind. The Golfstat Cup is awarded every year to the individual with the lowest stroke average per round of golf. The rankings are adjusted to take into account par and conditions. Players must have played in at least 20 rounds by the end of the season and cannot have been disqualified or withdrawn from more than one stroke play tournament during the season. Past winners of the Golfstat Cup include Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Charles Howell, and Hunter Mahan. Memphis Climbs National Rankings With three straight tournament wins, Memphis has shot upward in the national rankings. The Tigers have risen to 13th in the latest Golfweek rankings and are 15th in the Golfstat rankings. Those two rankings are based on numbers and statistics. In the two polls that are subjective, based on voting, Memphis is receiving votes in both GolfWorld and Precept Coaches' Top 25. Based on the votes, Memphis would be ranked 27th in the Coaches' poll. Three Straight a First For the first time in the history of the program, Memphis has now won three straight tournaments. The only other time that Memphis had won even two in a row was back in the fall of 1990 when the Tigers won both the Hillman Robbins Memorial Intercollegiate in Memphis and the Dixie Intercollegiate in Columbus, Ga. The tournaments were respectively held on Oct. 9-10 and 19-21, 1990. Ironically, current head coach Grant Robbins was a redshirt freshman on the that season's team. Even more ironic, the individual medalist in both of those events was Memphis native Shaun Micheel, who competed collegietely for Indiana. The 1990-91 season was also the only other season in Memphis won more than one tournament in a season until this year. Nice To See You Again Memphis will see four teams in this tournament that they have already seen in previous tournaments. They are Michigan, Purdue, UNC-Wilmington, and Xavier. Up Next The Tigers' next tournament will be the beginning of their spring season. They will head to Houston to compete in the Rice Intercollegiate, hosted by Rice, on February 7-8, 2005. After that, they will have nearly a month off before heading to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands for the St. Croix Collegiate Classic from March 4-6.

10/27/04		Vogel's knee mending -- Safety impatient for surgery to heal (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 27, 2004 University of Memphis defensive back Scott Vogel, who returned to play three series last weekend at Cincinnati, dressed but did not work out with the defense during a Tuesday practice session at the Murphy Athletic Complex. Vogel, a senior strong safety, was withheld from the workout held at the indoor turf room to continue the recovery process from arthroscopic knee surgery. Vogel had surgery a month ago after injuring his right knee at UAB. He was in on about 20 plays during Saturday's 49-10 loss at Cincinnati before defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn removed Vogel as a precaution. He watched Tuesday's practice standing alongside Dunn. ''I'm just trying to get as strong as possible and be healthy so I can do everything I can to help my team against Louisville,'' said Vogel, referring to the team's next game, a Nov. 4 Conference USA matchup against the Cardinals at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. A gritty player throughout his four-year career, Vogel tried to push through the discomfort Saturday. But after Dunn saw Vogel limping while coming on a blitz, he ended Vogel's night. ''He said he saw me limp out there, and he didn't think I could react like I needed to, so he wanted to get me out of there,'' Vogel said. ''Obviously, if I can't do everything 100 percent, then they need to get somebody in there who can.'' Vogel missed U of M's home wins over Houston and Tulane while recovering from the surgery. Like most competitors, he hasn't been patient with the healing process. ''It's up and down, I have good days and bad days,'' he said. ''I'm just trying to fight back swelling.'' Another Memphis University School product, sophomore reserve defensive back Derek Clenin, injured his knee in the Cincinnati game and will be out at least three weeks. Not a Cincy fan Add Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams to the list of those who are not too disappointed with Cincinnati's departure to the Big East. For the first time this season, Williams was held out of the end zone in the U of M's loss at Nippert Stadium last weekend. The last team to keep him from scoring a touchdown was Cincinnati in 2003. In that game, Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury, one that forced him to miss the New Orleans Bowl. Against Cincinnati, Williams also was limited to fewer than 100 yards for only the second time this season. He gained 57 on 16 carries. By being held without a TD, Williams relinquished his national scoring lead. He had a 13-point average, but it slipped to 11.1. Williams is in fourth place this week.

10/27/04		Tigers slotted second -- Calipari unconcerned with preseason pick (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 27, 2004 Louisville was picked first. Memphis was second. Cincinnati was third. But with the balance in Conference USA, no preseason predictions are really worth their weight in hightops. Or at least that's what many were stressing Tuesday morning after the league's coaches released their poll. ''It doesn't matter,'' said U of M coach John Calipari. ''Where were we picked last year? Fourth? So it doesn't matter.'' Because C-USA finished with five teams, including the Tigers, tied for first last season, all bets are off as this season approaches. Louisville and Memphis seem to have the most talent and should battle for national recognition. But Charlotte is a trendy pick among some publications, UAB is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance, and Cincinnati has won eight of the previous nine championships. Then there's DePaul, which returns both guards from an NCAA Tournament squad, and Marquette, just two years removed from a Final Four. Add it all up, and that's seven schools that think they can win this league. If recent history is any indication, most of them will still feel the same way in February. ''An 11-5 (conference) record might win the league,'' Calipari said. ''We probably have seven or eight teams that are all good enough to win the league going in, and know as they start practice, 'We can win this thing.' Fortunately, I think we are one of the teams that feel that way. ''We don't think we are a dominating team in our league, that we'll just blow everybody away,'' Calipari added. ''But we feel, just like last year when we won our league, that we can do it again.'' In addition to the poll, C-USA also released its preseason all-league team, as voted on by the coaches. Memphis's Sean Banks, Marquette's Travis Diener, Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell, Charlotte's Curtis Withers and Louisville's Francisco Garcia made the list. A junior, Garcia was tabbed as C-USA's preseason Player of the Year. It's the second consecutive season the 6-7 wing has received the honor. ''He's the most talented wing player, before it's all said and done, that I will have coached at the collegiate level, and I've had some great ones in Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer and Tony Delk,'' said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who has already suggested this will be Garcia's last season with the Cards prior to an early jump to the NBA. ''Francisco just does so much. ... He doesn't have to score to be great, and that's what I call the complete basketball player, someone who, if his scoring is taken away by someone else's defense, he can still help a team win with his other skills.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 ----------------------------------------------------- C-USA men's basketball preseason poll As voted on by the league's coaches, with first-place votes in parentheses: 1. Louisville (11); 2. Memphis (2); 3. Cincinnati (1) ; 4. Charlotte; 5. UAB. 6. DePaul; 7. Marquette; 8. Saint Louis. 9. TCU; 10. Southern Miss. 11. East Carolina; 12. Tulane; 13. Houston; 14. South Florida. Preseason all-league team *F Francisco Garcia, Louisville, 6-7, Jr. F Sean Banks, Memphis, 6-8, So. G Travis Diener, Marquette, 6-1, Sr. F Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati, 6-7, Sr. F Curtis Withers, Charlotte, 6-8, Jr. * -- Preseason Player of the Year

10/27/04		Tigers camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		From the Finch Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg was back participating in drills Tuesday, which is always a sign that the Tigers are working shorthanded, and trainer Jennifer Bricker has her hands full. Tank Beavers, Almamy Thiero and Darius Washington all sat out the afternoon practice. Beavers has a strained knee, Thiero had a doctor's appointment for what John Calipari described as a non-serious lung ailment, and Washington had tendinitis in his knee. All three are expected to return soon. Washington, the Tigers' starting point guard, should be back today. ''I'll practice (Wednesday),'' said the freshman from Orlando. ''I'm OK.'' Away from the court The boards in Las Vegas have the Tigers as 40-to-1 longshots to win the national title this season. Duke and North Carolina are the favorites, each at 10-to-1. Louisville is 15-to-1. Cincinnati is 30-to-1. Mike Babul, who was on the Tiger staff last season as an assistant director of basketball operations, is no longer with the school. He is now an assistant at Youngstown State. Injury update Though some Tigers were held out of practice Tuesday, one who was not was Waki Williams. A junior college transfer, Williams had been sidelined all preseason by ailing knees caused by multiple surgeries. On Tuesday, he went through drills and looked comfortable, though rusty. -- Gary Parrish

10/27/04		Mens soccer gets revenge on nay sayers (Daily Helmsman)
		Ben Cowens contact October 27, 2004 Were you ever the last kid picked for the playground dodge ball game? Or the guy who was voted 'least likely to succeed' in his high school yearbook? Have you ever made a terrible first impression and weren't given a fair shake thereafter? Meet the Memphis men's soccer team. They know just how you feel. But now they're getting revenge. "It seems like everyone in the conference has been laughing at us for three years now," said Tigers defender Justin Dyer. "So now we're the ones that get to laugh back. "We just played every game with anger." That attitude has vaulted the Tigers from also-ran to big-man-on-campus, a development that has shocked everyone -- including the coaches. Before the season, the C-USA coaches got together and picked the preseason conference rankings, largely based on last season's results. Their conclusions? St. Louis would win the conference. Memphis was picked ninth out of 10 teams. Nostradamus they were not. Fresh off a 2-0 victory over the preseason favorite Billikens, the Tigers (10-3-1 overall, 6-1 in C-USA play) turn their attention toward another formidable task: upending preseason No. 2 UAB. More impressive than that victory over Saint Louis -- their first in 14 regular season tries -- is that these previously tepid Tigers are just one victory from a C-USA regular season title. The conference's ugly duckling is just one step away from laying a big, fat, golden egg. "The ratings never meant a lot to me as a coach," Grant said. "I knew what we did here last spring; I knew how close we were last fall. I'm just excited for the players. They've come through and put themselves in this situation." Still, even Grant acknowledges this season has exceeded expectations. The Tigers' initial goal was simply to participate in the six-team C-USA tournament for the first time since 2000. That's already been accomplished. Memphis is a lock to join the party in Louisville, Ky., this season. Now that goal has been modified: win the regular season crown. It won't be easy. The Blazers preseason placing proved prophetic, as UAB sits in second place, just three points behind the Tigers. The Blazers' (9-4, 5-1) are 9-1 in their previous 10 games. Led by current C-USA Offensive Player of the Week Leandro de Oliveira, they feature five players with three or more goals this season and lead the conference in scoring. In fact, UAB is top dog in all offensive statistical categories. Countering that potent attack, Memphis features a defense that has allowed the fewest goals (12) of any C-USA team. "We just worry about ourselves (defensively), said defender Gary Connolly. "Keeping ourselves disciplined, keeping well organized. We seriously believe we can take any offense." The Tigers can score as well. Forward Andy Metcalf and midfielder Dayton O'Brien pace the offense and have accounted for 15 of the Tigers 25 goals this season. In many ways, the Blazers' represent the perfect foil for a fairytale season. But unlike most fairy tales, the ending isn't predetermined. "You just really don't know (what will happen tonight)," Metcalf. "We beat (UAB) at their place last year, so I'm sure they'll be wanting to get a little revenge for that, but it's a lot more than that. "This is for first place in the conference." True, victory would assure Memphis the regular season championship and a first round bye in the tournament, but it's even bigger than that. Memphis has never won a regular season championship in 22 years of men's soccer. The Tigers would also be the lowest preseason pick to ever capture the conference crown. The previous low was no. 4 Marquette, who won the conference in 2002. Also, only two C-USA regular season champions have failed to make the NCAA tournament, the last being the 2002 Marquette team. But for all the dizzying statistics stacked upon his team, coach Richie Grant states the only statistic that matters. "Really, (everything) is in our own hands," Grant said. And if all of that sounds like a lot to handle for a team that was supposed to play doormat to UAB and the other conference powers, consider Dyer's evaluation of his team. "I knew we were better than that," Dyer said. "We have a determination to prove (the rankings) wrong." They've already done that' Now all that's left is to write the happily-ever-after.

10/27/04		Cincin-nasty: Bearcats break Tigers (Daily Helmsman)
		Daniel Ford Sports Commentary October 27, 2004 It would be really easy to bash the Tiger football team for their 49-10 embarrassment this weekend...so I will. What happened? That's the big question. Who should we fire? The scary truth is no one, not coach Tommy West, not the players, not the cheerleaders, nobody knows how it happened. Let this sink in...49-10. They were beaten by 39 points by a team that was demoralized by Army just two weeks earlier. I have to admit I wasn't at the game. Unfortunately, I had to watch the full tape Sunday night. I was at the Grizzlies game where the guy that operates the Jumbotron wouldn't put the score on the screen. He thought people might leave the game if they saw the halftime score was 35-3. So what is there to learn from a 39-point dismantling at the hands of Cincinnati? Memphis is not a good football team. At least not yet they aren't. The Tigers' Monday press conference felt like funeral wake. I guess that's only appropriate since they buried all hopes of a Conference USA championship Saturday. Hello GMAC Bowl. Hey Tommy what happened? "They methodically just whipped us," West said. At least he's honest. No cherry on top this time. How'd that happen though? Some guys goofing off too much, not paying attention, bad practices, getting into the hotel too late? C'mon give us something. "I was really surprised," he said. "I didn't see anything like this coming." Blindsided. For the Tigers, the game sort of resembled a Pringles commercial. "Once it got started we couldn't stop it." I wonder what the film session Sunday was like. It must have been torture going over that game play by play - even worse than watching Kangaroo Jack. Did they at least learn something? "They were pretty quiet." If they saw the same game I did then they should've learned the following. The secondary is not the problem on defense. The defense is the problem on defense. The offensive line is about as sturdy as a wet paper bag. If you've got a back like DeAngelo Williams and you can only get him 56 yards something is very wrong. "Nobody played well," said West, who did note he thought the kicker, Stephen Gostkowski, was the only player who did his job. "Outside of that, I don't think anybody really played well." That's true. There were many other weak spots, but this is only a 500-word column. Maybe the most telling stat is the fact that Memphis only turned the ball over one time. They were beaten so badly that they only had one turnover and lost by almost 40. Instead of turning the ball over they turned stomachs. So what's next? The No. 1 rated passer in the nation in Stefan LeFors. The No. 2 offense in the nation and the no. 13 defense in the nation in Louisville. My prediction is that the game film from that night will have an R-rating, as in Rout.

10/26/04		Volleyball Races to Three Game Win Over Middle Tennessee -- Tigers return to winning ways in non-conference action (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - MIDDLE TENNESSEE (12-11) 23 20 27 MEMPHIS (21-7) 30 30 30 Memphis volleyball returned to the winner's circle with a sweep of in-state opponent Middle Tennessee (30-23, 30-20, 30-27) Tuesday in non-conference action at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Nancy Nellans led the Tigers, who improve to 21-7, with 13 kills and 14 digs. Middle Tennessee falls to 12-11 with the loss. Game one saw Memphis get off to a slow start, falling behind 14-7. A pair of service aces by Christen Clayton powered a 7-1 run that put the Tigers ahead for good 15-14. A 6-0 Memphis run, fueled by four consecutive Blue Raiders attack errors gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 28-21. Memphis outscored Middle Tennessee 23-9 after the 14-7 start. Memphis maintained the momentum in the second frame, controlling play with a six point lead just more than halfway through the game. A service ace by Tiara Gilkey capped a 5-0 Tiger surge that put the game out of reach at 29-17. Gilkey put down five of her 11 kills in the second game as Memphis down 18 kills and hit .407 to take command of the match. Memphis took control of the third and final game with a 6-1 run that gave them a 15-12 cushion. The Tigers never led by more than four the entire match before closing the win out with a 30-27 triumph. Ashley Liford put down 12 kills for Memphis, while fellow freshman Shelby Burton had seven kills and hit .455. Heather Watts posted a match-high 41 assists. The Tigers finished with 10 aces The Tiger defense showed its improvement with seven blocks, led by Melissa Nance's four block assists. Christen Clayton had eight digs to compliment Nellans' match-high 14. "We did a good job of regaining control in the first game," said head coach Carrie Yerty. "Christen Clayton brought us back into the game with her serving and we continued to serve aggressively all night. We did a good job of following our game plan. Shelby (Burton) and Nancy (Nellans) did great jobs at helping stabilizing our offense and we played solid defense. It was just a solid all around performance for us tonight." Memphis will now prepare for an important C-USA battle for third place with Marquette on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tigers will then host DePaul on Saturday, also at 7 p.m.

10/26/04		No. 20 Tigers Host No. 17 UAB in Battle for First Place in C-USA -- Memphis aims for sixth-straight win at home (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis men's soccer team moved to its highest national ranking of the year coming in at No. 20 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's national rankings on Tuesday. Memphis also entered the week ranked in two of the three other national polls, receiving its first ever ranking in Soccer America at No. 23 and its first ranking since 1998 in Soccer Times at No. 23. The Tigers are ranked just outside College Soccer News' Top 30 at No. 31. For the fourth-straight week, Memphis ranks No. 3 in the NSCAA Midwest Region behind nationally ranked SMU and Creighton. In a battle for the No. 1 seed in the Conference USA Tournament, the Tigers (10-3-1, 6-1-0 C-USA) will host No. 17 UAB (9-4-0, 5-1-0 C-USA) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. If Memphis wins the game, it will guarantee a first place position in the conference regular season final standings. The Tigers only need a win or loss or tie by Cincinnati to lock up at least second place in the regular season and assure a first round bye in the C-USA Tournament held in Louisville on Nov. 11-14. Only one team outside the No. 1 and No. 2 seed has ever won the conference tournament and that was Saint Louis in 1997. Only two teams who haven't at least claimed a share of the conference regular season title have won the conference tournament, Saint Louis in 1997 and 1995. The Blazers are second in the conference with a 5-1-0 record and have won three straight. However, UAB has only won one away game and is 1-3 in away games on the year while posting a 7-0 home record. Memphis is 6-1-0 at home this year and has won five-straight home matches. The Tigers are 12-11-0 all-time against UAB and have outscored them 47-39. The first meeting between the two schools came in 1982 with Memphis losing 2-3. Last year the Tigers shut out the Blazers 1-0 in Alabama. In the past five games, Memphis has posted a 2-3-0 record against UAB. The Tigers are 4-5 at home against the Blazers and have a four-game losing streak against UAB since beating them 2-1 in the Great Midwest Tournament in Memphis in 1993.

10/26/04		Tigers Picked To Finish Second In Preseason Conference USA Basketball Poll -- Sean Banks named to league's preseason All-Conference Team (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - The University of Memphis Tiger basketball squad has been picked to finish second in Conference USA for the 2004-05 campaign, in a vote by the league's coaches that was released by the conference office Tuesday. Sophomore Sean Banks was selected to All-Conference USA preseason squad. The Tigers won a share of the 2003-04 Conference USA regular season title, marking the first time the program had done so since 1995-96. Memphis posted a 22-8 overall record and a 12-4 league mark last year. The Tigers received a second-straight NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the second round, where they fell to eventual Final Four participant Oklahoma State. Banks, the 2003-04 C-USA Freshman of the Year, was the lone Tiger selected to this year's preseason All-C-USA squad. Last year, Memphis had no players named to the preseason squad, but Banks and Antonio Burks, the 2003-04 Conference USA Player of the Year, were selected to the All-C-USA first team last March. The ESPN.com National Freshman of the Year, Banks led the Tigers in scoring (17.4 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg) and free throw percentage (.725). He ranked among Conference USA leaders in scoring, rebounding, three-point field goal percentage, blocked shots and three-pointers made per game. His 20.3 scoring average in Conference USA games only led the league. Banks was also named to The Sporting News, Basketball Times and CollegeInsider.com National Freshman All-America squads. The Tigers, which received two first-place votes in the polling, was second behind Louisville, which garnered 11 first-place votes. Cincinnati was third with one first-place vote. Rounding out the top five were Charlotte in fourth and UAB in fifth. Louisville's Francisco Garcia was picked as Conference USA's preseason Player of the Year. Joining Banks and Garcia on the preseason All-C-USA team were Marquette's Travis Diener, Charlotte's Curtis Withers and Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell. The following are the preseason picks: 2004-05 Conference USA Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Louisville (11) 192 2. Memphis (2) 172 3. Cincinnati (1) 171 4. Charlotte 148 5. UAB 136 6. DePaul 122 7. Marquette 120 8. Saint Louis 93 9. TCU 88 10. Southern Miss 65 11. East Carolina 55 12. Tulane 41 13. Houston 29 14. USF 25 (#) designates first place votes Preseason All-League Team *Francisco Garcia, Louisville, F, 6-7, Jr., Bronx, N.Y. Sean Banks, Memphis, F, 6-8, So., Englewood, N.J. Travis Diener, Marquette, G, 6-1, Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis. Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati, F, 6-7, Sr., Carrollton, Texas Curtis Withers, Charlotte, F, 6-8, Jr., Charlotte, N.C. * - Preseason Player of the Year

10/26/04		DeAngelo Williams Makes the Cut for Hossman Trophy -- U of M back one of 17 finalists for the award (GoTigersGo.com)
		COLUMBUS, OHIO - University of Memphis junior tailback DeAngelo Williams has made the list of 17 finalists for the Hossman Trophy as released today by the Hossman Football Club of Columbus. Williams is the only Conference USA player listed as a finalist. The Hossman Trophy is presented annually to the National Player of the Year in College Football that has demonstrated outstanding athletic skill regardless of position. The award winner will be determined by The Hossman Football Club of Columbus (Ohio). Voters for all Hossman Football Club collegiate awards include members of the Hossman Football Club, Division I-A head coaches, and select sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country. Last year's winner was Larry Fitzgerald of the University of Pittsburgh. The 2004 Hossman Trophy Award Finalists are: J.J. Arrington -- California Cedric Benson - Texas Reggie Bush - USC Jason Campbell - Auburn Braylon Edwards - Michigan Erasmus James - Wisconsin Derrick Johnson - Texas Matt Leinart - USC Reggie McNeal - Texas A&M Vernand Morency - Oklahoma State Mike Nugent - Ohio State Kyle Orton - Purdue Aaron Rodgers - Cal Alex Smith - Utah Andrew Walter - Arizona State Jason White - Oklahoma DeAngelo Williams - Memphis

10/26/04		Tigers see it again: careen and collapse in Cincinnati (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 26, 2004 Given an option, it's likely the University of Memphis football team would have welcomed another opportunity to watch "Friday Night Lights," the drama based on H.G. Bissinger's book about football's skewed priority at an Odessa, Texas, high school. Instead the Tigers. who saw the movie Friday, were treated Sunday to a horror flick. They were forced to relive Saturday's 49-10 Conference USA loss at Cincinnati. At Monday's press conference on the U of M campus, Tiger coach Tommy West provided some answers for the media, who like West, were trying to ascertain how one of Conference USA's preseason favorites could look so anemic in each phase of the game. The Tiger offense, one of the nation's best, was held 272 yards below its average. The Tiger rush defense, ranked first in the conference allowing 86 yards per game, gave up 242. And the Tiger special teams yielded 22 yards per punt return to a Cincinnati unit that had been averaging 4.9. West said the only group that did its job was the kicking team, which got a 49-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski in the second quarter that, at least momentarily, halted Cincinnati's momentum. It was, West said Monday, something he had never experienced on a college football sideline: total domination. "The thing that tells you how bad (we) were beat in that game is that we really didn't have a turnover until late in the game (when the U of M was trailing 42-3 in the fourth quarter)," West said. "And we didn't give up big plays defensively. I think somewhere around 20 yards was the biggest play they had the whole game (a 26-yard pass completion). "They just methodically whipped us all over the field. We got beat physically, we got beat mentally, we got beat in all phases." Memphis (5-2 , 2-2 in C-USA) will resume practice with a limited workout today. The Tigers don't play again until their Nov. 4 home game against 14th-ranked Louisville. While an off week is routinely embraced by coaches and players, West said he wishes the Tigers were playing this weekend. "When you look like (we did), you want to hurry up and get back out there," West said. While he'd never experienced such a thorough defeat before, West said he had been part of administering several. He said last year's victories at Houston (45-14) and Louisville (37-7) were similarly one-sided. "Once it got started (Saturday), we couldn't get it stopped," he said. "There wasn't anything tricky about it. They ran the power play and the sweep, plays they'd been running and plays we'd been working on." Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams had a rare sub-100-yard performance. He was held to 57 yards. Quarterback Danny Wimprine struggled, too. He misfired on 13-of-21 attempts and passed for an uncharacteristically low 52 yards. Players on Monday remained somewhat stunned by the shutdown. "I ain't never seen anything like that in my life, where the defense was totally dominated and the offensive line was totally dominated," said Tiger receiver Darron White. "And DeAngelo didn't have but 60 yards rushing? That's almost crazy." Wimprine said he couldn't recall playing on a team beaten that soundly since he was 7. "In this league, if you don't show up to play, someone is going to surprise you in a big way," Wimprine said. "They were a good team, but I still think we were a better team. "It's hard to say that when you get beat that bad. It sounds stupid. But it's all about who is better that day. We couldn't get any spark, any momentum and they pretty much held us down all day." While West was concerned with his team's performance at Cincinnati, he's confident the Tigers will bounce back. After Louisville, the Tigers will play host to another conference favorite -- defending league champion Southern Miss on Nov. 12. Their November schedule ends with road games at East Carolina (Nov. 20) and South Florida (Nov. 27). "We'll respond," West said. "I really think we are made out of the right stuff." Monday, West wouldn't subscribe to excuses for the lopsided loss, particularly any discussion that his team wasn't ready to play. "If two guys are in a boxing match and one guy comes out and just starts pounding the other guy, does that mean the other guy wasn't ready?" West said. "No, it means he got his butt whipped that day. That's what happened to us. We got whipped." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/25/04		Volleyball Set For Matchup with Middle Tennessee -- Memphis looks to returning to winning ways (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis volleyball team returns to the friendly confines of the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for the first of a three-match homestand when they host in-state foe Middle Tennessee on Tues., Oct 26 at 7 p.m. Memphis looks to return to the winning column after dropping its last three matches, including a pair of five-game losses to Ole Miss and Cincinnati. The Tigers have struggled offensively as of late, hitting just .179 with 99 attack errors. However, setter Heather Watts continues to distribute offensive opportunities evenly as four Tigers average at least two kills per game. Tiara Gilkey leads the Memphis attack with 371 kills, while also pacing the defense with 302 digs. Middle Tennessee (12-10) is coming off of a weekend in which they knocked off New Orleans and South Alabama in Sun Belt Conference play. Led by Sun Belt Player of the Week KeKe Deckard, The Blue Raiders have won three of their last five matches. Deckard leads the team offensively and is ranked in the nation's top-20 with 344 kills, 5.29 kills per game, while Dara McLean checks in at 4.44 kills per contest. Setter Megan Sumrell runs the offense and is ranked nationally with 1,057 assists. Memphis outlasted MTSU 3-2 in last year's meeting. Gilkey and former Tiger Brittany Barnett each posted double-doubles to power the Tigers to victory. Memphis has beaten the Blue Raiders in two of the last three meetings and is 24-4 against them all-time.

10/25/04		Lady Tiger Basketball Picked to Finish Seventh -- DePaul picked to win Conference USA title (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Despite a 21-10 season, a second round appearance in the Women's NIT, having the three scorers back and with four of five starters returning, the University of Memphis Lady Tiger basketball team was still picked to finish seventh in a poll of Conference USA coaches released, Monday. "In terms of being picked to finish seventh, I think it's been eye-opening for our players, especially our upperclassmen since we have our top three scorers back," Head Coach Blair Savage said. "I think for our team, it shows that we need to go out and earn our conference opponents' respect." The Lady Tigers return their top three leading scorers from last season, four of five starters, a quartet of seniors up front and both players who handled point guard duties for Memphis in 2003-04. Seniors Victoria Crawford (16.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Jennifer Sullivan (11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Raven Rogers (9.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) all return up front for Memphis. Crawford was the 2003-04 Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year and was a third-team All-Conference USA honoree. Also back on the frontline is senior Kaneshi Hart, who returns after a one-year absence, to offer some experience in the center. Junior Latrice Booker and sophomore Megan Gooch will return after seeing significant playing time last season, while junior college transfer Jamie Bradley and freshman Marie Reid will start their respective Lady Tiger careers up front. Taking care of the ball-handling duties will be junior Tamika Butler and sophomore Devin Necaise, both of whom split time at the point throughout last season. Necaise led the team with 42 three-point field goals, the seventh-best single season mark in Lady Tiger history, while Butler is already sixth in career three-point field goals made with 55. Joining the duo in the backcourt will be freshman Jessica Hall, who scored over 2,900 points in her prep career, and Southaven's Gresh Gorman, another prolific prep scorer who the Lady Tigers will hope stretch the opposing defense with some range. DePaul was picked to finish as the Conference USA champion with 11 of the 14 first-place votes. TCU was picked second with two votes, while Houston finished third with one first-place vote. Louisville and Marquette finished in a tie for fourth, with Charlotte picked to finish sixth. USF was picked to finish eighth behind Memphis, while Cincinnati was picked for ninth. East Carolina, Tulane, UAB, Southern Miss and Saint Louis rounded out the final five in the coaches' poll. DePaul's Khara Smith was named the pre-season player of the year, and was joined by teammate Charlene Smith on the Pre-Season All-Conference team. USF's Jessica Dickson, TCU's Sandora Irvin, Houston's Sancho Lyttle and Louisville's Jazz Covington rounded out the pre-season all-conference team. Memphis will open its 2004-05 season with a Nov. 2nd exhibition game against the Australian Institute of Sport in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Season tickets went on sale last week and can be purchased by calling (901) 678-2331. Conference USA Pre-Season Awards 1. DePaul (11 votes) 2. TCU (2 votes) 3. Houston (1 vote) 4. Louisville Marquette 6. Charlotte 7. Memphis 8. USF 9. Cincinnati 10. East Carolina 11. Tulane 12. UAB 13. Southern Miss 14. Saint Louis Conference USA Pre-Season All-Conference Team Jazz Covington, Louisville Jessica Dickson, USF Sandora Irvin, TCU Sancho Lyttle, Houston Charlene Smith, DePaul Khara Smith, DePaul (Pre-Season Player of the Year)

10/25/04		O'Brien Named C-USA Co-Player of the Week -- Second conference player of the week honor this season for junior (GoTigersGo.com)
		Conference USA named University of Memphis men's soccer forward Dayton O'Brien its Co-Offensive Conference Player of the Week on Monday. The junior from Memphis, Tenn., assisted on the game-winning goal and scored the insurance goal in a 2-0 shutout of No. 20 Saint Louis on Saturday. The Tigers' win was their first over Saint Louis in the regular season after 13 prior attempts. The three points moved O'Brien into a tie for first place on the conference scoring chart this season with 22. He leads the Tigers with eight assists and is second in goals with seven. It is the second conference player of the week honor this season for O'Brien who was also named to College Soccer News National Team of the Week in September. It is the fourth time a Tiger has been named to conference player of the week this season. UAB's Leandro de Oliveira shares the offensive honor with O'Brien. De Oliveira tallied six points in victories against No. 11 USF (4-3) and crosstown-rival Birmingham-Southern (4-0). For the second-straight week, defensive player of the week honors went to Cincinnati's goalkeeper Mike Vessells who earned two-straight shutouts against No. 20 Saint Louis (1-0) and Bowling Green (6-0).

10/25/04		Stukenborg: Tigers hope to follow Bearcats' lead, regroup during bye week (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 25, 2004 It worked for the University of Cincinnati. The Bearcats bounced back emphatically from a lopsided loss, taking advantage of an off week. At least the University of Memphis has a reference point. The Tigers dropped a 49-10 Conference USA decision to the Bearcats Saturday night at Nippert Stadium, overwhelmed by a UC team that had been beaten soundly by Army two weeks earlier. Like Cincinnati, Memphis will have a bye week to regroup, recharge and, perhaps, re-establish the momentum it had built before playing host to 14th-ranked Louisville Nov. 4 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Tigers (5-2 overall, 2-2 in C-USA) won't want to spend much time rehashing Saturday night's freefall. It was a collapse on all fronts. The Tigers were ineffective on offense, defense and special teams, a rarity during a successful two-season run that has taken the program to its first bowl in 32 years and included a brief visit to the national top 25 rankings. ''I really do think (Cincinnati) came out on a mission to prove something,'' said Tiger linebacker Carlton Baker. ''We should now come out the same way our next game. They came out and played perfect, didn't make any mistakes and put points on the board.'' The Tigers trailed 21-0 after one quarter, 35-3 at the half and 42-3 after three quarters. An offense averaging 478 yards was held to 202. A defense that had shown improvement in back-to-back league wins over Houston and Tulane struggled, allowing touchdowns on Cincinnati's first three possessions. UC had 424 yards and 25 first downs. Memphis's key offensive players never got untracked. Running back DeAngelo Williams, averaging 147 yards rushing, had to fight for each of his 57 yards. Quarterback Danny Wimprine, among the nation's active career touchdown pass leaders, was limited to 52 passing yards and failed to toss a TD pass for the first time in nine games. And an offensive line that had allowed only two sacks in two games gave up two and had a difficult time keeping the pressure off Wimprine. It was the worst Tiger loss since the U of M lost at at Southern Miss, 45-3, in 1998. ''They outplayed us in every phase of the game,'' said offensive lineman Blake Butler. The Bearcats (3-4, 2-2) went 80 yards in 11 plays on their first possession. On their following two scoring drives -- both covering 40 yards -- Memphis special teams breakdowns aided UC. The Tigers allowed Mike Daniels to scamper 21 yards on a punt return to the Memphis 40 to set up a four-play scoring drive. And on UC's next possession, the Bearcats got a boost from a shanked, 20-yard Wimprine punt that went out of bounds at the Memphis 40. Four plays later, UC was up, 21-0. Later in the first half another long Daniels punt return, this one for 34 yards to the Tiger 16, set up a TD for a 28-3 lead. First downs were at a premium, too. The Tigers were 1-for-12 on third-down conversions, even though a majority of those were third-and-five, or less, situations. ''We didn't play good anywhere,'' West said. ''You better bring it every week or else this will happen to you.'' The Tigers will spend the next week and a half regrouping and preparing for the stretch run of their season. The next win makes them bowl eligible and would give the program back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time. Memphis has Louisville, Southern Miss, East Carolina and South Florida remaining. In addition to the Louisville game, the Southern Miss encounter also will be a nationally televised home game. ''There's still a lot left out there for us,'' West said. ''This was a bad loss for us, particularly because of the way we lost it. We weren't ready to play and we didn't compete as hard as I'd like for us to compete.'' Defensive back Scott Vogel, who returned after missing two games because of a knee injury, said people shouldn't be too quick to criticize the coaching staff after Saturday's debacle. He said the players have to execute and display a passion that was absent at Cincinnati. ''As a team, we've got to go find ourselves and figure a way to come back from this,'' he said. ''Our coaches can only do so much. They can only tell us what to do. We've got to get that desire back in our hearts that we've had before. We've got to come out and play with a lot more pride and a lot more passion.''

10/25/04		Upon further review (Commercial Appeal)
		Memphis (5-2, 2-2 C-USA) (no stars) Even in the worst of times, a 49-10 beating by a middling Conference USA team was cause for despair. The inconsistency that bedevils this bunch of Tigers could wind up putting a bowl game in jeopardy, especially considering how bad the defense is on the road. The good news is the Tigers get nearly two weeks to prepare for Louisville -- by far the best team on the U of M schedule. Next: Thursday, Nov. 4 vs. Louisville, 6:30 p.m. Tennessee (6-1, 4-1 SEC) HHH 1/2 Any time Tennessee beats an Alabama team -- any Alabama team wearing Crimson -- it's worth three stars. Give 'em a half more for a clutch defensive performance in the 17-13 victory. The offense, however, struggled to do anything positive, and the 63 yards rushing is a disconcerting statistic. Don't forget that UT needed OT to beat South Carolina in Knoxville last season, and this Gamecock squad is better than in 2003. Next: Saturday at South Carolina, 11:30 a.m. CDT MISSISSIPPI STATE (2-5, 1-3 SEC) H HH H By bullying Florida with a strong running game and efficient passing game, the Bulldogs pulled the 38-31 upset and proved they can compete in the SEC. Maybe the time off with injury was a blessing for QB Omarr Conner. He was 15-of-24 passing for 158 yards through the air and he added 50 yards rushing. The defense still needs work, but it's not hard to fathom MSU getting a few more wins this season. Next: Saturday vs. Kentucky, 1:30 p.m. arkansas (3-4, 1-3 SEC) H H1/2 Somehow, despite being outgained by 236 yards, the Hogs had a chance to win. But Georgia exposed the porous Arkansas secondary and the Hogs could manage only 12 first downs for the game. QB Matt Jones looked OK, which is good news. The bad news is the Hogs going oh-for-October for the second straight season. Next: Nov. 6 at South Carolina, time TBA ARKANSAS STATE (2-6) HH After spotting Louisiana-Lafayette a 24-0 lead, ASU made it more than respectable before falling, 27-24. That puts ASU at a disappointing 2-2 in Sun Belt play, with three games remaining. Next: Nov. 6 at Idaho, 4 p.m.

10/24/04		No. 21 Louisville Sweeps Volleyball -- Tigers hit .052 in second league loss (GoTigersGo.com)
		LOUISVILLE, Ky. - MEMPHIS (20-7; 5-2 C-USA) 19 21 16 #21 LOUISVILLE (18-2; 8-0 C-USA) 30 30 30 No. 21 Louisville handed the Memphis volleyball squad its second Conference USA setback Sunday in a 3-0 decision. Memphis falls to 20-7 overall, 5-2 in C-USA play. Louisville improves to 18-2, while remaining undefeated, at 8-0, in Conference USA. Memphis was led by Nancy Nellans, who finished with a match-high 16 kills. No other Tiger put down more than seven kills as the Louisville defense held the U of M to a .052 attack percentage, its lowest of the season. Despite such a low hitting clip, Memphis setter Watts put up a match-high 34 assists. The Tigers helped the Cardinal's cause by committing 33 errors on 134 attempts. Defensivley, Memphis got a team-high 11 digs from libero Christen Clayton, while Emily Steckel and Watts each had nine digs. Louisville pounded 45 kills in the three-game match. Lena Ustymenko paced the Cardinals with nine kills. It was the U of L defense that shined, recording 16 block assists against the Memphis offense and totaling nine blocks to Memphis' one. Candace Cogan posted 12 digs on the afternoon. Memphis now prepares for an in-state matchup with Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday, Oct. 26. Match

10/24/04		First Place Billikens Top Lady Tigers 3-0 -- Memphis Closes out Regular Season on Friday (GoTigersGo.com)
		St. Louis, Mo. - Saint Louis clinched the regular season Conference USA title on Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 win over Memphis, sending the Tigers to their fourth straight loss. The Tigers drop to 10-7 overall and 4-5 in C-USA play with the loss. The Billikens got on the scoreboard first at the 12:07 mark when Cassi Winchell scored off a pass from Dee Guempel, which came just after the Tigers narrowly missed scoring first. Shoko Mikami took a pass from Annika Moller and quickly turned and fired a shot at the goal, which SLU keeper Amanda Martin was able to jump and punch the ball and then haul in the rebound. On Saint Louis's ensuing possession, Guempel passed the ball into Winchell from the left side. Winchell then chipped the ball over an oncoming Isabel Briones for the eventual game-winner. It remained 1-0 at halftime. However, the Billikens made it a 2-0 game just 1:10 into the second half as Kelly Ferguson scored off a pass from Ellie Somers. Her low shot got past Briones and then hit the left post before going in. Winchell then scored her second goal of the game off an assist from Jamie Perry to make it 3-0 at 56:04. "We played pretty well in the first half even though they had the lead at halftime," said Memphis coach Brooks Monaghan. "We didn't play as well in the second half. We will need to play much better in our last game if we are to have a shot at the conference tournament." The Tigers were outshot 14-10 by the Billikens. Briones was pulled just after giving up her second goal. She made two saves and Natalie Haerens made one save and gave up one goal after taking over in goal. Monica Powell recorded a team-high four shots on the afternoon. Memphis did have six corner kicks to just one for SLU but was unable to capitalize on any of them. The Tigers will wrap up the regular season on Friday against Cincinnati at 7:00 p.m. at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Tigers will likely need to win the game to qualify for the conference tournament, which will be held November 3-6 at Saint Louis.

10/24/04		Nemeth Takes Victory at SEMO Invitational -- Memphis men's cross country team finishes second (GoTigersGo.com)
		Cape Girardeau, Mo.---Memphis senior Mate Nemeth took the victory in the men's race at the SEMO Invitational cross country meet on Saturday, while the U of M team finished second behind host Southeast Missouri. Nemeth, who has excelled in distance events in track, grabbed his first career cross country title, covering the 5k course in a time of 16 minutes, 17 seconds. Sophomore, Michael Mentz also had a solid race for U of M, placing third overall with a time of 16:29. Abraham Shaposhnik finished 11th overall in a time of 17:39, while Gary Nemeth was 26th in 21:18 and Jason Morgan was 29th in 23:06 to round out the scoring for Memphis. The SEMO Invitational proved to be a good final tune-up for the men's cross country squad as they prepare for Conference USA Championships Saturday, October 30, in Chicago, Ill. The C-USA meet will be hosted by Depaul University at Palos Hills Forest Preserve, with the men's race at a distance of 8 kilometers and beginning at 11:30 a.m. The Memphis women's cross country team will also compete in the C-USA, with their 6k race beginning at 10:30 a.m..

10/24/04		Bearcats say goodbye by routing U of M (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 24, 2004 CINCINNATI -- Maybe the University of Cincinnati's move to the Big East won't be the disheartening defection University of Memphis fans originally thought. Oh, they'll miss yelling at UC basketball coach Bob Huggins, and they'll miss heckling his bruising low-post players. But not having the Bearcats on future U of M football schedules -- and not having to contend with quarterback Gino Guidugli's successors -- may prove to be a blessing. Saturday night before about 4,000 at rain-soaked Nippert Stadium, the Bearcats, behind Guidugli, a strong rushing attack and an even stronger defense, dealt Memphis a pain-filled parting shot: Bearcats 49, Tigers 10. Guidugli, 3-1 against the U of M, passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns, while the Bearcats rushed for 242 yards and their defense held the Tigers to season-low 202 total yards. ''Ya'll watched the same game I did,'' Tiger coach Tommy West said to a sparse media contingent outside the Memphis locker room. ''We got wore out in about every phase ... it was a bad day.'' How bad was it? The Tigers (5-2 overall, 2-2 C-USA) entered Saturday night's Conference USA game against Cincinnati (3-4, 2-2) with an offense that was ranked fifth nationally in scoring, eighth in total offense and 10th in passing. Memphis was averaging 39.5 points, 478 yards and 283 passing yards per game. What the Tigers produced -- 10, 202 and 113 -- added up to the worst defeat in West's four seasons, worse even than a 48-10 loss at Cincinnati in 2002. ''It's my responsibility to have this football team ready to play,'' West said. ''I did not do my job.'' Cincinnati entered Saturday's game having allowed 554 yards to Army in its previous game, a 48-29 loss to the Black Knights. And the Bearcats brought a defense ranked near the middle of most C-USA defensive categories. But UC, which had lost three of four, played like anything but a team that was mired in midseason swoon. The Tigers didn't record a first down until the second quarter and had only two in the opening half. Running back DeAngelo Williams, the conference's leading rusher and averaging 147 per game, had 33 yards at the half and finished with 57. Quarterback Danny Wimprine, averaging 261 yards passing, managed but 52 and was 8-of-21. Funny how Memphis seems to brings out the best in the Bearcats. ''This was a great win for us,'' said UC coach Mark Dantonio. ''It was our best game here by far. They came into the game leading the conference giving up 80 yards (rushing) and we got 242. That's execution .... we needed to be able to run the football and I thought our running backs did a good job.'' Richard Hall rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and Brad Glatthaar, Mike Daniels and Butler Benton combined for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts. And Guidugli, who directed a last-second win at Memphis in 2001, was efficient from the outset, completing his first seven passes for 97 yards en route to a 21-0 UC lead. He finished 13-of-18 and was not intercepted. Saturday's dominating display by the Bearcats came as a shock to a Tiger team that entertained thoughts -- before the kickoff -- of entering their next game (Nov. 4 against C-USA co-leader Louisville) on a three-game win streak. ''It's embarrassing to talk about, it's going to be embarrassing to watch the film (today),'' Wimprine said. ''There's a lot of stuff we left out on the field. They are a pretty good team, but there's no way in the world that team should come out and beat us like that.'' It was particularly discouraging performance for a defense that has struggled on the road. Cincinnati averaged 5.5 yards per play, converted 8-of-14 third downs and controlled the clock: 37 minutes to Memphis's 23. ''We weren't expecting that at all,'' said Tiger linebacker Tim Goodwell. ''You never expect something like that. We all just played terrible. I played the worst game I've ever played and we just couldn't come together. ''It's hard. Right now all we feel is embarrassed.'' Before Memphis could catch its collective breath, the rested Bearcats had a 21-0 lead. Cincinnati, which did not play last weekend, scored on each of its first three possessions, a stretch in which the UC defense held Memphis to 11 yards. The Bearcats took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 11 plays. Guidugli completed passes to four different receivers on the drive and UC scored on Hall's 3-yard run. After stopping Memphis, UC required only four plays to go up, 14-0. Guidugli zipped a pass to Antwan Giddens, whose first career reception resulted in a 22-yard TD. And after UC again stopped Memphis, the Bearcats put together another four-play drive which ended on a 19-yard scoring pass to Hall. On the play Guidugli patiently waited for a rush from the left side to close in before turning and dumping a short pass to Hall, who scampered the 19 yards for a 21-0 lead with 2:39 to go in the opening quarter. The Tigers got their only points of the half early in the second quarter when Stephen Gostkowski connected from 49 yards out. It was the second-longest field goal of his career. The drive stalled on fourth-and-4 from the UC 42, but a fake punt resulted in a 6-yard pass from Bobby Robison to Maurice Avery. Cincinnati scored twice in the final seven minutes of the half to go up 35-3. After a 34-yard punt return by Daniels to the Memphis 16, UC needed six plays -- including converting on a fake field goal on fourth-and-4 from the 10 -- before scoring on a 1-yard TD run by Benton. On the following UC series, Bradley Glatthar capped a five-play drive with 5-yard scoring run. -------------------- Road woes Since holding Ole Miss to 115 total yards in the first half of the season opener in Oxford, the Tiger defense has struggled to say the least in games away from the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas State, UAB and Cincinnati:

10/24/04		UC blowout leaves both sides surprised (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact October 24, 2004 CINCINNATI -- By the end of the debacle, after the University of Memphis football team had done all it could to make Cincinnati look like a team that truly belongs in a BCS conference, even the Bearcat players were astonished at the absurdity of it all. Forty-nine-10, Bearcats. Before a grand total of (maybe) 4,000. Or, put another way -- the team that was 2-4 coming into the game, and off an embarrassing, long-losing-streak-breaking loss to Army, had dusted off the team that came in 5-1 off two blowout victories. At one point, Cincinnati receiver Hannibal Thomas engaged Tiger defender Tristan Thomas in a brief converation. It went like this: Hannibal: What's going on with you guys tonight? Tristan: I guess it's just one of those days. Hannibal: Yeah, we had one of those days two weeks ago. If there's anything positive for the Tigers to take from Saturday night's loss, that's it. With Louisville, a team that really does belong in the BCS conversation, coming to the Liberty Bowl for a Nov. 4 game on ESPN, the Tigers at least know there's a right way and a wrong way to respond to inglorious defeat. ''It's a good thing we've got a week off,'' said U of M quarterback Danny Wimprine, among the many Tigers who played terribly. ''We've got a lot of things we need to work on.'' From the opening coin toss, the Tigers managed to find misfortune. Coach Tommy West elected to defer to the second half and kick to Cincinnati. Seemed like a resonable move, especially considering the drenching the field-turf was receiving at Nippert Stadium. It took longtime Tiger nemesis Gino Guidugli, the 3-year veteran QB, 11 plays and 5:28 to make the decision backfire. It set the tone. The Tigers were deferential in all ways on Saturday -- running the ball and passing the ball, defending the run and defending the pass, kicking and returning. ''I didn't see this coming,'' West said. ''It was start to finish. I didn't see this coming at all.'' After each team had three possessions, Cincinnati had scored three touchdowns and outgained the Tigers, 151-17. This was the football version of Nick van Exel bombing threes, Kenyon Martin swatting shots, Steve Logan hitting ridiculous gamewinners -- all at once. Considering that the Bearcats had buried the Tigers, 48-10, in their last visit here, it was hard to fathom how flat the Tigers seemed to play. On top of that, the Tigers knew UAB had lost to Tulane, giving a boost to their now-wilting Conference USA championship hopes. ''You would think we would go out there with a little fire,'' Tristan Thomas said. ''And I remember that loss from two years ago. I would've thought it would be on everybody's minds.'' After two nice efforts in home games, Thomas and his colleagues on defense found themselves getting dominated once again on the road. In the last three road games -- against Arkansas State, UAB and now Cincy -- the defense has allowed an average of 490 yards -- and Cincinnati basically quit trying for the final 15 minutes, limiting its total yardage to "only'' 424 yards. Cincinnati was 8-of-14 on third-down conversions and Guidugli was a cool 13-of-18 for 182 yards through the air. ''It's just, I don't know,'' said Tiger safety Wesley Smith. ''We go on the road, and the defense is just not into it.'' Can you imagine what Louisville and Stefan LeFors might do? Can you imagine what Ole Miss might have done if Ethan Flatt had played in that opener, instead of Michael Spurlock? Though West knows many of his fans -- not to mention talk radio hosts -- will cue up the old questions about defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn's scheme, he is adamant that it has to do with execution and with players, not with the scheme. The Tigers finished in the Top 10 nationally in defense a year ago under Dunn, who declined an interview request after the game. ''Those people need to get them a team and run whatever scheme they want to run, OK,'' West said. ''We've got a scheme we run and that's what we'll continue to run. You know, it's been good enough and now all of a sudden we lose a game and it ain't good enough? So I'm not interested in talking about schemes.'' The good news for the Tigers -- there are 11 days to prepare for Louisville. And the game is at the Liberty Bowl, where Tristan Thomas and his defensive teammates hope to make it one of those days for the Cardinals. Time's a-wastin'. ''They got embarrassed two weeks ago and came out with fire,'' Thomas said. ''Now we've got two weeks. Let's see what we can do.''

10/24/04		University of Memphis Postgame (Commercial Appeal)
		Turning point It's difficult to pinpoint one particular play in a lopsided loss, but Cincinnati may have erased all hopes of a Tiger comeback midway through the second quarer. After Memphis had closed to 21-3 on Stephen Gostkowski's 49-yard field goal, the Tigers held on the ensuing series and looked as if they'd keep UC out of the end zone on the following possession. But on fourth-and-4 from the Memphis 10, the Bearcats faked a field goal and picked up a first down on a 7-yard run by kicker Kevin Lovell. Two plays later, Butler Benton's 1-yard TD run gave UC a 28-3 lead. Unsung heroes How about Cincinnati defensive end Trent Cole? The national leader in tackles for loss, Cole continually put pressure on Tiger quarterback Danny Wimprine, pushing past the U of M offensive line on several occasions. He had one of two sacks, only third and fourth against Memphis this season. Odds and ends It was an unproductive night for DeAngelo Williams, Conference USA's leading rusher. Williams, who entered the game with a 147.3 yards-per-game average, was limited to 57 yards on 16 carries. As a team, the Tigers were held to 89 yards marking the first time this season they had been held to fewer than 100 yards. Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson said he will miss the Memphis-Cincinnati series, which ended with Saturday night's game at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats will be moving to the Big East next season ending a series that began in 1966 and had the two teams meeting for the 30th time. ''I regret that we're going to be ending this series,'' Johnson said. ''Memphis, Louisville and Cincinnati have been through a lot together.'' Johnson chatted at length before the game with UC athletic director Bob Goin, who helped orchestrate Cincinnati's move into the Big East. ''As long as we are in Conference USA, we want to make it the best that we can,'' Johnson said. ''We'll need someone to stand up and replace Cincinnati and Louisville as rivals. Maybe it'll be someone like UAB and Tulsa.'' Tiger baseball coach Daron Schoenrock and his 13-year-old son, Erik, were among a contingent of U of M fans attending the game. Schoenrock, hired to replace Dave Anderson after last season, flew to Cincinnati for a recruiting trip. Schoenrock said it made for an ideal opportunity to bring along his son and attend the football game. Longtime Tiger assistant/athletic department employe Murray Armstrong, who currently serves as the program's facilities coordinator, did not make the trip. He remained in Memphis recovering from knee replacement surgery, which he underwent Friday. Armstrong, who has been with the program since the early 1960s, is expected to spend several days at Baptist Memorial Hospital before beginning a rehabiliation process. Armstrong has been unable to attend any road games this season because of his knee. In the area behind the north end zone, construction continues on a $380 million campus-improvement project, $100 million of which is being spent on athletics. The project is called Main Street and includes new dormitories, a recreation center, new locker rooms and other additions and renovations. Construction should be complete by 2006, according to UC officials. Much of the project is being funded by the state. UC athletic department had raised about $80 million toward the project. ''It's a tip of the hat to them,'' Johnson said. With rain pouring down before the game, a snowplow roamed the sidelines splashing water from one shallow pond to another. At kickoff, there appeared to be -- rough estimate here -- maybe 2,500 or so fans in the stands. When attendance was announced as 15,092, someone in the press box exclaimed: ''Where?!?'' Wimprine had another awful outing against Cincinnati, going below 100 yards passing for only the fourth time in his career (and twice vs. Cincinnati). ''I never got into any kind of rhythm,'' Wimprine said. He was 8-of-21 for 52 yards, with a long play of 30 yards to Darron White coming on one of his final throws. Wimprine seemed to be way off on most of his passes, even some of his completions. One pass, a slipscreen to Mario Pratcher, had huge potential, but Wimprine fired the short pass way low and Pratcher's knee touched the ground. Against Cincinnati last season, Wimprine was 8-of-26 for 80 yards with three interceptions. Memphis tried yet another combination on kickoff returns, this time going with backup running back LaKendus Cole and backup receiver Chris Kelley. They got plenty of practice, with Kelley taking most of the kicks. The field position was much better after kickoff returns, with an average start at the 21 and 145 yards off seven returns. One of the stranger moments in the game came after one of Kelley's best returns. Officials called the Tigers for an illegal block, naming No. 11 the culprit. That happens to be backup quarterback Bobby Robison, who does not play on the kickoff team. Up next The Tigers are off next weekend, but play next at home Nov. 4 against Conference USA leader Louisville in a nationally televised Thursday night game from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. It will be the last meeting between the Cardinals, a longtime rival and a team Memphis beat, 37-7, a year ago in Louisville. Audible ''Coach (Tommy West) told us they were going to be (ticked) off because they got embarrassed by Army. We've got no excuses. We've got to move on.'' -- Tiger linebacker Tim Goodwell. -- Phil Stukenborg and Zack McMillin ------------------------------------------- Go Figure 154-17 Cincinnati's advantage in total yards after the first quarter. The Bearcats had nine first downs to Memphis's none. 14-2 Cincinnati's advantage in first downs in the opening half, one in which the Tigers averaged 1.9 per play. 1 of 12 How Memphis fared on third-down conversions. The Tigers were 0-for-8 in the first half.

10/24/04		Tiger men's soccer team shuts down Saint Louis (Commercial Appeal)
		For the first time in the regular season, the University of Memphis men's soccer team beat the No. 20 Saint Louis Billikens, 2-0, Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Tigers came into the series 0-12-1 in the regular season and 3-15-1 overall. All three victories against SLU came in the postseason. It is the first time the No. 22 Tigers have beaten a ranked team since 2002. With the win, the Tigers improved to 10-3-1 and 6-1-0 in Conference USA while Saint Louis fell to 7-6-1 and 4-3-1. Memphis has locked up a spot in the C-USA tournament for the first time since 2000 as it regained its lead at the top of the conference standings. The Tigers also have matched their most conference wins in a season with six. "It was nice to get the win against Saint Louis, but what's most important is our C-USA position," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "The players treated this game the same way they did against Charlotte, DePaul, Cincinnati and all our other conference games." Senior goalie Sebastian Vecchio stopped all SLU attempts en route to picking up his fourth shutout of the season. In the first quarter, Vecchio stopped a penalty kick off the foot of Ryan Wileman. Junior Dayton O'Brien took part in both scoring drives, getting his seventh goal of the season on a header and assisting on the game-winner to Andy Metcalf. O'Brien leads the team with 22 points and eight assists on the season. Next up for Memphis is its last conference home game against No. 25 UAB at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Rose Soccer Complex. Roberts awaits NCAA ruling Mississippi State senior Lawrence Roberts is practicing with the Bulldogs while the NCAA completes an investigation into his workout with the Portland Trail Blazers before he decided not to enter the NBA draft, his mother said. Cynthia Roberts, in a telephone interview Saturday from Houston, Texas, told The Associated Press that while the Trail Blazers paid her son's expenses, the money was repaid when Roberts decided to return to Mississippi State for his senior season. She said the family voluntarily sent the NCAA all the financial records. "They provided him with an airplane ticket and a hotel room and paid for his meals," Cynthia Roberts said. "They (the NCAA) have had the receipts since the end of July." A Mississippi newspaper reported Saturday that Roberts may have to sit out up to three of the Bulldogs' opening games for accepting the money from Portland, even though it was paid back. Should there be any penalty, the newspaper reported, the minimum is three games or 10 percent of the schedule, according to NCAA bylaws. State's schedule includes 28 games. Larry Templeton, the athletic director at Mississippi State, said the school awaits NCAA's decision. Broyles: irregular heartbeat University of Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles has been hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. Broyles, 79, checked into Fayetteville's Washington Regional Medical Center. "Coach Broyles is resting comfortably and taking medication to normalize his heartbeat," said Kevin Trainor, sports information director. "We expect he'd be released in the next few days. This is not anything that would prevent him from returning to work." CBU volleyball falls The Christian Brothers Lady Buc volleyball team (16-8, 4-5 Gulf South) fell to Ouachita Baptist, three games to two. Individual game scores were 30-20, 28-30, 25-30, 30-24 and 15-13.

10/23/04		Memphis Falls to Cincinnati, 49-10 -- Robert Douglas runs for a touchdown in the loss (GoTigersGo.com)
		CINCINNATI (AP) - Gino Guidugli passed for three scores and Richard Hall scored two touchdowns to lead Cincinnati to a 49-10 rout of Memphis on Saturday night. Guidugli completed 13 of 18 passes for 182 yards with touchdowns of 22 yards to Antwan Giddens, 19 yards to Hall and 14 yards to Thomas Hanniba. Hall also had a 3-yard TD run and rushed 20 times for 79 yards. The Bearcats (3-4, 2-2 Conference USA) outgained the Tigers (5-2, 2-2) 424 yards to 202. Cincinnati rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns while holding Memphis to only 89 yards on the ground. The Tigers trailed 49-3 when they scored their only touchdown on Robert Douglas' 4-yard run with 2:48 remaining. Both of Hall's scores came in a 21-point first quarter. Butler Benton had a 1-yard touchdown run and Brad Glatthaar ran 5 yards for a score in the second quarter to help the Bearcats take a 35-3 lead at the half. Hanniba caught his TD pass from Guidugli in the third quarter and Collin Carey had a 3-yard TD run in the fourth for Cincinnati.

10/23/04		STATS - Cincinnati 49, Memphis 10 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis 0 3 0 7-10 Cincinnati 21 14 7 7-49 First Quarter Cin-Hall 3 run (Lovell kick), 9:32. Cin-Giddens 22 pass from Guidugli (Lovell kick), 6:19. Cin-Hall 19 pass from Guidugli (Lovell kick), 2:39. Second Quarter Mem-FG Gostowski 49, 12:07. Cin-Benton 1 run (Lovell kick), 6:24. Cin-Glatthaar 5 run (Lovell kick), 3:03. Third Quarter Cin-Thomas 14 pass from Guidugli (Lovell kick), 3:58. Fourth Quarter Cin-Carey 3 run (Lovell kick), 4:59. Mem-Douglas 4 run (Gostkowski kick), 2:48. A-15,092 --- Mem Cin First downs 10 25 Rushes-yards 28-89 59-242 Passing 113 182 Comp-Att-Int 11-25-1 13-18-0 Return Yards 1 84 Punts-Avg. 7-20.7 1-18-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards 4-34 4-35 Time of Possession 23:21 36:39 --- INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING-Memphis, Williams 16-57, Kelley 1-19, Douglas 2-15, Doss 5-13, Wimprine 4-(minus 15). Cincinnati, Hall 20-79, Glatthaar 9-47, Daniels 10-45, Benton 9-30, Sparks 4-14, Lovell 1-7, Carpenter 2-7, Jones 1-5, Carey 1-3, Guidugli 1-3, Murray 1-2. PASSING-Memphis, Wimprine 8-21-0-52, Robison 3-4-1-61. Cincinnati, Guidugli 13-18-0-182. RECEIVING-Memphis, Avery 4-28, Kelley 2-10, Doss 2-9, Scott 1-38, White 1-30, Pratcher 1-(minus 2). Cincinnati, Thomas 4-41, Hall 2-37, Jones 2-26, Ross 1-26, Giddens 1-22, Poland 1-20, Jackson 1-6, Murray 1-4.

10/23/04		Tigers Shutout No. 20 Saint Louis, 2-0 -- U of M captures C-USA tournament spot for first time since 2000 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - For the first time ever in the regular season, the University of Memphis men's soccer team beat the No. 20 Saint Louis Billikens with a 2-0 shutout at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday. The Tigers came into the series 0-12-1 in the regular season and 3-15-1 overall. All three victories against SLU came in the postseason. It is the first time the No. 22 Tigers have beaten a ranked team since 2001 when they beat a then No. 8 UAB squad. With the win the Tigers improve to 10-3-1 and 6-1-0 in Conference USA while Saint Louis falls to 7-6-1 and 4-3-1. Memphis has now locked up a spot in the C-USA Tournament for the first time since 2000 as they regain their lead at the top of the conference standings. The Tigers have also matched their most conference wins in a season with six. "It was nice to get the win against Saint Louis, but what's most important is our C-USA position," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "The players treated this game the same way they did against Charlotte, DePaul, Cincinnati and all our other conference games. It was a very exciting game, and for that you have to give credit to Saint Louis for constantly coming at us. They made it a big challenge." Senior goalie Sebastian Vecchio stopped all SLU attempts en route to picking up his fourth shutout of the season. In the first quarter, Vecchio stopped a penalty kick off the foot of Ryan Wileman. It is the first time a Tiger has blocked a penalty kick since 1992 when current Memphis women's soccer coach Brooks Monaghan stopped one. Vecchio had seven saves in the game and blocked four shots in the second half. "I'm really please in the performance by Sebastian," Grant said. He was definitely a key factor in helping us keep the momentum in our favor." Junior Dayton O'Brien took part in both scoring drives, scoring his seventh goal on the season on a header and assisting on the game-winner to Andy Metcalf. O'Brien leads the team with 22 points and eight assists on the season. Metcalf scored his fourth game-winner and team-leading eighth goal of the season in the seventh minute of the game passes from Cormac McArdle and O'Brien. John Reilly picked up his second assist on the goal by O'Brien in the 38th minute. Next up for the U of M is its last conference home game against No. 25 UAB at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The game will likely determine the No. 1 seed in the conference. Tickets for the game are $2 for adults and free for children 18 and under and students with their ID.

10/23/04		Volleyball Drops Five Game Heartbreaker at Cincinnati -- Tigers suffer first C-USA loss, prepare for Louisville on Sunday (GoTigersGo.com)
		CINCINNATI, OHIO - MEMPHIS (20-5; 5-0 C-USA) 17 30 30 22 15 CINCINNATI (15-7; 5-1 C-USA) 30 22 28 30 17 Ashley Liford led Memphis (20-6; 5-1 C-USA) with a career-high 18 kills and Tiara Gilkey added a double-double of 18 kills and 19 digs, but the Tigers bid to remain undefeated in Conference USA play and snap Cincinnati's 22-match home winning fell short in a 3-2 loss. Cincinnati used a 8-1 run to overcome a three-point deficit midway through the deciding game. Down 14-12, Memphis thwarted a pair of of match points chances for the Bearcats to tie the game at 14. The Tigers took a 15-14 lead and had a chance to win, but was unable to convert to end the match. Cincinnati then produced the final two points to win the match. "This was a great match," said head coach Carrie Yerty. "I am proud of the way we competed tonight. We had opportunities to win, but couldn't convert. Melissa Nance and Heather Watts played great. They played with alot of intesity and provided solid leadership on the floor." The Bearcats pummelled the Tigers in the first game, using a 16-5 run to finish the contest off 30-17. Memphis was held to a .000 hitting percentage on just nine kills in the game, while Cincinnati's offense pounded 19 kills en route to a .389 attacking clip. Memphis' 17 point total was the its lowest of the season in a single game, tying a 17-point output in a 3-0 loss to BYU in early September. Game two saw a different Memphis team come to the floor as they rebounded to hit a strong .356 with 22 kills, 11 more kills than Cincinnati. Liford and Nancy Nellans led the Tiger offense, downing six kills each. Memphis broke a 2-2 tie on a kill by Melissa Nance and never trailed the rest of the game. A 5-1 run gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead. Nellans capped a 6-2 spurt that put Memphis ahead 17-10. The U of M went on to win the game with its largest lead of the game, 30-22. Memphis played perhaps its best game of the year in the third frame, snatching a tough 30-28 come-from-behind win from the Bearcats. Trailing 25-19, the Tigers closed the match out with an 11-3 run. A spike by Gilkey followed by two kills from Nance gave Memphis a 27-26 advantage. The set saw two more ties before Memphis earned the win. The Bearcats controlled the fourth game and used a pair of 4-0 runs and a 3-0 run to take a 20-12 lead. They were able to ride the eight point advantage to a 30-22 triumph, sending the match into the fifth and deciding game. Memphis hit just .184 on the night, but had four player down double figures in kills. Nance and Nellans each put down 14 kills. Watts posted a double-double with 58 assists and 12 digs. Liberos Emily Steckel and Christen Clayton had 17 and 11 digs, respectively. 2003 C-USA Player of the Year Julie DuPont put down a match-high 25 kills to lead Cincinnati, while Rachel Torblaa also posted 20 kills. Memphis will now travel to Louisville to take on the C-USA leading Cardinals. Louisville is the reigning C-USA Tournament champs. Match time is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday.

10/23/04		Tigers, 'Cats going their separate ways (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 23, 2004 CINCINNATI -- They began playing each other in 1966 and will be meeting at 6 (CDT) tonight at Nippert Stadium for the 30th and, possibly, last time. The University of Memphis and the University of Cincinnati have built a football rivalry that has followed the programs through three conference affiliations and several stretches as a 1-A independent. But when the final horn sounds tonight, the Bearcats will be one snap closer to participating in the Big East, which UC joins next fall after being, along with Memphis, a founding member of Conference USA eight years ago. Memphis will remain in Conference USA, leaving behind an edge in the series (the Tigers own an 18-11 advantage) and four decades of memories, among them a recent stretch of painful ones. The Bearcats have been particularly troublesome for Tiger coach Tommy West, who is 1-3 against them (1-2 as a head coach, 0-1 as U of M defensive coordinator). Cincinnati ended the Tigers' bowl dreams in 2001, pinned West with the most lopsided loss of his Tiger career in 2002 and ended standout running back DeAngelo Williams's season in 2003. ''They are the team I like playing the most,'' said senior center Gene Frederic. ''They are the most hated in my heart, going back to that whole thing my freshman year.'' The Tigers (5-1 overall, 2-1 in C-USA) will be attempting to become bowl eligible tonight. In 2001, Frederic's freshman year and West's debut season, the Tigers had an opportunity not only to become bowl eligible, but to earn a long-awaited invitation. But Cincinnati rallied in the closing minutes behind Gino Guidugli, who tossed a game-winning touchdown pass with four seconds remaining. ''I was a backup tight end to Jeff Cameron that year,'' said Tiger senior left tackle Jason Johnson. ''I think everybody remembers that game. It was hard to accept because we felt we had worked so hard the whole year only to come up short like that. It really hurt the team bad.'' The Tigers recovered -- although it took a year -- and earned a bowl trip in 2003, ending a 32-year postseason drought. One of the more impressive late-season wins last year was a 21-16 victory over Cincinnati at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis trailed 16-14 after the third quarter, a period in which the Tigers had lost standout running back Williams to a torn medial collateral ligament. The Tigers battled back, using a late fourth-quarter interception by safety Wesley Smith, which he returned 38 yards to the UC 9, to set up Darron White's game-winning 3-yard run with six minutes left. ''I thought the best win we had last year was against them,'' West said. ''For some reason, they threw the ball to us at the end. It was a hard-fought win. We fought our tails off.'' The U of M's 48-10, turnover-plagued defeat at Cincinnati in 2002 may have been the low point of what has been an upbeat run for West in Memphis. The Bearcats built a 28-3 halftime lead and forced six turnovers to keep the Tigers from posing a threat. As for tonight's game, the Tigers are expecting another physical encounter from a team that will be motivated to reverse a midseason slump. The Bearcats (2-4, 1-2) have lost three of four, including a 48-29 defeat at Army Oct. 9 in their last game. Army's victory ended a 19-game losing streak. ''I know they are going to come out fighting because their backs are against the wall,'' said Williams, who leads C-USA with a 147.3 yards-per-game average. ''We've got to come out with the mentality it's going to be a physical game.'' Williams, who rushed for 136 yards before his injury in last year's game, said the Tigers played with such a mindset a year ago. ''We had to play physical,'' he said. ''We weren't recognized, or known, as an aggressive, pound-you-up-the-middle bunch. We kind of showed spurts of that against Cincinnati. It's definitely going to be a yards-after-contact game. They do a lot of stunts in the middle, and they'll come after us.'' Although the Bearcats have allowed 78 points in back-to-back losses to Army and UAB, West said his team shouldn't be deceived. Cincinnati's defense is led by ends Trent Cole and Andre Frazier, preseason all-conference selections. They are ranked sixth in C-USA in total defense, allowing only three yards more per game than the Tigers. ''Watching them on tape, I think they are probably as good a defense as we've played against,'' West said. ''They've got everybody back, and they were very good a year ago.'' Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio, a former Ohio State defensive coordinator, said the Bearcats have been respectable from a statistical standpoint. "But we're just not getting the turnovers," he said. "And we've had too many." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/22/04		Special Ticket Packages Available for Last Two Football Games -- $20 will get fans a ticket for both the Louisville and USM games (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis athletic department officials announced on Friday a new "Two-For-$20" ticket plan in an effort to fill the Liberty Bowl for the Tigers' final two home games of the 2004 season. Both of the games, November 4 against Louisville and November 12 against Southern Mississippi, will be aired on ESPN. Tiger fans can purchase a ticket for both games for $10 each. Sales of the Two-For-$20 plan will begin at the U of M ticket office at 8 AM on Monday, October 25 and will continue through Wednesday, November 3. The new ticket plan is available at the U of M ticket office only and will not be sold at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on game day. "We are expecting quite a crowd for both of our televised games", said Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. "Given the number of season tickets sold and FedEx's employee package, we are nearing capacity. But we would like the nation to see a full house when ESPN airs the games". The Tigers will take on Louisville on Thursday night, November 4 with kickoff set for 6:30 PM CST. Eight days later, Memphis will host the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Friday night, November 12. Game time for the USM contest is slated for 7 PM CST.

10/22/04		Early Goal by Marquette Enough to Top Lady Tigers 1-0 -- Tigers will look to break losing streak at Saint Louis on Sunday (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - Marquette scored the only goal of the game in the 20th minute and Memphis was unable to answer for the rest of the game as the Lady Tigers dropped their third straight game 1-0 to the Golden Eagles on Friday. The Tigers fall to 10-6 overall on the year and an even 4-4 in Conference USA. Heather Goranson scored the only goal of the game at the 19:28 mark. She was able to slip in between the defense and took a pass from Julie Thompson in the box with her back toward Memphis keeper Isabel Briones. She turned around after receiving the pass and then beat Briones one-on-one. Memphis had its best opportunities to score early in the game as they outshot the Golden Eagles 8-6 in the first half. The Tigers' best chance came midway through the first half when Shoko Mikami was taken down just outside the box. Memphis was awarded a free kick from straight away just outside the box, but that free kick by Susannah Dawells went high. Caroline Barrett also had two clear shots at the goal in the first half off centering passes but one was saved and the other wide. Barrett led the Tigers with four shots on the night. The Tigers outshot Marquette 11-10 in the game but did not have a shot on goal in the second half. Briones made three saves in goal for Memphis while Katie Bissen made two saves to record the shutout for Marquette. Memphis will have to recover from the loss quickly as the Tigers will travel to St. Louis on Sunday to face the first-place Saint Louis Billikens. Game time is 1:00 p.m. at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

10/22/04		O'Rourke One Stroke Behind Leader After First Round of Lady Paladin -- Sophomore shoots career-best round of 70 (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, S.C. - Sophomore Kathryn O'Rourke shot a career-best 2-under-par 70 to lead the University of Memphis women's golf team in the first round of the Lady Paladin Invitational on Friday. O'Rourke, a native of Holmes, New York, is tied for third, one stroke behind the leaders, Furman's Jenny Suh and Monique Gesualdi. The tournament host, Furman University, leads the invitational with a 287, while Memphis ends the first day in 15th place out of 23 teams with a 305. It was a rough first day for the remaining Lady Tigers with Stacey Tate shooting the team's second lowest score with a 5-over-par 77. Tate is tied for 61st place, while teammate Meghan Mahoney is a stroke behind her with a 78. Sophomore Cameron Barber, in her first tournament of the year, finished the first round shooting an 8-over-par 80. Memphis will attempt to regain some ground in round two on Saturday with the final round of the invitational being played on Sunday. Top 25 Individual Finishes Fin. Name School Scores 1 Jenny Suh Furman 35- 34 69 -3 Monique Gesualdi Furman 36- 33 69 -3 3 Fernanda Rivera USF 36- 34 70 -2 Whitney Wade Georgia 37- 33 70 -2 Kathryn O'Rourke Memphis 36- 34 70 -2 6 Line Cordes Coast. Car 34- 37 71 -1 Catherine Matranga TCU 35- 36 71 -1 8 Diana Ramage Auburn 37- 35 72 E Whitney Myers Florida 36- 36 72 E Adrienne White Louisville 36- 36 72 E Maria Hernandez Fla. Int. 35- 37 72 E Katie Davidson Ole Miss 37- 35 72 E Brittany Johnston N'western 34- 38 72 E Nicole Hage Auburn 36- 36 72 E Kelly Froelich Georgia 38- 34 72 E 16 Morgan Reich Winthrop 38- 35 73 +1 Adrienne Millican E Carolina 36- 37 73 +1 Abigale Shepperle Auburn 36- 37 73 +1 Heidi Helliesen E Carolina 37- 36 73 +1 Connor Atkinson Furman 37- 36 73 +1 Lisa Tyler Georgia 38- 35 73 +1 Stephanie Otteson UNCW 36- 37 73 +1 Angela Ricaurte Fla. Int. 37- 36 73 +1 Camila Gonzalez Florida 35- 38 73 +1 *Sarah Sturm Furman 36- 37 73 +1 Top Team Finishes Fin. School Scores 1 Furman University 287 -1 2 Georgia, U. of 289 +1 3 Auburn University 291 +3 4 Florida, U. of 296 +8 5 Coastal Carolina U. 297 +9 6 N. Car. Wilmington 298 +10 TCU 298 +10 8 Northwestern Univ. 299 +11 9 Louisville, Univ. of 300 +12 10 Fla. International 301 +13 11 Mississippi St. U. 302 +14 Mississippi, U. of 302 +14 13 Michigan State U. 303 +15 14 East Carolina Univ. 304 +16 15 Memphis, Univ. of 305 +17 16 Florida State Univ. 306 +18 17 USF 307 +19 18 N. Car.- Greensboro 309 +21 19 Minnesota, U. of 311 +23 Charleston, Coll. of 311 +23 21 Miami, U. of 313 +25 22 Winthrop University 320 +32 23 Appalachian State U. 339 +51 Memphis Individual Finishes T3 Kathryn O'Rourke 36-34 70 -2 T61 Stacey Tate 39-38 77 +5 T71 Meghan Mahoney 37-41 78 +6 T93 Cameron Barber 39-41 80 +8 T110 Bernie Rosero 39-44 83 +11

10/22/04		Annual Tommy Smith Award Presented to Justin Dyer -- Alumni and current players look back on the life of former Tiger Tommy Smith (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - At the fifth annual Tommy Smith Banquet on Friday, the University of Memphis men's soccer team honored senior Justin Dyer with the Tommy Smith Award. The award is presented annually to the Tiger player that most exemplifies high academic standards, dedication, love of the game and sportsmanship. Dyer joins current Tigers Andy Metcalf and John Reilly and former players Chris Schmidt and Nick Glaser on the list of honorees. The banquet is held in honor of former Tiger Tommy Smith who passed away suddenly on March 18, 2000. Smith played for the Tigers from 1992-95, cumulating 77 games and scoring 15 goals with 11 assists for 41 points. Dr. David Dietrch, one of Smith's former club soccer coaches, spoke at the banquet about what it was like coaching the gifted athlete. Dietrich is an assistant professor of psychology at Lambuth University and also serves as the school's goalkeeper coach. "It was a special night," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "I want to thank David Diedrich for his message. His words were very significant and very sincere. It was nice for our players to hear about Smith's experiences. Diedrich's talk was uplifting as it bridged the gap between our players and their time." The Tigers' four seniors, Dyer; John Reilly; Daniel Dobson and Sebastian Vecchio, were also acknowledged at the banquet for their commitment to the program during their tenure with Memphis. The Tigers presented each of them with a team picture. The soccer alumni weekend concludes on Saturday with an alumni vs. alumni matchup at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex at 3 p.m. The event is free to the public. Following the alumni game, the No. 22 Tigers (9-3-1, 5-1-0) will take on No. 20 Saint Louis (7-5-1, 4-2-1) at 7 p.m. Memphis is looking for its first win ever at home against the Billikens. Tickets for the game are $2 for adults and free for children 18 and under and students with their ID.

10/22/04		Tigers Return Home to Host No. 20 Saint Louis on Saturday -- Memphis looks to win first game ever against Billikens at home (GoTigersGo.com)
		After a three-game road stretch, the University of Memphis men's soccer team returns home to play the No. 20 Saint Louis Billikens at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The last time the Tigers have hosted a ranked team came in 2002 when they lost to a then No. 17 Saint Louis team, 2-1. The U of M has had a week to prepare for SLU while the Billikens hosted Cincinnati in a 1-0 loss on Wednesday. The Billikens had won three straight before losing to the Bearcats. The Tigers are 3-15-1 all-time against Saint Louis and have been outscored 43-16. The first meeting between the two schools came in 1991, with Memphis losing 6-2. Last year the Billikens beat the Tigers 2-1 in overtime. In the past five games, Memphis has posted a 5-0-0 record against Saint Louis. The Tigers have lost six straight to the Billikens. Memphis has never won against Saint Louis at home in six attempts. The first home matchup with the Billikens in 1992 resulted in a 1-1 tie. All three Tiger wins against SLU have come in post season tournaments; 1998 C-USA, 1996 C-USA and 1993 Great Midwest. The Billikens begin the season 7-5-1, 4-2-1 after finishing 2003 15-4-3 overall and 6-2-1 (T/1st place) in the conference. Saint Louis is led by Dan Donigan who is in his fourth season with the school, posting a 55-14-6 record. Saint Louis was picked to finish first in the conference. The Billikens are ranked No. 20 in College Soccer News. They are led by Preseason Conference USA Co-Player of the Year Will John, who leads the team and conference with nine goals, and Ryan Wileman, who has eight goals. With a 9-3-1 record, the Tigers moved to its highest national ranking of the year coming in at No. 22 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's national rankings. For the third-straight week, Memphis ranks No. 3 in the NSCAA Midwest Region behind nationally ranked SMU and Creighton. Memphis also entered the week just outside of Soccer Times' Top 25 at No. 27 and College Soccer News' Top 30 at No. 36. A Tiger win on Saturday would guarantee the team at least a fifth place finish in the conference. Memphis only needs an East Carolina or a Louisville loss to be locked in for the C-USA Tournament and one of the two teams is assured a loss this weekend as the two teams matchup on Sunday. The Tiger defense has only allowed 12 goals in 13 games. They are first in the conference in goals allowed, goals against average and points allowed. The defense is led by two seniors, goalkeeper Sebastian Vecchio and Justin Dyer. Junior Gary Connolly once again is strong in the backfield. Two freshmen, Michael Coburn and Mark Gourlay have been impressive and instrumental to the success of the team. The team surpassed its shutout total from last year with three. After only scoring six goals in the first five games, the Tiger offense has turned their level of play up a notch, hitting 17 goals in eight games. Memphis has now outscored its opponents 23-12. The offense leads the league in shots and shots per game. They are second in shots on goal and shots on goal per game and tied for third in assists. The game precedes an alumni game that will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The event is free to the public. Tickets for the Saint Louis are $2 for adults and free for children 18 and under and students with an ID card.

10/22/04		Tiger's 2004-05 Basketball Schedule (Daily Helmsman)
		Last updated October 22 Home games in all caps; times are Central Nov. 6 - CBU (exhibition) - 7 p.m. Nov. 8 - LEMOYNE-OWEN (exhibition) - 7 p.m. Nov. 11 - SAVANNAH STATE - TBA Nov. 18-19 - Coaches vs. Cancer at New York - TBA Nov. 23 - ARKANSAS STATE - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Nov. 26 - at Maryland (Mass Mutual Classic) - (ESPN2) - TBA Dec. 3 - at Purdue - (ESPN2) - 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 - at Pittsburgh (Jimmy V. Classic at New York) - (ESPN) - 6 p.m. Dec. 11 - OLE MISS - (WLMT) - noon Dec. 18 - AUSTIN PEAY - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Dec. 20 - LOUISIANA TECH - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Dec. 23 - PROVIDENCE - (ESPN2) - 8 p.m. Dec. 30 - EAST TENN. STATE - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Jan. 6 - at Texas - (ESPN2) - 8 p.m. Jan. 9 - SOUTHERN MISS - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Jan. 13 - MARQUETTE - (ESPN2) - 8 p.m. Jan. 15 - TCU - (WLMT) - noon Jan. 19 - at USF - (WLMT) - 6 p.m. Jan. 22 - at UAB - (ESPN2) - 1 p.m. Jan. 27 - DEPAUL - (ESPN2) - 8 p.m. Jan. 29 - at TCU - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Feb. 2 - EAST CAROLINA - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. Feb. 5 - at Houston - (ESPN) - 2 p.m. Feb. 9 - at Louisville - (ESPN) - 6 p.m. Feb. 12 - TULANE - TBA Feb. 19 - at Southern Miss - TBA Feb. 23 - at Charlotte - (WLMT) - 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 - LOUISVILLE - (ESPN) - 8 p.m. March 2 - at Saint Louis - (WLMT) - 7 p.m. March 5 - CINCINNATI - (ESPN) - 11 a.m. March 9-12 C-USA Tournament at Memphis - TBA

10/21/04		Melrose product Doss fills important role for Tigers -- Watching Williams has helped freshman's progess (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 22, 2004 As the University of Memphis gathered underneath the tunnel leading from the locker room to the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for its Sept. 4 season-opener, Tiger freshman running back Joseph Doss glanced into the sea of 61,112 college football fans. ''He always said at Melrose he played in front of big crowds,'' said U of M tailback DeAngelo Williams. ''But when he ran out of that tunnel at Ole Miss he looked up and said, 'Whoa.' ''He was kind of in shock. I had to tell him to get his head out of the stands.'' As the Tigers prepare for Saturday's Conference USA game at Cincinnati, Doss has his nimble feet planted a bit more firmly on the turf. Through six games, he has acclimated himself not only to the size of college crowds, but to the increased speed of the game. The result: the Tigers are developing a productive complement to Williams, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, and a contender for C-USA Freshman of the Year honors. Doss, who is 5-9 and 190 pounds, is coming off the best performance of his fledgling career. He gained 66 yards on eight carries in last weekend's C-USA victory over Tulane and caught one pass for an additional 29 yards. He averaged 8.2 yards per carry and had a long run of 22 yards. ''Last weekend it seemed like the game had slowed down tremendously,'' Doss said. ''I had a lot of long runs, and that's a credit to the offensive line. I really enjoyed it. It seems to get better as each week goes on so I'm just going to keep working hard and looking forward to moments like those.'' A 1,000-yard rusher and a member of the Class 4A All-State team his senior season at Melrose, Doss has gradually boosted his production. He has gained 100 yards on 19 carries the past three games. During that same span he has caught five passes for 51 yards. He said he credits part of his progress to Williams's knowledge and experience. Williams, as outgoing and talkative as Doss is introverted and shy, has enjoyed the role. ''He's definitely catching on a lot faster than I did as a freshman,'' Williams said. ''I've taken it upon myself to take him under my wing because when you come to college you've got to learn on the run.'' Considered one of the top running backs in the state, Doss gained nearly 2,500 yards his junior and senior prep seasons. As a senior, he caught 14 passes for 215 yards. Rivals.com ranked him the 10th-best all-purpose back in the nation. With the Tigers, he quickly joined the competition for playing time behind Williams. Doss is the team's second-leading rusher with 99 yards on 22 carries. ''He is running with confidence now as opposed to earlier in the season,'' Williams said. ''At first he was trying to do some of the things I do as far as turning the corner, bouncing it outside. "He said 'I can't get to the corner,' and I told him 'It will come with time.' '' Tiger coach Tommy West has repeatedly talked about Doss's potential to become a playmaker. As the U of M passes the midway point of what appears to be another bowl season, West is seeing Doss become the player he recruited him to be. ''We add a little bit more to his package each week,'' West said. ''And when you add a little bit more to his package, it takes a little bit of the load off someone else. ''The good thing Saturday was that between Joe and DeAngelo (who rushed for 132 yards), we got 200 yards out of that position in about three quarters. And that's not counting what (Robert Douglas) got.'' West said he has been impressed with the Tiger offensive coaching staff finding ways to get Doss and Williams in the game at the same time and not be in a two-back set. ''He has been basically lining up some at wide receiver,'' West said. ''But the time's coming when we're going to start running him down the field. You can't just line him up at wideout all the time and not throw him the ball. Teams are going to figure that out.'' They may have already discovered the threat he poses as a runner. Tiger quarterback Danny Wimprine says what he's enjoyed about Doss is that ''he's pretty reckless; he throws his body around and goes full speed every play.'' ''He doesn't run out of bounds,'' Wimprine said. ''He'll try to get that tough extra yard. For a smaller guy, you respect that.'' Doss is such an outstanding athlete -- he was a member of the Melrose 1,600-meter relay team that won the state title -- that he has earned the additional playing time. ''Joseph is very quick, he has some good moves,'' Wimprine said. ''He can stick one foot in the ground and get north and south very quick. He can make that one little move that'll make that first guy miss.'' West said Doss's emergence has strengthened a running back position that includes Douglas, a power back, and redshirt freshman Jamarcus Gaither, a former Frayser High standout. ''At the running back position right now we're pretty solid,'' West said. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 --------------------------------------------- Tigers at Cincinnati When, where: Saturday, 6 p.m. CDT, at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati. TV, radio: WLMT-TV (30), WMC-AM (790).

10/21/04		Missing action pains Tiger newcomer -- Previous knee surgeries keeping JUCO transfer Williams on bench (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 22, 2004 Waki Williams sits off to the side of the court, on an exercise bike, or even the floor. In between sit-ups and curls, he watches attentively, sometimes dribbling a basketball, sometimes chatting with a trainer. All the while, he hurts. And no, this particular pain doesn't have anything to do with his ailing knees. ''It's hard watching from the sidelines,'' explained Williams, a junior at the University of Memphis. ''This is the first time I've really ever had to do something like this. So it's hard.'' A transfer from San Jacinto (Calif.) Junior College, Waki Williams was supposed to come to Memphis and have an impact while adding depth to the power forward position. He still might, someday. But for now, the 6-9 athlete is rendered helpless and confined to the role of cheerleader with the first week of practices nearly complete. There have been five days of workouts. Williams hasn't taken part in one. Instead, he's watched like any number of onlookers who frequent the Finch Center, except Williams has an ice pack on each knee and a sense of doubt about his immediate future. ''I'm getting pushed to the back, but I can't control it,'' Williams said. ''All I can do is come back and work hard whenever I can.'' The source of all this is surgeries on both of Williams's knees in the past nine months. Though each procedure was considered minor, the effects are lingering longer than expected. He rehabbed well and seemed close to 100 percent a week or so ago. But after he played a few minutes at last Friday's Midnight Madness Festivities, Williams's knees stiffened and haven't been the same since. ''He probably shouldn't have played in Midnight Madness,'' acknowledged Tiger coach John Calipari. ''I wanted him in Midnight Madness as much as anybody. I said to him, 'You need to run up and down the court three or four times just to let these people see you.' ''That might've been a mistake.'' Either way, there is no real timetable for Williams's return, no real date circled for a possible comeback. When he feels like going -- and convinces trainers he can go -- he'll go. But even then, it's unlikely Williams will play pain-free, meaning he'd better take a page out of the book of toughness authored by Arthur Barclay, another Tiger who's battled chronic knee problems throughout his career. ''If push comes to shove, I'll play through the pain,'' Williams said. ''But I'm trying to take it slow so it doesn't come to that.'' With all this talk about chronic knee problems and playing through pain, it's natural to wonder if Memphis might consider redshirting Williams, which would leave him with two years of eligibility. After all, even healthy, it's doubtful the Ohio native would be much more than Sean Banks's backup this season, maybe a 10- to 12-minute-per-game guy. But with a redshirt, Williams could rest properly, heal completely and be ready for next season when, it's fair to assume, Banks might be in the NBA. A reasonable suggestion? Yes. A likely scenario? No. Calipari and Williams shot the theory down without hesitation. The former said he's confident Williams will catch on quickly and help this team win this season. The latter insisted he just couldn't stand a year off. ''I love the game too much,'' Williams said. ''I'd miss it too much.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/21/04		Tigers camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		From the Finch After practice Wednesday, John Calipari hustled upstairs to meet with some adidas representatives. After about 10 minutes, he returned and found his team running sprints. ''I like it guys,'' Calipari yelled. ''When I leave and you guys are still running, that shows me something.'' In the spirit of full disclosure, the University of Memphis basketball team wasn't running on its own. The assistant coaches demanded it. Still, nobody seemed willing to ruin Calipari's mood. He was pleased with what he saw, which was just an extension of what he already felt. ''Our skill level and fundamentals are not really good, our footwork is not really good and we have some guys who are rusty,'' Calipari said. ''But what we are is really big and really athletic, and I think we're pretty talented. ''And we're becoming a team, after only five practices,'' Calipari added. ''Believe me when I tell you, we were just a collection of players. But we're really coming together right now, so I'm happy.'' Away from the court The Tigers did not practice Thursday, which allowed Calipari to spend the day in New York at a function in connection with the 10th annual Jimmy V. Classic. The event, in honor of the late Jim Valvano, is a basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 7. Memphis will play Pittsburgh in the first game. Oklahoma State will play Syracuse in the second. All four teams are ranked in ESPN.com's preseason top 25 and have legitimate all-American candidates. Gerry McNamara and Syracuse are sixth in the top 25, John Lucas and OSU are eighth, Chris Taft and Pitt are 21st and Sean Banks and Memphis are 22nd. Tickets for the event will be available at ticketmaster.com beginning Tuesday. Injury update Senior forward Arthur Barclay sat out most of the Tigers' last practice, but that's no real concern. He simply needed rest, having competed twice a day for four straight days on his forever bad knees. -- Gary Parrish

10/21/04		Keys to the Game: Cincinnati Bearcats @ Memphis Tigers (Daily Helmsman)
		Ben Cowens contact October 22, 2004 Cincinnati Bearcats (2-4, 1-2) @ Memphis Tigers (5-1, 2-1) Series Record: Memphis leads 18-11 No free passes Bearcats' senior quarterback Gino Guidugli is not a household name, but he knows how to put up numbers. Guidugli is second in career passing among active Division I players, behind Timmy Ching of Hawaii. He's also been hot as of late, throwing for 850 yards and nine touchdowns in his last three games. This is bad news for a defense that still struggles against the long ball. The Tigers continue to hold steady at 114th (out of 117 teams) in pass defense. The key will be to get pressure without bringing the whole defense on blitzes. The Tigers' corners will not be successful if they are constantly in one-on-one coverage. If the Tigers can get decent pressure with five or six guys and keep everything in front of them, Guidugli will make mistakes. He's thrown eight interceptions this season. If Memphis lets him get comfortable, he'll add to his 12 touchdowns passes and keep his team in the game. Run, Run, Run the ball Head coach Tommy West has always considered his offense as a "pass first" attack, but this season the numbers tell a different story. Memphis runs the ball about 52 percent of the time. In the last two games, both blowout wins, Memphis stuck to the ground for 60 percent of their plays. Overall, in games where the Tigers ran the ball more than they passed, they are 5-0. The U of M's loss to UAB was the only game where they were predominantly a passing team. If Memphis is able to run to set up the pass, quarterback Danny Wimprine will be able to find open receivers and the Tigers productive offense can add to their 39.6 points per game average. Avoid premature bird watching There's a flock of Cardinals over the horizon but the Tigers better not start looking for them yet. Every Memphis Tiger knows a nationally televised date with Louisville on Nov. 4 immediately follows Cincinnati on the schedule. They also know that they shouldn't look ahead. Of course, that doesn't mean it can't happen. Memphis was caught looking ahead to UAB earlier this season and it took three late touchdowns to escape Arkansas State. Memphis must not let that happen again. Cincinnati is wounded and should not be taken lightly. Fresh off an embarrassing loss to Army, they have used their bye week to vent frustrations and prepare for Memphis. Chances are, Cincinnati will be fired up. They play well at home, too. In their last home game, UAB survived a 30-27 scare. Throw in that the Tigers are 1-4 in their last five visits to Nippert Stadium and you have yourself one big Tiger trap.

10/21/04		Dorsey ready for jump to college ball (Daily Helmsman)
		Daniel Ford Sports Reporter October 22, 2004 When you first hear the backup plan of the Memphis basketball team's biggest recruit, you're not quite sure what to think. Just in case he never learns Coach John Calipari's intricate system, Joey Dorsey might just take a walk over to south campus and strap on some pads. "The biggest thing for me is to have to learn all those plays Coach Cal wants us to learn," said Joey Dorsey, who at 6-8, 265 pounds is the Tiger's biggest recruit. "He showed us the Pistons playbook and it had about 46 plays and I was like, 'Oh man, I don't know if I can do this. I might have to go back to football.'" But hoops fans can relax. The former tight end and linebacker was only joking. His first joke may have come last week at Midnight Madness when the freshman's name was announced over the packed FedExForum as 'Joey' Dorsey. Just about everybody in the stands had heard plenty of stuff over the summer about an athletic big man named Richard Dorsey, but who was Joey? "Everybody's been calling me Joey since I was a little kid," he said, "But a lot of people still thought Richard Dorsey was a separate person." The confusion came from Dorsey's high school days when he was listed in the lineup under his real name, Richard, and not his lifelong nickname. The Joey moniker came when he was just a bouncing baby, literally. He jumped around so much that his family began to call him joey -- the name of a baby kangaroo. One thing that isn't confusing about Dorsey is his ambition. "I think I can contribute a lot to this team by getting a lot of rebounds and scoring inside," Dorsey said. I'm going to try and dominate the paint." Calipari said he doesn't want to change the freshman's game too much, but keep his job as simple as possible to get the most out of the Laurinberg (N.C.) Prep product. "He's 265 to 270 pounds, he jumps 35 to 40 inches, so you're talking about a true athlete, and what we're trying to tell him is to just do what you do best," Calipari said. "(I want him) to run the court hard, rebound every ball above the rim, grab balls with two hands, sprint up and down the court, when you're around the basket dunk the ball. I'm trying to make it as easy as I can for him." An imposing inside player like Dorsey may actually take longer to get acclimated to a college system than a guard would because they aren't always able to get by on sheer size and athleticism. "He definitely has the potential to give us that post presence that we need, but he's still got a lot to learn," said assistant coach Ed Schilling. "He's coming from a situation where he's been able to physically manhandle people at his position, but now he's going to have to be able to play within a system, so it's going to be a major adjustment." And remember that ambition, the drive and motivation that have Schilling and Calipari so excited? Dorsey definitely isn't lacking it. "I'm looking at coming in and starting as a freshman and contribute a lot. I'm looking to lead the nation in rebounding this year." About 15 rebounds a game, two blocks and 12 points. I'm good with that."

10/21/04		Conference-leading Tigers prepare to battle Billikens (Daily Helmsman)
		Kenny MacDonald Sports Reporter October 22, 2004 It's the only game of the week for the men's soccer program, but it's certainly a doozy. This Saturday, their game against St. Louis could secure a spot in the C-USA tournament for the No. 22 Tigers for the first time since 1998, or ruin their lead in the conference. "Huge" was the word that came to mind for Memphis' leading scorer, Dayton O'Brien. "Nobody on this team has ever beaten St. Louis," O'Brien said. "You've got to treat it like any other conference game but you also have to remember that it's St. Louis. You've got to stay focused." Focusing on the offense and defense is the team's goal against a traditionally offensive-oriented St. Louis team. The Billikens (7-5-1 overall, 4-2-1 in C-USA) have put down the Tigers in the last six meetings, and it's not just a coincidence. "That's been how the story goes," said Daniel Dobson. "They just find a way to beat us. We're focusing on everyone having a great game and having everyone play to the best of their ability." St. Louis is one of the strongest teams in the conference that normally holds the lead in all the national rankings for C-USA. This year, however, Memphis (9-3-1, 5-1) has the lead in the NSCAA Midwest Regional Poll. St. Louis ranks fourth, just one spot behind the Tigers. Memphis also leads in the conference standings, but their 3-15-1 all-time record against the Billikens, and the possibility of a secured spot in the C-USA tournament are just a couple of reasons for the nerves over this Saturday. "They have a lot of good players," said head coach Richie Grant. "It's something that St. Louis has always been good at -- a good attacking team. They've always been a good team and this should be one of the top games of the season." St. Louis' attacking team is all about taking shots wherever they can. They lost Wednesday's game against Cincinnati 1-0, but it was not for lack of trying. The Billikens out-shot the Bearcats 14-6 and saved two Cincinnati shots, but still came up short. St. Louis also incorporates a lot of corner kicks, taking twelve in the Cincinnati showdown. Grant said he expects a similar performance against his team. "You have to expect a tough game," said Grant. "You have to attempt to stop their strengths. Our attack is very good and our defense is better than it has been any other season." A good defense is key against the Billikens. Their leading offensive midfielder, Will Johns, holds the reigns of the offense with 22 points, nine goals and four assists. For that, he's one of the main players Memphis will be marking. Dayton O'Brien, following a winning free kick against DePaul, is now leading the Tigers' offense. O'Brien's goal is to put some heat on the Billikens' goalkeeper, but he said he hopes the defense stays as sharp as they have been. "We have to stay sharp on all sides of the field," said O'Brien. "As long as the defense stays sharp we should make it tough for them." The Tigers are not lacking in confidence, despite the threat Saint Louis presents. "I think in the past years, the trick's been that they were a winning team. They've had a confidence that only comes with wins. It's an attitude we get to take on the field now."

10/21/04		Men's Cross Country Heads to SEMO Invitational -- Final tune-up before next weekend's C-USA meet (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn.---The University of Memphis men's cross country team will head to Cape Girardeau, Mo., this weekend to compete in the SEMO Invitational, hosted by Southeast Missouri State University. The squad, which has competed in just one meet this season because of injuries, will use the meet as a final tune-up for next weekend's C-USA Championships. The team is expected to be led by senior, Mate Nemeth, who is coming off of a solid, 16th place time of 26:25.81 for the 8k Saluki Invitational two weekends ago. Michael Mentz, who finished just behind Nemeth in 17th place at the Saluki Invitational, figures to fill the team's second spot, with the squad likely rounded out by Abraham Shaposhnik, Jason Morgan and Gary Nemeth. The SEMO Invitational will be held on teh SEMO campus in Cape Girardeau. The men's competition will be an 8k race, and is expected to begin at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

10/21/04		Stretch Run Begins for Lady Tigers; Face Marquette and Saint Louis this Weekend -- Both matches critical for Tigers in C-USA race (GoTigersGo.com)
		Friday, October 22, vs. Marquette, 7:00 p.m. Mike Rose Soccer Complex (3,000), Memphis, Tenn. Sunday, October 24, at Saint Louis, 1:00 p.m. Robert R. Hermann Stadium (6,050), St. Louis, Mo. This Week: The Tigers play one road and one home game this weekend against a pair of opponents bound for other conferences next season. The weekend begins with a game against Big East bound Marquette on Friday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex at 7:00 p.m. Memphis then gets to play a game at the site of the upcoming Conference USA Tournament when they take on first-place and Atlantic 10 bound Saint Louis on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Looking Ahead: Memphis wraps up its regular season with a home game against Cincinnati on Friday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday at the same time but was moved due to some schools, including Cincinnati, needing to make up games that were postponed. Scouting Marquette: The Golden Eagles enter Friday's game with a record of 8-6-1, but a 4-2-1 mark in C-USA play, which puts them just ahead of the Tigers with nine points to Memphis's eight. They won a pair of games at home this past weekend against TCU and Houston by 3-2 and 3-0 scores. Meghan Connelly and Alison Loughrin each have five goals apiece to lead the Golden Eagles while Connelly has 15 points to top the team. Katie Bissen has seen the majority of time in goal for Marquette and has a 1.50 goals against average. As a team, Marquette has a 1.51 gaa. Scouting Saint Louis: The Billikens sit atop the C-USA standings with a 7-0-0 mark in league play after topping both UAB and USF this past weekend. SLU outscored its opponents 6-1 over the weekend. The Billikens have an overall record of 11-3-1 and have won seven straight heading into their game on Friday at Southern Miss. Saint Louis has outscored its opponents by a 28-7 margin this season and is holding is opponents to a 0.46 goals against average. Goalkeeper Amanda Martin has seen most of the time in goal and has a 0.37 gaa. Both marks are tops in the conference. Offensively, Dee Guempel has 21 points on seven goals and seven assists to lead the Billikens. She is one of just four players that have 10 or more points on the team. The Coaches: Brooks Monaghan (Memphis, 1994) is in his fifth year as head coach of the Lady Tigers. He holds a career record of 38-48-5 during his time with the Tigers. Prior to becoming the head coach, he served as the goalkeepers coach for the Lady Tigers from 1996-99. He has been a part of the Lady Tiger program for all but one year of its existence, that being the first year of the program in 1995. Under his guidance in his first year as goalkeepers coach, the team's gaa dropped by nearly an entire goal, from 2.74 to 1.77. Monaghan is the all-time leader in shutouts (24) and goals against average (1.40) for the Memphis men's soccer program, which he played for from 1992-94. Markus Roeders (UNC-Ashville, 1990) is in his ninth season as head coach at Marquette, where he holds a career record of 129-51-15. He has led the Golden Eagles to seven C-USA title game appearances, four NCAA Tournament berths, and two NCAA Tournament wins. He was named C-USA Coach of the Year twice. Marquette has won three regular season conference titles and two tournament titles under his guidance. Tim Champion (Harris-Stowe College, 1979) is in his ninth year as head coach at Saint Louis and is the only coach the program has ever had. He holds a career record of 163-69-22 in this, his 12th season as a head coach. At SLU, he has a record of 103-55-18. He has led the Billikens to a regular season C-USA championship in 2000 and a berth in tournament title game last year. UM All-Time vs. Marquette: The Tigers are 0-9 all-time against the Golden Eagles. The last two games in the series, last year and in 2001, have been decided by one goal. UM All-Time vs. Saint Louis: Memphis holds a 2-5 record in the series against Saint Louis. Memphis has lost the last four meetings and has not scored a goal in the last two. The last win in the series for the Tigers came in 1998. The teams did not meet last season. Trying for Another First: For the third time this year, Memphis will attempt to knock off an opponent for the first time ever when they take on Marquette this Friday. The Tigers have never beaten the Golden Eagles. Memphis picked up its first-ever wins in program history against Houston and Charlotte earlier this year. Not a Good Weekend: For the first time this year, Memphis lost back-to-back games this weekend to USF and UAB. The Tigers have three games remaining in the regular season. With two wins in these final three, they will set a school record for wins. Defense Stutters: After giving up just four first-half goals in their first 13 games, Memphis yielded four goals in the first halves of their two games this past weekend. Frosh Continues to Shine: Freshman Vicki Greenwell was the lone bright spot on offense this past weekend as she netted the only goal of the weekend for the Tigers. She finally broke though in the goal column after recording six assists prior to the weekend, which leads the Tigers. She is currently third on the team in points with eight. Spreading the Wealth: With Vicki Greenwell having scored her first career goal this past weekend, Memphis now has 13 players that have scored at least one goal on the year. There are 10 players with at least one assist, and 15 players with at least one point. What, no Shutout?: For only the third weekend this year, but the second in a row, Memphis failed to record a shutout, as they had recorded at least one in all but one weekend so far this year up until last weekend. Tigers Crack Regional Rankings: For the first time in program history, Memphis was regionally ranked on September 28. This week, the Tigers dropped just one spot from #10 to #11 in the Soccer Buzz Central Region poll. Twice the Fun: The nine goals scored in back-to-back games last weekend against Charlotte and East Carolina is the most for the Tigers since the beginning of the 1999 season, when they scored 11 goals in back-to-back wins over Rhodes and Toledo. They are the most scored in back-to-back games against Division 1 opponents since 1996 when they scored 11 against Stephen F. Austin and Evansville. However, they lost the game to Evansville that year, making this two-game stretch this year the most goals Memphis has ever scored in back-to-back wins against a pair of Division 1 opponents. Two More for the Record: With 10 wins now on the year, Memphis has doubled its win total from last year and already has the second-most wins in school history. With just two more wins, they will set a school record for most wins in a season. That record is 11 set by the 1997 squad. Double W's: With a 10-5 overall record and a 4-3 mark in C-USA play, Memphis has now doubled its win total from last year both overall and in conference play. Firsts: Two more Memphis players scored their first career goals last weekend, and both came in the waning second of the games. Redshirt freshman Candace Halvorson netted her first career tally at the 87:45 mark in the win over Charlotte, while true freshman Kelsey Irish scored her first career goal as the horn sounded to end the game against East Carolina. They join fellow freshmen Carla Scanniello and Caroline Barrett, sophomores Beth Keating and Melissa Savage, and senior Susannah Dawells as Memphis players that have scored their first-career goals this season. Mikami Debuts: It did not take long at all for sophomore transfer Shoko Mikami to get her name into the points column. Mikami, a transfer from Division II Christian Brothers University who led Division II nationally in points and goals per game last year, assisted on Melissa Savage's first career goal and game-winner against Houston on October 3. She then scored her first-career Division 1 goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, against East Carolina on October 10. Mikami, who tore an ACL last spring, did not play until the Evansville game on September 26. Another Eye-Opener: The win over DePaul on September 24 marked only the second time in program history that the Tigers have won their conference opener. The only other time they did that was in 1996 when they defeated Tulane 2-0. Last year, they tied Louisville in their C-USA opener. Successful September: The Tigers wrapped up the month of September with a 7-2 record, by far their best start ever in program history through the end of August and September. The program's previous best start through the end of September in terms of win total was in the 2000 campaign when they went 6-5 in August and September. Iron Women: With the regular season now more than half over, there have been only seven players that have played in every game so far and only two of those, Carla Scanniello, and Leanne McGee have started every game. Home, Sweet Home: This season will see a bit of a change as far as playing facilities go, as the Tigers will play all of their home games at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex after only playing conference games there the past two years. Throughout the history of the program, the Lady Tigers have a substantially better record at home than on the road. UM is 49-40-5 all-time at home but only 20-64-3 on the road. On neutral fields, the Tigers are 2-4-1, but have played just one match on a neutral field since 1997. Drawing First Blood: The Lady Tigers were more successful last year when they scored first. Out of their 18 games, they scored first in eight of them, while their opponent drew first blood in nine of them. In the eight games in which they scored first, they went 4-2-2 but only went 1-8-0 when their opponent scored first. This year, the Tigers have scored first in 12 of their 15 games and are 10-2-0 in those games, and 0-3-0 when their opponent scores first. Leading at Halftime is Better: The Tigers led at halftime in just four games last year but not surprisingly, they went 4-0-0 in those games. When trailing at the half, their record was an opposite 0-4-0. When tied at the half, they went just 1-6-3. The Tigers have won eight straight games when leading at the half dating back to 2002. This year, the Tigers are 7-1 when leading at the half, 0-2 w hen trailing at the half, and 3-2 when tied at the half. Recruits Ranked by Soccer Buzz: This year's freshman class has been ranked the 23rd best recruiting class in the Central Region by Soccer Buzz. This is the second straight year that the Lady Tiger recruiting class has been ranked in the regional rankings by the online publication, as last season's freshman class was ranked 11th in the region and was also in the upper half of the national top 100 classes, coming in at 46. Memphis's freshman class is the second-highest rated class in Conference USA in the Central Region, coming in just behind Houston, which came in 22nd.

10/21/04		Volleyball Takes Undefeated Conference Mark on the Road -- Tigers take on Cincinnati on Friday and #21 Louisville on Sunday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis volleyball team looks to remain perfect in Conference USA play when they travel to Cincinnati and No. 21 Louisville (16-2; 6-0 C-USA) for a pair of league matches on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Memphis and Louisville are atop the C-USA standings as the lone undefeated teams in the league. Memphis enters the weekend hungry to return to the winner's circle after dropping a five-game set at Ole Miss on Tuesday. The Tigers, who had three players put down 16 kills each, out played the Rebels in every facet of the match except the score. The Tigers continue to put up strong numbers in service aces and assists, ranking in the nation's top-15 in both categories. Sophomore Christen Clayton has surged to the front of the pack in the conference in service aces, posting 0.63 aces per game and ranking 12 nationally in the latest NCAA statistics report. Memphis ranks 10th in aces and 22nd in assists. Heather Watts continues to run the Memphis offense effectively and ranks 14th in the country with 13.44 assists per game. Tiara Gilkey's 355 kills leads a group of five Tigers who are averaging at least 2.0 kills per game. The Bearcats (15-7; 5-1 C-USA) are 8-0 at home this year and has won 22 straight at Cardinal Arena. The Tigers have not beaten the Bearcats since 1994, nine matches. Cincy suffered their first loss in league play last week in a 3-1 decision against TCU, but have won 10 of their last 11. The 2003 C-USA regular season champs are led by Preseason All-conference selection, Julie DuPont. DuPont leads the team and ranks 24th in the country, downing 5.03 kills per game (382 kills). She also paces the squad defensively with 241 digs. The 21st ranked Cardinals, who defeated Memphis to win the 2003 C-USA Volleyball tournament, have won eight straight, including four consecutive league matches against USF, UAB, TCU and Houston. Their lone losses have come against #23 Arizona and #17 Tennessee. Louisville boasts a pair of Preseason All-C-USA picks in Lena Ustymenko and Bing Sun. The duo leads the team offensively with 242 and 206 kills, respectively. The Cardinals are hitting .303 as a team, sixth-best in the country, and rank 21st in kills per game, maintaining a 16.52 average. Sophomore Anastasia Yartseva leads the league and is currently third nationally with a .453 attack percentage. Louisville paces C-USA with 3.33 blocks per game with middle blocker Jennifer Hoffman ranking 21st in the nation with 1.58 blocks per game. Memphis has not beaten Louisville since a 3-0 win in 1996. "It is important that we stay focused on the fact that this just another C-USA weekend," " said head Coach Carrie Yerty. It is also exciting that we have the opportunity to play a nationally ranked team and that we play two of the league's top three teams. We are looking forward to a competing in the two matches. We feel that we are capable of beating both, but in order to do that we have to limit our errors, block and stay focused on our game plan. Friday's match at Cincinnati is set for 7 p.m. The Louisville contest is set for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday.

10/21/04		Baseball Announces 2005 Schedule -- Tigers to face eight NCAA Tournament participants (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A new era has begun in Memphis baseball with the hiring of first-year head coach Daron Schoenrock. With that comes new expectations for a revamped Tiger squad as its 2005 schedule was announced Thursday. The Tigers slate is highlighted by eight games against NCAA Tournament participants. East Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, TCU and Tulane each saw action in NCAA Regional Tournament play, with East Carolina and Tulane advancing as far as the Super Regionals. All eight teams won at least 30 games last year. Memphis will play in 31 games in the Memphis area. Included are three games in the Service Academies Classic on Feb. 25-27, and another three-game set in the Easton Challenge. Both tournaments will be held at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. The Tigers will play just one game at AutoZone Park this year when they host Ole Miss in the annual rivalry game. Memphis will see considerably more action at its home park, with 24 games at Nat Buring Stadium. Memphis will face its usual tough Conference USA line up with strong home series against Houston and Southern Miss before rounding out home conference play against Saint Louis and Charlotte. The real task will come when the Tigers take to the road in C-USA action. Memphis will open the road schedule with a weekend series at USF before taking on C-USA Tournament contestants, UAB, East Carolina and Tulane. A trip to Cincinnati's new facility will wrap up league travel for Memphis. "This year will be a challenging C-USA baseball season as always," said Schoenrock. "Trips to USF, ECU and Tulane will be very challenging for us this year. With Houston, Southern Miss, TCU and Charlotte coming in to Nat Buring, our fans will be able to see some great Conference USA baseball." The non-conference schedule could be one that a new Tiger team could use early on to get comfortable playing together. Memphis will take on Air Force, Indiana and UT Martin in the early portion of the season as the first 12 games will be played in the Memphis area. Home series with Nicholls State and Middle Tennessee will prepare Memphis for a two-game set at Mississippi State. The Tigers will play against Arkansas State, Austin Peay and Murray State home-and-home series'. The U of M toughest two non-conference match-ups will come against Ole Miss on Mar. 22 and Apr. 26, and when the Tigers make a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for a single game against Alabama on April 12. "The early part of the season will allow us to experiment with some line ups and learn as much as we can about this team in the heat of the battle. The two tournaments in Millington will be challenging. The trip to Mississippi State will give us our first taste of a hostile environment on the road." The 2005 C-USA Tournament will be hosted by Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss. The top eight regular season finishers will advance to the double-elimination tournament. The Tigers finished the 2004 season with a winning mark at 29-28 and an appearance in the C-USA Tournament, both of which were firsts since the 2001 season.

10/21/04		Bearcats examining loss to Army (Commercial Appeal)
		By C. Trent Rosecrans Scripps Howard News Service October 21, 2004 Everywhere he went since the loss to Army, University of Cincinnati defensive end Trent Cole has been questioned. How did the Bearcats lose to Army? The Black Knights had lost 19 straight games before beating the Bearcats on Oct. 9. He doesn't want to answer it again. "We have to move on and put the Army game behind us," Cole said. Cole and his teammates don't want to have to hear similar questions Saturday after the 6 p.m. (CDT) game against the University of Memphis. "Come Saturday I'm going to be ready to compete," Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio said. "I don't make a tackle or a block, but I'm going to be ready to compete. We're going to do whatever we need to do to win the football game. We're not going to have moral victories. We're not going to sit there and say we played well. The fact is we're 2-4. We are what we are. We have to move ahead and find a way to win." But it wasn't Memphis (5-1, 2-1 Conference USA) the UC coaching staff and players examined this past week. Instead, they looked at the team that has done more to hurt them than any other -- the UC Bearcats (2-4, 1-2). "For a week, we got to sit back and look at us," said Cincinnati senior offensive guard Kyle Takavitz. "It's like a report on how we've done so far." The report didn't come back with a very good grade. "The key to that football game (against Army) and just like every other time we've had problems this season, it's been because of missed tackles or turnovers," Dantonio said. "Those are the two things that keep popping up and we've got to stop. That's execution; it's not a lack of effort. Those things happen in football. You've got to give credit to the people you're playing, as well. Nevertheless, it's a necessity to win football games to have those things taken care of." The Bearcats are minus-seven on turnovers this season. Quarterback Gino Guidugli has thrown eight interceptions in six games, and the Bearcats have also lost nine fumbles, including four against Army. The Bearcats' defense has forced 10 turnovers -- five fumbles and five interceptions. Only once this season -- in the season-opening loss -- has UC had fewer turnovers than its opponent. The Bearcats are fourth in the conference in total offense, gaining 406.8 yards per game and sixth in total defense, allowing 374.7. But both of those are compromised by mistakes -- turnovers on offense and missed tackles on defense. "It had a very sobering effect on all of us," Dantonio said. "This is not where we wanted to be at the midpoint and our break." ------------------------------------------------ Tigers at Cincinnati When, where: Saturday, 6 p.m. CDT, at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati. TV, radio: WLMT-TV (30), WMC-AM (790).

10/21/04		Tiger football notes (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 21, 2004 Offensive linemen proudly keeping Wimprine off turf Gene Frederic admits it's a point of pride for an offensive line. But Frederic, a senior center for the University of Memphis, said offensive line coach Rick Mallory and quarterback Danny Wimprine deserve a Tiger's share of the credit, too. Through six games, the offensive line has allowed only two sacks of Wimprine. Cincinnati, the U of M's opponent Saturday in a Conference USA game at Cincinnati, is second. The Bearcats have yielded six. What makes the statistic even more impressive is the fact Wimprine has attempted a league-high 200 passes. ''Coach Mallory does a real good job showing us all the blitzes throughout the week,'' Frederic said. ''He makes sure we're ready to see them. ''And Danny helps, too. He gets rid of the ball when he's supposed to.'' Frederic is on an offensive line that starts Jason Johnson at left tackle, Blake Butler at left guard, Jason Matthews at right guard and Jeremy Rone at right tackle. But Frederic said the line has been successful because it has been able to mix in backups. ''Coach Mallory does it well,'' Frederic said. ''He doesn't just sub in the second line as a unit. he'll rotate some of the guards, he'll rotate some of the tackles. So you get a feel of working with them just in case.'' Mallory said the low sack total has been the result of several factors, from Wimprine working out of a shotgun formation to being a four-year starter. ''Danny gets us going in the right direction as far as where to take the protection,'' Mallory said. ''And my guys are very good team protectors.'' Frederic said while it's rewarding to walk off the field having not allowed a sack, there's another line on the stat sheet the group studies. ''We always like to see (running back) DeAngelo (Williams) get 100 yards rushing,'' he said. ''No sacks and 100 yards rushing. Those are the two things we look for.'' Williams has rushed for 100 or more yards in five of the team's six games, including a school-record 262 yards rushing against Houston. Back at practice Tiger defensive back Tristan Thomas, who left last weekend's game against Tulane in the second half with a concussion, returned to practice Tuesday and saw limited work. Thomas underwent further testing after the workout and practiced Wednesday. Tiger coach Tommy West said Thomas, the team's starting right cornerback, is expected to play if he is cleared by team doctors. Also, strong safety Scott Vogel, who missed the team's last two games, is expected to start against Cincinnati. Vogel could have played last weekend against Tulane, but West chose to give Vogel, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee Sept. 28, another week to recover without being exposed to contact. ''It's been frustrating sitting out the past couple of weeks,'' Vogel said. ''But as well as we've played it's made it a lot easier.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/21/04		Big plans -- Freshman Dorsey looks like he could be Tigers' man in the middle (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 21, 2004 The roster reads Richard Dorsey. Everything on the Internet says Richard Dorsey. But nobody calls him Richard Dorsey, and it's just a little bit strange. Instead, all you hear is Joey. But why? Is his first name Joseph? Or Joe? Or something else that starts with a J? ''No,'' Dorsey answered. ''When I was a baby, I used to jump really high like a kangaroo. I was just always jumping around. So I was a baby kangaroo. A joey. I've always been Joey.'' Which brings us back to the present, which is similar to the past. Dorsey still jumps like a kangaroo and is still called Joey. But what John Calipari would like to call him instead is, quite simply, a dominant big man. ''And I think I can be that,'' said Dorsey, a freshman at Memphis via Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep. ''Coach Cal is on me hard, trying to get that fire out of me. But the other guys have told me that if Coach is on you, that means he loves you. So I'm just trying to learn the game.'' At 6-8, 265 pounds, Richard 'Joey' Dorsey is a physical specimen unlike many others. He is as big as he is athletic, sculpted like a capital V. Or, as teammate Rodney Carney put it, ''Joey's a beast. He's just really strong.'' Last season -- the first for Memphis without an inside presence since before Omar Sneed pump-faked at The Pyramid -- the Tigers used a revolving door of post players, none of whom really caught on, all of whom are back, save Modibo Diarra and Ivan Lopez. As for the returnees, it breaks down like this: Arthur Barclay displays a lot of what Calipari likes, but is limited with ailing knees. Duane Erwin has the talent, but has never won his coach's confidence. And though Simplice Njoya and Almamy Thiero are able, both are better suited to be role players considering they sat out last season. Thus, somewhat by default, the focus is on Dorsey, who's been working almost exclusively with the first team since practice opened Saturday morning. Granted, his adjustment to Division 1 basketball is still in the developmental stage. But all the natural stuff is evident, meaning Calipari knows he has plenty to work with. ''But he's not there yet,'' warned the fifth-year Tiger coach. ''He's not reacting quickly enough yet, he's not rebounding balls with two hands consistently, and he's not being as relentless as he needs to be all the time. But what I just said is what most freshmen are. ''What most freshman aren't, though, is 6-8, 265 pounds and guys who can jump 38 inches,'' Calipari added with a smile. ''That's what Joey is.'' The other day in one of Dorsey's first practices as a Tiger, he missed a wide-open layup and hung his head after the whistle had blown things dead. Dorsey was upset. Calipari wasn't. After a short talk, the two seemed to reach an understanding. ''You're (ticked) at the wrong things,'' Calipari yelled. ''You're (ticked) because you missed the layup. But I don't really care because what you did was perfect. You got the (defensive) rebound, then you gave it up, then you ran down the court as hard as you could and posted. ''That's all I want from you,'' Calipari concluded. ''If you do that, we're going to win.'' In other words ... ''Coach told me he wants me to be Ben Wallace, not Carmelo Anthony,'' Dorsey said. ''When he said that, I was ready to laugh. But I know he means it.'' And what does that mean? ''I guess,'' Dorsey answered before pausing and picking up again. ''I guess I'm going to grow my 'fro out like Ben Wallace.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/21/04		Campus notebook (basketball, soccer, volleyball) (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 21, 2004 New coach finds time to Race for the Cure With practice underway less than a week, this is not the time for basketball coaches to fill their schedules with extracurricular activities. Blair Savage is surely aware of this. Still, she'll be up early Saturday participating in the Koman Memphis/Mid-South Race for the Cure. ''When I was meeting with (University of Memphis president) Dr. (Shirley) Raines, I saw that she was this year's Honorary Race Chair, and mentioned that my mom was a breast cancer survivor and that between the four of us kids we all take turns walking in one of the races with her,'' explained Savage, the Lady Tiger basketball coach. ''The last couple of years, with my schedule, I've walked just one or two (events). But I decided to bring my mom to Memphis, and that I would be the one to walk with her this year.'' Then, presumably in the afternoon, Savage will continue workouts with her Lady Tigers, who are set for their first season without Joye Lee-McNelis in 13 years. The Lady Tigers open the regular season Nov. 19 against Mercer. ''Our intensity and enthusiasm levels are really high right now," Savage said, "and the good part of practice so far has been that the team is enthusiastic and wants to get better.'' Poll positions The emergence under Grant Robbins continued this week for the U of M men's golf team, which is now ranked in the Top 20 in two national polls. The Tigers are 14th in the latest Golfweek poll. They are 19th in the latest Golfstat poll. Memphis has more tournament wins (three) than any program in the Golfstat Top 25. Not including dual meets, the Tigers are the only Division 1 program that has won each of their tournament starts this season. Also moving up the rankings is Richie Grant's men's soccer team. Memphis (9-3-1) has been in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Top 25 poll for three straight weeks. This week, the Tigers are 22nd in the nation. No Tiger team in history had ever appeared in the Top 25 for three straight weeks prior to this squad, which plays Saint Louis (7-4-1) on Saturday at Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Memphis has lost six consecutive matches to SLU, which is ranked as high as 20th in some other national polls. The soccer team also will celebrate its alumni weekend with a banquet and alumni game. The fifth annual Tommy Smith Banquet is at 6 p.m. Friday at Lulu Grille in East Memphis. Team supporters, alumni, current players and fans are invited to the banquet held in honor of former Memphis forward Tommy Smith, who passed away suddenly in 2000. Tickets for the banquet are $15 and can be purchased at the event or reservations can be made through Julie Carothers at 678-2452. The Tiger alumni will then pair off and compete in the annual alumni game at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Banks considered elite Sportsline.com continued Wednesday with its college basketball position rankings. On the list of small forwards, the Web site put the U of M's Sean Banks fourth, two spots below Louisville's Francisco Garcia and three spots ahead of Oklahoma State's Joey Graham. N.C. State's Julius Hodge tops the list. A new streak? The Memphis volleyball team had its 13-match winning streak snapped Tuesday night at Ole Miss. But that won't matter too much if the Lady Tigers get back to their winning ways this weekend, which won't be easy. First, Memphis (20-5, 5-0 in Conference USA) will play at Cincinnati (15-7, 5-1) on Friday. If it wins, then Sunday's match with Louisville (16-2, 6-0) should feature the only two teams in C-USA with perfect league records.

10/21/04		Upcoming events (Commercial Appeal)
		FRIDAY Women's golf: at Lady Paladin Invitational (Greenville, S.C.) Women's soccer: MARQUETTE, 7 p.m. Volleyball: at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY Football: at Cincinnati, 6 p.m. Women's golf: at Lady Paladin Invitational (Greenville, S.C.) Men's soccer: SAINT LOUIS, 7 p.m. SUNDAY Women's golf: at Lady Paladin Invitational (Greenville, S.C.) Rifle: vs. Ole Miss/Kentucky at Oxford, Miss. Women's soccer: at Saint Louis, 1 p.m. Volleyball: at Louisville, 1 p.m. TUESDAY Volleyball: MTSU, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY Men's soccer: UAB, 7 p.m. -- home events in ALL CAPS

10/21/04		Athletes of the Week (Dayton O'Brien-soccer, Nancy Nellans-volleyball) (Commercial Appeal)
		Dayton O'Brien Junior soccer player O'Brien scored a pair of goals last weekend to help Memphis go undefeated on a two-match road trip. First, he scored the game-winner on a direct free kick just outside the box last Friday. Then Sunday he scored in the 38th minute on a shot from about 30 yards out that forced an eventual, double-overtime tie with Illinois-Chicago. O'Brien now has a team-leading 19 points this season. Nancy Nellans Junior volleyball player Nellans had a match-high 14 kills in a victory over Charlotte last Saturday to lead Memphis to its 13th consecutive victory. Combined with the nine kills she got Friday night in a victory over East Carolina, Nellans managed to eclipse the 1,000 kill mark for her career. She added 16 kills Tuesday night in a loss at Ole Miss to give her 1,026 for her career.

10/21/04		Five questions: Earl Barron, former Tiger basketball player (Commercial Appeal)
		Q: You spent a couple of weeks with the Orlando Magic in training camp. What was that like? A: It was great. Just the opportunity to be there with them in training camp was great. Q: Did you learn a lot? A: Yeah. I worked mostly with Clifford Ray, an assistant. He's probably one of the best big-man coaches out there. I learned a lot from everybody, from the head coach to the assistants to the other players. Q: Even though it was a great experience, you still got released. But I guess you saw that coming, right? A: They already had 15 players under contract, and I knew that going in. It was just a numbers thing. But I just wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. It was either sit at home and do nothing or go get some valuable experience, something to put on the resume. Q: So now what? A: I'm going back to Huntsville, Ala., to play for the Huntsville Flight of the NBDL. I finished the season with them last year. I leave to go back in a couple of weeks. Q: Back to Orlando, a lot of people ripped the Magic for taking Dwight Howard with the first pick. You spent some time with him. Did they make a mistake? A: They didn't make a mistake. They made a great choice. I think he's ready now. But in a few years he'll be an all-star-type player. -- Gary Parrish

10/21/04		Tigers finally stopped -- Volleyball hits snag, loses first in fourteen (Daily Helmsman)
		Matthew Laurie Sports Reporter October 21, 2004 All good things must come to an end. But in the case of The University of Memphis volleyball team, it probably should have been much later. In a game that proves every facet of volleyball must be working to win, the Tigers fell to the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford to drop their record to a still impressive 20-5, ending their 13-game win streak. " ... it was a humbling experience," said Emily Steckel, sophomore libero. The loss was humbling but not backbreaking. "It was a hard loss, but it was a non conference loss so it doesn't mean anything in our conference standings," said Nancy Nellans, junior outside hitter. "It ended our winning streak, but we're all in good spirits." That's quite a change from Tuesday night against the Rebels. "We got some bad bad calls against us," Nellans said. "I seriously think we lost the game on a bad call. "Carrie (Yerty, head coach) got mad at the refs, but they didn't do anything about it," she said. The Tigers had an eight-kill advantage, led the rebels by 10 assists and out aced the opponent 11 to 4. However, 17 Tigers' errors paved the way to a Rebel win. "If we brought them here we would have spanked 'em," said Nellans. That's exactly what the Tigers did to their prior opponents East Carolina and Charlotte. Against the ECU Pirates, the Tigers hit a season-high .390 hitting percentage in front of 534 Tiger faithful. In their match with Charlotte, Nancy Nellans received some much-deserved attention, as she became only the 3rd junior to reach the 1000 kill plateau, 17th player ever. As they announced Nellans' accomplishment all the attention was on her. "It was cool, I was hoping I didn't blush or anything," she said. If the Tigers hope to get to the NCAA tournament, their next two games will speak volumes. The upcoming road trip includes Cincinnati (5-1, 15-7) to take on reigning C-USA player of the year Julie DuPont. "In order for us to beat them we have to neutralize Julie DuPont," said Yerty. "She's a great attacker, a great defender and a great passer. She has the the whole package." The second part of the weekend double dip takes the Tigers to No. 21 Louisville (6-0, 16-2) in a rematch of last year's conference final, which left the Tigers out of the NCAA tournament picture. "We felt we got ripped off last year so we're definitely trying to show (the selection committee) that they were wrong," said Steckel, "that we do deserve to go to the NCAA tournament. "It would definitely make a big statement to win both of the matches," she said. "I think if we come out and give both teams a run for their money that it will also say something as well. But we really want to win."

10/20/04		Savage to Participate in Saturday's Race for the Cure -- Women's basketball coach spoke to cancer survivors last Saturday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Lady Tiger head basketball coach Blair Savage will participate in the Koman Memphis/Mid-South Race for the Cure, Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m. Savage spoke at a breast cancer survivors luncheon last Saturday, and will participate in this coming Saturday's race with her mom, a cancer survivor. "When I was meeting with Dr. (Shirley) Raines, I saw that she was this year's Honorary Race Chair, and mentioned that my mom was a breast cancer survivor and that between the four of us kids, we all take turns walking in one of the races with her. The last couple of years, with my schedule, I've walked just one or two, but I decided to bring my mom to Memphis and that I would be the one to walk with her this year." The Memphis Mid-South Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation awarded $399,483.70 in community grants to support breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs in Shelby, Fayette, Tipton and Desoto Counties in the spring of 2004. That has enabled such projects as Project S.A.V.E. (Screening and Assessing Values through Education) through the Memphis Health Center, which will purchase a mammography machine to aid in providing un-insured, low-income, minority and medically underserved women ages 40 and older with breast health education, clinical breast exams, mammography screening and diagnostic testing. One in seven women in the Memphis area will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime and breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women ages 35-39 and 80 percent of all breast cancers occur in women with no known risk factors. Research reveals that the mortality rate could decrease by 30 percent if all women age 50 or older in need of a mammogram had one. Of the money raised in Saturday's race, up to 75 percent of the net income from the Race stays in the community to fund local breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects. A minimum of 25 percent of the net income from the Race supports the Komen Foundation Award and Research Grant Program, which funds groundbreaking breast cancer research, meritorious awards and educational and scientific programs around the world. Those interested in registering for the race can register at The Shops of Saddle Creek at 7509 Poplar Avenue at the Race Store. Those already registered for the Race can pick up their T-shirts and Race numbers beginning Wednesday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 22 from 10 - 7 each day. Race Day Schedule: 6:30 a.m. Survivor "Celebrate Life" Breakfast - Survivor Tent 7:00 a.m. Team Photos 7:15 a.m. Survivor Photo 7:30 a.m. Aerobic Warm-Up & Stretch 8:00 a.m. 5K Co-ed Run/Walk (3.1 miles) 8:20 a.m. 1 Mile Family Run/Walk 9:00 a.m. Entertainment by "The Bouffants" 9:45 a.m. Awards Ceremony (This event occurs rain or shine) Those interested in volunteering for the Race can call 901-227-CURE or can check out the race website at www.rftcmemphis.com.

10/20/04		Memphis-Cincinnati Game Will Be Aired on WLMT and ESPN GamePlan -- Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Tiger fans will have two options for watching this Saturday's matchup between Memphis and Cincinnati if they remain in Memphis. The game will be sent back to Memphis and aired on WLMT-UPN30, and it will also be made available via pay-per-view on ESPN GamePlan. Greg Gaston will provide the play-by-play, and Rob Fisher will provide the color commentary. Memphis' next two games will be aired nationally on ESPN. The Thursday night matchup with Louisville on Nov. 4 will be picked up by ESPN, and the Friday night meeting with Southern Miss the following week will be aired on ESPN2.

10/20/04		PASSING TIME -- University of Memphis quarterback Danny Wimprine is going where no Tiger has gone before (Memphis Magazine)
		by Frank Murtaugh Simply put, Danny Wimprine is a novelty. It's impossibly hard to find anything really new these days in the world of sports. Mass media, particularly of the electronic variety, force-feeds more stars, prodigies, and record-breakers than the most insatiable of fans could possibly digest. But Danny Wimprine? In Memphis? He's a novelty. A 23-year-old native of River Ridge, Louisiana, Wimprine is a fifth-year senior at the University of Memphis. Nothing particularly new about that. Redshirts are a fact of life in the all-too-patient world of Division I-A football, where a player has five years to exhaust four years of eligibility on the field. But everything else about this 6'1", 220 lb. quarterback is, for Tiger football at least, unprecedented. Along with record-breaking tailback DeAngelo Williams, Wimprine led the 2003 Tigers to the finest season Memphis has enjoyed in 30 years. The U of M won nine games and played in only the third bowl game in the history of the program, a 27-17 victory over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. On the way to the Big Easy, Wimprine was integral in one of the biggest Tiger wins in years, a 37-7 eviscerating of the despised Louisville Cardinals in which he managed to run for a touchdown, pass for a touchdown, and even catch a pass for a two-point conversion. Take it as gospel: you can count the "triple threats" " in U of M history on one hand. (Heck, Wimprine has been the team's backup punter since his sophomore season.) As for that bowl game, there's a Hollywood script waiting to be written, particularly as it relates to Wimprine. When Memphis re-ceived its bid to the New Orleans Bowl, it meant Wimprine would play the most important football game of his life in familiar confines -- the Louisiana Superdome -- where he won four state titles for John Curtis High School. And it sure felt like home: more than 100 of Wimprine's family and friends were among the 25,184 in attendance. Wimprine's parents, Ronnie and Barbara, attend every Tiger game, home and away. "Nothing changes about the game [in the postseason]," explains the even-tempered QB. "It's only your perception, because of all the things around you." Jitter-free, Wimprine connected on an early 63-yard bomb to Darren Garcia to set up the Tigers' first touchdown, a seven-yard draw Wimprine handled himself. With the Tigers' top two running backs on the sideline with injuries, Wimprine connected on his first 10 passes, wound up with 254 yards through the air, nary an interception, and the game's MVP trophy. You can go home again, after all. "None of us had ever experienced anything like that," reflects Wimprine. "Just to be able to go, for this program and this city. To finally have something to be proud of, from a football standpoint. And then for me, to go down there -- my favorite place to play -- and see the good time my teammates had, it was enough for me. It was worth all the work. Then to win, that just tops it all off." As for statistics, throw out any U of M record book you may have from the days Before Wimprine. He is to Memphis passing numbers as Wayne Gretzky is to hockey's scoring charts. With a full season ahead to pad his figures, Wimprine has already thrown for more completions (583), yardage (7,323), and touchdowns (59) than any other quarterback in school history. Wimprine has the top two single-season yardage marks, last year's 3,174 being the current standard. Barring injury, Wimprine will become the first player to lead the Tigers in passing in each of four seasons, an exceptional achievement in itself. (For some perspective, in the tradition-rich history of University of Tennessee football, only two players have pulled this trick.) He enters the 2004 season having started a school-record 27 consecutive games. If you were to ask U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson about his favorite Wimprine number, the answer would come quickly, and with a broad smile: 40,622. The Tigers broke yet another record in 2003, drawing an average attendance that exceeded the previous year's by more than 11,000. And this may in fact be the most significant figure when it comes to forecasting success for Tiger football beyond Wimprine. Johnson is quick to point out that Wimprine has given the U of M program as much off the field as he has in uniform. "I've had the good fortune of being with Danny since he came here [in 2000], and his maturity level is really something to see," says Johnson. "He's always been good on trips, talking with our boosters. He's the type of person that you like to have out front. "We like to take boosters with us when we travel; they actually get to visit more with players on the road than when we're at home," Johnson continues. "He always makes the boosters feel welcome. Those guys can buy R.C. Johnson ten times over, but what they couldn't get is having Danny Wimprine come and talk with them. "People tend to want to gravitate to your star players and Danny really handles it well. He doesn't do it in a hot-doggish fashion. He's very open and honest with people, really a good representative for us." Stadium seats are filled by wins. And wins are achieved on the gridiron through the hands of the quarterback. Despite taking some bruises along the way, Danny Wimprine has come to know winning rather well. Along with the four football championships, Wimprine won a pair of baseball state titles as -- what else? -- a pitcher. (His fastball was timed at 89 mph.) While John Curtis High built an eye-popping record of 53-2 during Wimprine's four years, major college scouts weren't exactly panting over a quarterback who, running the veer offense, threw the ball maybe four or five times a game. Being relatively short for Division I-A standards, Wimprine found himself on the outside looking in at his dream school: Notre Dame. Wimprine grew up across the street from Michael Stonebreaker, a standout linebacker at John Curtis then later an All-America for the Fighting Irish. As if a young football player needed any other reason to aspire to a gold helmet in South Bend, Indiana, Wimprine's neighborhood hero was showing the way. "My high school coach [J.T. Curtis] called some of the big programs that ran offenses kind of like ours," explains Wimprine. "Nebraska, Notre Dame. I always wanted to go to Notre Dame. My senior year, Notre Dame called and came to my house. They said they had already committed to one [quarterback]. "A lot of programs will kinda jerk you around, tell you what you want to hear. So you've got to really focus in on what's right for you. Sometimes big colleges aren't for everybody. But I still wanted to go to Notre Dame. "Well, Notre Dame finally called my coach and said they'd like to have me visit, but they said they were having another guy that weekend . . . and that he's the best in the country. At that point, I canceled my trip to Notre Dame and decided to go to Memphis. Coach [Rip] Scherer had come down and really seemed interested. It was just a thing I had to do. It was a tough decision, but I really liked the people here, around the city, the coaching staff, the players. I just thought it was a good fit for me." Wimprine chuckles when he describes the heart of his new home: "I kind of see downtown Memphis as a clean New Orleans." Wimprine arrived on the Memphis campus in the summer of 2000 and was redshirted in what proved to be Scherer's last season as head coach (the team went 4-7 and didn't have a quarterback reach 1,000 yards passing). Might the youngster from Louisiana have made a difference that season? Might he have saved Scherer's job? Wimprine doesn't harbor the slightest regret. "You have to be a special person to come in and play as a true freshman," he says, "but for a quarterback, it's twice as hard. There's just so much you have to learn. For me, the redshirt year was something I'm glad I did." Tommy West's tenure as head coach began the next season, and the Tigers came within a single victory of bowl eligibility, dropping a heartbreaker to Cincinnati in the final game of the season. Wimprine had a special season as a redshirt freshman, hurling 14 touchdown passes (the most by a Tiger quarterback in nine years) and only four interceptions. He followed that season with a record-breaking 2002 (2,820 yards and 23 touchdowns), but the program fell flat, limping to a 3-9 finish. All of this, with hindsight, was mere prelude to the breakthrough season of 2003. Particularly with his astonishing passing figures, not to mention his longevity in Memphis at football's most glamorous position, it's hard to picture Danny Wimprine as anything besides a quarterback. And that's exactly the way he likes it. "When I was 6," recalls Wimprine, "I went to the playground to sign up for football. When I was young, I was enormous, just a big kid. I was ready to get physical. But that year, they changed the rules so that you had to be 7 to play. I stood at the lady's desk, crying, begging her to let me sign up. But she wouldn't allow it. So finally the next year I got to play, and I played right guard! But the next year, and every year since, I've played quarterback. "I like being in the leadership role, the guy players on the team look to," Wimprine continues. "It's a hard position to play, but that comes with the territory. I like having control, being the center, and all that goes with it . . . the good times and bad. The way you walk, the way you talk . . . other people want to be around you." Wimprine has a quick answer when asked about the challenge of learning the college game after excelling in high school. "It's the mental aspect," he says. "It's not as concentrated and there aren't as many plays or defenses to worry about in high school. You have to know blitzes, you have to know coverages, you have to know what everybody on offense is doing on every play. "I want to be in the position where I can take control of the game, where I can go out and win the game. We now have the weapons here -- especially on offense -- where we can take control by scoring points. So my biggest challenge this season is to limit my mistakes. "Being a senior, the game finally starts to slow down a bit. My knowledge of the game is so much better than it was when I first got here. When you're in high school, you have all these ideas and dreams and expectations, but time flies . . . finally, I know what it's all about." Among the weapons Wimprine refers to is the Tigers' talent-dripping tailback, Williams. The junior from Wynne, Arkansas, pulled a Wimprine last season and destroyed the school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,430. Wimprine recognizes that Williams has made his job easier, and vice versa. Best of all, the two stars have what might be called a boyishly harmonious relationship. When asked to describe a teammate who may enter some Heisman Trophy conversations, Wimprine describes him as a "super, super, super guy. He's a very happy individual, and a super talent." West is unabashed in describing the leadership Wimprine has brought his program. "Danny's a fierce competitor," stresses the fourth-year coach. "I think that's his number-one attribute as a player. You won't be around many players who love to play as much as he does. He loves to practice! "Danny wants to be perfect; he competes to win. You put him in the fire, and he likes it. As a quarterback, he knows now when to compete. [As a freshman], he would try and throw the ball through three people. He wanted to beat you on every play, and you don't win on every play. Sometimes you just have to throw it away. Danny's learned how to manage a game. Your chance is going to come to make plays . . . but it's not every play." And the example Wimprine has set for his teammates? "He's done everything we've asked," says West. "He's not a drinker, smoker, none of that. He's kind of got that tough-guy image, but off the field . . . he's really a nice young man." Wimprine is scheduled to graduate with a degree in sports broadcasting and communications this December. And he hopes that marks the dawn of the next chapter in the only life he's known, that of a quarterback. With his college days numbered, Wimprine can't help but let thoughts of the NFL creep into his head. But he does so with a healthy perspective on the precious months ahead. "Every kid that plays football dreams of playing in the NFL," says Wimprine. "I just want to get the chance, that's all. Sign me up, draft me, whatever. A lot depends on this year for me, how well I do and how well the team performs. If you're good enough, you'll play . . . if not, you won't. There's no reason to be anxious about it now. Right now, my job is University of Memphis quarterback. "There are a lot of things I've accomplished, that our team's accomplished," he adds. "We've started something here. But you're never satisfied. Right after we finished the bowl game, I was thinking about when we're going back to work. Let's get better." What makes Wimprine smile the most when he looks back on his days as a Memphis Tiger? "It's the guys, my teammates," he says. "You form such a tight bond of friendship, even off the field. I've been around a lot of schools and a lot of teams, and I've never seen a group this tight-knit. Hopefully, I'm a guy who can get along with everybody. We have some characters . . . every team does. But we're real close. "It starts with recruiting quality guys. There are some great players who may not fit into your program. You get the right guys here, and hopefully you can mold them into good players. I'd love for some guy to come in five years from now and break all my records, because that'll mean the team is doing well, the program's growing." So we come to the dawn of the 2004 Tiger football season, with plenty that's refreshingly new in the air. A team with a nine-win season on its track record, including a bowl victory. An electrifying tailback who hits holes like Tony Dorsett and catches passes like Walter Payton. Not one, but two games to be televised nationally. And then there's Danny Wimprine, the fifth-year quarterback teaching a program what it means to expect victory. For the ever-expanding legion of Memphis Tiger football fans, never has something new felt so comfortably familiar. •

10/20/04		Punting as a weapon -- Rugby-style kick helps Tigers keep foes off-balance (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 20, 2004 Some thought it was a desperate move when it was unveiled two years ago. Others contend it's not befitting an NCAA Division 1-A college football team. University of Memphis coach Tommy West could care less about those who critique the approach. When the Tigers travel to Cincinnati Saturday for a Conference USA game against the Bearcats, West will employ the rugby-style, punt-on-the-run that has served him so well since it debuted, coincidentally, at Cincinnati in 2002. ''I like it,'' West said. ''There are just so many weapons off of it. We've got fakes we can use that I really like. We've already faked one this season (against Houston) and got (the first down). There are just so many dimensions to it, which puts the opponent on the defensive and us on the offensive.'' It was an approach West borrowed from the University of Louisville, which had used the rugby punt against the Tigers earlier during the 2002 season. At the time, West needed to try something to help a struggling U of M punt team. He settled on the rugby punt, and quarterback Danny Wimprine shared the unique punting duties with Maurice Avery, then a backup quarterback. Wimprine punted with left foot, while running to his left, and Avery, who has become a standout receiver, punted with his right foot, while running to the right. ''This is the game where it kind of caught on,'' Wimprine said. ''I kind of just thought it was something for us to give relief to our punt team. ''To tell you the truth, I didn't think it would last this long. I wasn't sure it would work out as good as it has.'' It baffled the Bearcats that afternoon at Nippert Stadium, as it has other Tiger opponents during the past two years. TCU fumbled twice trying to field U of M punts during the 2002 season finale. Early this season, Chattanooga fumbled while trying to field a Tiger punt. Wimprine, who has punted 14 times for a 39.4-yard average through six games this season, said the beauty of the low-driving, end-over-end kick is that it's rarely returned. He and backup quarterback Bobby Robison, who handles the right-footed punting duties, have punted 17 times for a 40-yard average. Five of their punts have been downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line. West likes the multitude of options the rugby punt offers because he's got his first-team offense in the game, not a special team. ''If you just send a punt team out there, there are so many things that can go wrong,'' West said. ''And you find yourself getting excited when you can get the punt off and get (the opposing punt returner) on the ground. ''We take the offensive with this team. We've got our quarterback in there. We've got our running back in there. Anything can happen. We can walk back up under center and go for it if we want to. And if it's fourth down, you've got to leave your defense out there.'' The team rarely has encountered breakdowns. Last weekend's blocked Memphis punt was a first for Wimprine in the three seasons he has been kicking. West took responsibility, saying the Tigers, who had a huge lead, should have gone for a conventional punt. ''I think it was fourth-and-2,'' Wimprine said. ''There is always the possibility of me running if it's that close. I took off to the outside, and someone came straight up the field. I think I may have waited too long and kicked it too low.'' It's a mistake that won't persuade West to abandon the approach. He's too fond of seeing what he did on the team's first two punts last weekend against Tulane. Wimprine's first punt traveled 47 yards and was not returned. His second rolled to a stop 37 yards from the line of scrimmage and was not returned. ''We're trying to eliminate the block and the runback," West said, "and I think the rugby punt is the best way to eliminate both.'' West still uses Brandon Roberson to punt conventionally. Roberson, who also can be called upon to punt rugby-style, is averaging 38.7 yards on seven kicks. As a team, the trio of punters is averaging 34.7 net yards per kick, which ranks fifth in the conference. By installing the rugby punt, West said he has been able to make the punt team the aggressor, much like his spread offense and blitz-oriented defense. ''I want a football team that can be the aggressor so that when you put that tape on you have to say, 'How are we going to defend this?' '' West said. ''This is the way we can be the aggressor with our punt team and, to me, there is no other way you can do it.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 -------------------- Tigers at Cincinnati When, where: Saturday, 6 p.m. CDT, at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati. TV, radio: WLMT-TV (30), WMC-AM (790).

10/20/04		U of M football notebook (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 20, 2004 Steelers aide finally gets to see son play The NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers have a bye week, and the timing couldn't be better for linebackers coach Keith Butler. Butler, a former University of Memphis linebacker and assistant football coach, will make the short trip to Cincinnati Saturday to watch his son, Blake, play for the first time in his college career. Blake, a redshirt sophomore, is the team's starting left guard. He said his dad was able to watch him play in high school outside of Cleveland, when Keith served as an assistant for the NFL's Browns. Blake said his dad attempted to make it to a Tiger game last year when the Steelers were in Atlanta, but could not make it work. ''Since I've been in college, he's only seen me play when our games have been on TV,'' Blake said. ''It's taken a couple of years for him to be able to make it to a game, and this one just worked out since we were getting up close to home.'' Keith played for the Tigers in the 1970s and had a successful NFL career with the Seahawks. He was a defensive assistant under coach Chuck Stobart at the U of M in the early 1990s, serving on the staff with Randy Fichtner, now the U of M's offensive coordinator. ''We are both 5-1 (the Tigers and Steelers),'' Blake said. ''Coach Fichtner keeps joking that they're trying to keep pace with us.'' Stewart surgery University of Memphis kick returner Brandon Stewart, injured in last weekend's 49-24 victory over Tulane, will undergo surgery today to repair damage to his right knee. Tiger officials originally had said Stewart, a redshirt freshman walk-on from Jackson, Tenn., would have surgery in several weeks after the swelling subsided. But further tests revealed more damage. In addition to having a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Stewart was found to have a lateral and medial meniscus tear of his right knee. Stewart, who is 5-foot-5, returned the first five kicks of his career against Tulane for 86 yards, including a long of 26 yards. ''It was exciting, but it's not over,'' he said. ''I'll be back in a couple of months. What you saw Saturday was a premiere, like the premiere of a movie. Hopefully, you'll see the full-length film next year.''

10/20/04		Web site rip motivating Tiger guard -- Sportsline.com lists Hunt as a player on the way down (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 20, 2004 The list came out last week. It was on Sportsline.com, on the college basketball page. It was one man's opinion of 13 players he believed were set to slip into a state of irrelevance, guys ready for what he termed a ''breakdown year.'' The seventh name from the top belonged to Jeremy Hunt, he of the University of Memphis Tigers. Because news travels quickly on the Worldwide Web, it didn't take long for word to drift to the Finch Center. ''I think Jeremy uses that as motivation,'' said fellow Tiger Rodney Carney. ''When I see him out on the court, he's focused and he has more desire. He's focused on getting better and really being a good teammate. ''He doesn't let stuff like (the Sports line.com list) bother him, but he takes it to heart,'' Carney added. ''It's going to motivate him.'' With a brace on his left knee and a bit of a chip on his shoulder, Hunt has spent the first four days of workouts competing at a high level like he has always done. He's slashed into the lane. He's rebounded against bigger bodies. He's taken charges in drills, one that had spectators amazed over the weekend. ''Did you see how quickly he got in front of him to take that charge?'' Alabama AAU coach Wig Pearson asked as he nudged one of his young prospects who was also taking in practice. ''That's getting it done right there. On a bad knee and a bad ankle. Now that's getting it done. ''Whooeee!'' All whooeees aside, though, this is clearly going to be a defining season for Hunt. Either he will stay healthy and consistently be the clutch player he was in that career-starting victory over Syracuse two years ago, or he will suffer another injury and make Sportsline.com look brilliant. Of course, that ''breakdown'' list didn't mention injury as the reason Hunt's importance is dwindling for Memphis. It instead pointed to an influx of talent and implied that with a loaded roster and minutes at a premium, Hunt will be the oddman out. Not true, insisted John Calipari. ''As long as Jeremy's healthy, even if he's not starting he'll still be in the top three or four in minutes played,'' Calipari said. ''So he'll get his minutes, and he'll be in there at the end of games. ''The only thing that can hold him back is his knee.'' Or his foot. Or his ankle. With Hunt, at least through two years as a Tiger, it's always something, which is the only real source of concern. In both his freshman and sophomore seasons, Hunt suffered injuries, each of which required surgery. The first was foot-related, and cost him 10 games. The second was a torn ACL, and ended his year last Feb. 20 with averages of 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Normally, this would be evidence that a player is injury-prone, a candidate for the annual Grant Hill award. But considering Hunt never had a surgery in his life prior to enrolling at Memphis, perhaps it's just a string of bad luck that has now run its course. That, undoubtedly, is what the Tiger staff is hoping. If it's true, then Hunt might again look like the guy everybody was raving about 59 games ago, before all this stuff became an issue. ''I don't have anything to prove to anybody because as long as I stay healthy, everything will take care of itself,'' Hunt said. ''A lot of people probably have a lot of questions about me, but I'm not worried about it. I'm just trying to stay healthy and help my team win.'' And if that happens, Calipari has a prediction for any doubters. ''I don't know about a breakdown player,'' he said. ''In the end, Jeremy may be the one with the breakthrough year.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/20/04		Tigers basketball camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		From the Finch One of the more popular E-mails to The Commercial Appeal on a weekly basis comes from fans wanting to know what the Tigers' starting lineup will be. For what it's worth, through four days of workouts John Calipari's first team consists of Darius Washington and Anthony Rice in the backcourt and Rodney Carney and Sean Banks on the wings. Arthur Barclay and Richard Dorsey have been alternating in the middle, though it's clear the staff is pushing Dorsey to separate himself from the rest of the big men. Away from the court At Friday's Midnight Madness, Tiger fans donated 3,054 pounds of food and more than $2,200 to The Food Bank. ''Midnight Madness was a success for the Tigers, as well as for thousands of needy and hungry Mid-Southerners,'' said Susan Sanford, executive director of The Food Bank. ''The Food Bank thanks the U of M, Coach Calipari and the Tiger fans for their tremendous support.'' Coach's corner One of the things Calipari has spent early workouts begging his big men to do is sprint down the court and try to be the first person in the paint. The player most receptive to that idea has been Simplice Njoya, a transfer from Duquesne. In one sequence, the 6-10 junior beat Barclay down the court and scored a layup on a fast break. Calipari stopped practice to praise the effort. ''It looks like Simplice is figuring this out,'' Calipari yelled before looking at Barclay and adding, ''When a guy runs like that, it's hard isn't it?" Barclay just nodded his head as confirmation. Injury update Junior college transfer Waki Williams sat out practice again Tuesday as he continued to rest his ailing knees. Williams has had surgery on both knees in the past year. Even when he returns to the court, it's doubtful he'll be pain free. -- Gary Parrish

10/19/04		Ole Miss Snaps Volleyball's Win Streak in 3-2 Decision -- Tigers give up 17 points on service errors (GoTigersGo.com)
		OXFORD, Miss. - Memphis outdueled Ole Miss in every category except the one that counted-- the score, as the Tigers fell to the Rebels, 3-2 in non-conference action Tuesday. The loss ends the Tiger's winning streak at 13 matches, the second longest under head coach Carrie Yerty. The U of M outhit Ole Miss .252 to .208 with a 69-61 advantage in kills. The Memphis offense maintained a 62-52 lead in assists while serving up 11 aces to the Rebel's four. Defensively, Memphis posted three more digs than Ole Miss. The Tiger's 17 service errors proved to be one of the matches deciding factors. The deciding game saw the two teams battle to four ties before a 5-1 run by Ole Miss put them ahead, 9-5. From there, the Rebels never trailed in the final game as Memphis cut the lead to 14-13 before losing the match. Memphis forced the fifth game with a .341 performance in a 30-21 victory. Memphis opened the game with an 11-3 run. A Melissa Nance kill, followed by a block from Shelby Burton and Nancy Nellans and an ace from Watts pushed the lead to 12 at 25-13. Game one was a preview of the match as Memphis (20-5) outplayed Ole Miss (10-11) in every category. That did not translate into a win as the Rebels never trailed after jumping out to a 7-2 lead. The Tigers clawed their way back into the game, tying the contest five times before Ole Miss put on a 5-0 run to take control 28-22. The Tigers outhit the Rebels .333 to .278 and posted one more kill, dig and four more assists. Memphis rebounded in game two and used a 16-4 run to take command of the contest 19-6. The Tigers held the Rebels to a dismal .029 attack percentage in the game on their way to a 30-19 win. Nance put down four kills and hit .571 in the set, while Tiara Gilkey (three kills) and Burton (two kills) hit 1.000. A .139 hitting percentage and 11 attack errors doomed Memphis to a 30-26 loss in game three. Memphis again put up stronger numbers than Ole Miss, holding a 16-9 advantage in assists and a 15-7 cushion in digs. But it was the errors at crucial times that helped keep the Rebels in the lead. A 5-1 spurt gave the Rebels a six point lead from which Memphis could never recover. Ole Miss led by as much as eight at 28-20 before taking a 2-1 lead in the match. Memphis had three players finish with a match-high 16 kills in Gilkey, Nance and Nellans. Gilkey, along with libero Emily Steckel posted a team-high 13 digs. Heather Watts had 10 digs to go with a match-high 58 assists. The Tigers return to the court on Friday, Oct. 22 when the travel to Louisville to take on the 21st ranked Cardinals in the first of a pair of C-USA matches on the weekend.

10/19/04		Tigers Rise to No. 22 in National Poll -- Third-straight week Memphis is ranked nationally (GoTigersGo.com)
		After an unbeaten week, the University of Memphis men's soccer team moved up in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's National Top 25 rankings on Tuesday, rising three spots to No. 22. The Tigers (9-3-1, 5-1-0 C-USA) have remained in the top 25 for three-straight weeks, longer than any previous U of M team. Memphis is one of three Conference USA teams in the NSCAA Top 25 with USF (7-1-2, 3-1-1) dropping to No. 11 after falling for the first time to Cincinnati and UAB (7-4-0, 4-1-0) dropping one spot to No. 25. Memphis also remains at third for the third-straight week in the NSCAA Midwest Regional Poll behind No. 4 SMU and No. 7 Creighton. Saint Louis, who the Tigers host at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday, comes in at fourth in the region behind the U of M. The Billikens are ranked as high as No. 20 in other national polls. Memphis is in a six-game losing streak against Saint Louis and is 3-15-1 all-time against SLU. 2004 NCAA Division 1 Men - National October 19, 2004 1. UNC-Greensboro (12-0-1) 2 2. UC Santa Barbara (11-1-1) 1 3. Virginia (11-2-0) 5 4. Southern Methodist (10-3-0) 6 5. New Mexico (10-1-0) 3 Notre Dame (10-2-2) 12 7. Creighton (11-2-0) 8 8. Indiana (9-3-1) 3 9. James Madison (12-0-1) 11 10. St. John's (7-3-4) 10 11. USF (7-1-2) 13 12. Boston College (9-3-0) 14 13. UCLA (7-2-2) NR 14. Pennsylvania (6-2-2) 15 15. Wake Forest (7-3-1) NR 16. VCU (9-3-1) 16 17. Seton Hall (9-4-1) 25 18. Washington (10-3-2) 25 19. Duke (12-2-0) 16 20. Hartiwck (7-2-3) 23 21. Connecticut (7-4-2) NR 22. Memphis (9-3-1) 25 Santa Clara (11-3-0) 9 24. Binghamton (8-1-5) NR 25. California (8-2-2) 19 25. Maryland (8-4-1) 21 25. UAB (7-4-0) 24

10/19/04		Men's Golf Team Rises in National Rankings -- Tigers are only team in the country to finish first in every tournament start this year (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - Fresh off their third straight tournament win last week at the Missouri Bluffs Challenge, the Memphis men's golf team continued to rise in the national rankings this week. The Tigers are ranked #14 in the latest Golfweek ranking, which came out on Sunday, and #19 in the latest Golfstat ranking, which came out today. The Tigers have the most tournament wins of any program in the Golfstat Top 25 and are the only undefeated team in the entire Golfweek ranking, which rates each Division I team. Since won-loss records are not an official part of golf, Golfweek lists de facto won-loss records in its rankings, which are based on the number of teams that an individual program finished above (wins) and behind (losses) and tied with (ties) in its tournaments. Not including dual meets, Memphis is the only school in Division I with an undefeated record (38-0-2), and therefore the only school that was won each of its tournament starts this year. Memphis also has its top four players ranked in the top 111 individuals in the country by Golfweek in Keven Fortin-Simard (56), Andy Shiels (101), Justin Miers (104), and Allan Thomas (111). Additionally, the freshman class is ranked 3rd in the country in Golfstat's Freshman Class Impact ranking, which attempts to measure the contributions of freshmen to the team's overall success. Golfstat and Golfweek are both statistic-based rankings. In the subjective polls, based on voting, Memphis is receiving votes in both the Precept/Coaches' Top 25 and the Golf World Top 25. The Tigers will play in one more tournament this fall at the Landfall Tradtion in Wilmington, N.C., which will take place next weekend, October 29-31.

10/19/04		Volleyball Joins "Dig For The Cure" Campaign -- Tigers set campaign date from October 29 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - In efforts to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation and observe October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Memphis Volleyball program will raise money for the Breast Cancer foundation through its "Dig for the Cure" (DFTC) match against Marquette on Friday, Oct. 29. All 14 C-USA member volleyball teams are participating in the fund-raising campaign, with each team setting a goal of raising $3000. This league-wide program was originated by Charlotte's head volleyball coach Lisa Marston. "We started this program to honor breast cancer survivors around the world," said Marston, whose mom is a breast cancer survivor. "So many people are touched by this disease. I thought Dig For The Cure was a great way for our student-athletes to give back to their local communities and show how much Conference USA cares." Under Marston's initiative, the 49ers have brought together the 13 other league schools to join forces in hopes to raise $42,000 for the Foundation. Charlotte raised nearly $3,000 last year and has challenged every school to match this figure. Each school has designated one volleyball match either in October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or November as its DFTC match. Individual sponsors can pledge money per dig earned by their team in the match as well as provide flat donations. The money raised will go directly to the Komen Foundation in each respective local community. Anyone interested in learning more about the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation can visit their website at www.komen.org. For a complete list of DFTC matches, please visit the official Conference USA website at www.conferenceusa.org. Anyone interested in making individual pledges or donating to the fund should contact Memphis volleyball's marketing coordinator, Clay Cooper at 901-678-5747 or email him at cmcoope@memphis.edu.

10/19/04		U of M NOTEBOOK (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 19, 2004 Punt returner White grabs C-USA special teams honor When Darron White returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown last weekend against Tulane, it marked the first time a University of Memphis player had scored off a punt return in 10 years. Those voting for Conference USA players of the week thought the accomplishment was worth rewarding. White, a senior from Covington, Tenn., earned C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance in a 49-24 win over Tulane. White's 60-yard score came in the first quarter after the Tiger defense had stopped the Green Wave on downs on the game's opening possession. White boosted his average to 13.2 yards per return, which leads C-USA and ranks 18th nationally. Memphis struggled returning punts a year ago, averaging 7.6 yards and ranking ninth in the league. "We gave him a chance to go back there again this year and he's done well," said Tiger coach Tommy West. "You've got to have good vision and enough quicks to make the first guy miss. And he has that." White finished Saturday with 92 yards on five punt returns. He also caught an 8-yard touchdown pass. He said he had a feeling before the game that he'd return one for a TD. "(Tulane punter Chris Beckman) kicked a low, wobbly punt and I looked up and I was so wide open," White said. "All I had to do was make the punter miss." WLMT to air game For the second time this season, WLMT-TV (Ch. 30) will carry an away Tiger football game. WLMT, which carried last month's C-USA opener at UAB, will provide coverage of Saturday's C-USA game at Cincinnati. Greg Gaston will handle the play-by-play and Rob Fischer will be the color analyst. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CDT). Injury updates Reserve linebacker Michael Spurlock, a member of the Tiger special teams, underwent surgery Monday after suffering a broken left tibia in the third quarter against Tulane. He will miss the remainder of the season. Reserve linebacker Cato Mott, also a special teams player, left the field on crutches after fracturing his fibula and will miss up to four weeks. Senior Tristan Thomas, a starting cornerback, suffered his second concussion this season and will be evaluated this week on a day-to-day basis. "He's going to go through a battery of tests and if he's OK he'll play Saturday (against Cincinnati)," West said. "If he's not, he won't." And 5-5 walk-on Brandon Stewart, who returned kickoffs for the first time in his career, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and is out for the season. "I talked (last week) about not having many injuries," West said. "And up to this game we hadn't. We certainly had some significant injuries." West said Stewart will probably have surgery "in a couple of weeks" once the swelling has subsided. Vogel set to return West said senior strong safety Scott Vogel, who has missed the past two games with a knee injury, will play at Cincinnati. West said Vogel, who had arthroscopic surgery Sept. 28 to repair a meniscus tear, could have played, if needed, last weekend against Tulane. "It worked exactly the way I wanted it to work," West said. "We got him ready (but he didn't have to play)." Briefly Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams, who scored twice last weekend and has 12 touchdowns in six games, leads the nation in scoring with a 13 points-per-game average. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski ranks 10th (10.17). ... Cincinnati senior defensive end Trent Cole leads the nation in tackles for loss (2.5 per-game average). ... Memphis is off to a 5-1 start for the first time since 1967. Of the five previous teams that have opened 5-1 since 1949, three have finished with at least eight wins. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/19/04		Lopez stands tall in Tigers' plans -- Short defender shows prowess against Tulane (Commercial Appeal)
		By PhilStukenborg Contact October 19, 2004 Go ahead, ask Dustin Lopez how tall he is. Lopez doesn't mind questions about his height. They come from everywhere, friends, teammates, opposing players. And, perhaps, in keeping with an overall self-confident outlook, he doesn't feel compelled to confirm a slightly exaggerated line in the University of Memphis media guide, one that lists the cornerback at 5 feet, 10 inches. Lopez is quick to declare he is shorter. "I'm about 5-9," Lopez said. "I'm not going to be like (running back) DeAngelo (Williams) and say I'm 5-11 when I'm really 5-7." Although he'll receive flak from the 5-10 Williams for taking shots at the standout tailback's height, Lopez will take the abuse in stride. He says he's used to similar double-takes when he steps on the field, as he did early in Saturday's Conference USA game against Tulane. "It's a (stereotype)," Lopez said of those who question his effectiveness because of his height. "A lot of people saw me this weekend and said, 'You're kind of out of position, aren't you?' "I'm used to it. I know people are going to try and check me out at this position. But I'm comfortable at this position. I know I can play it as well as anyone can." Lopez earned extensive playing time last weekend filling in for starter Cameron Essex, who had a difficult opening quarter and who has struggled at times throughout the season. "I've been waiting for this chance," Lopez said. "A lot of the players, and coach (Tommy) West, said, 'We know you can play, just wait til your time comes. Be patient.'" A backup through the team's first six games, Lopez got significant playing time in Saturday's 49-24 Conference USA victory over Tulane. He is expected to start Saturday when the Tigers (5-1 overall, 2-1 in C-USA) travel to Cincinnati (2-4, 1-2). Lopez was inserted into the game shortly after Essex slipped on a 37-yard touchdown reception by the Green Wave's Roydell Williams early in the second quarter. The pass play tied the game at 7. Lopez played the second and third quarters, and part of the fourth, and came up with the U of M's only interception. He returned the third-quarter pick of Tulane quarterback Lester Ricard 37 yards to the Green Wave 14, setting up a TD that gave Memphis a 42-10 lead. "I thought he came in and gave us some good play," West said. "Obviously Cameron was struggling so we went with (Lopez) and he came in and did a nice job. "He got a pick because he found the ball. He did not stop on his coverage." Lopez gave injured defensive back Scott Vogel some of the credit for the interception. Vogel, who missed the game while recovering from a knee injury, was an involved spectator. "Scotty Vogel told us they were checking off, they were changing their plays," Lopez said. "He said to show press (man coverage) at first. That's what I did. "And then after I saw (Ricard) make his check I kind of backed up and kind of banged him a little bit and then (Ricard) threw it on a line. The receiver didn't see it. I think he thought he was going to throw it deep. But I saw it, came back and made a play and took off." Lopez has displayed a knack for picking off passes in his career. In his only season at West Minnesota Junior College last fall, he led the team with eight interceptions, which he returned for 90 yards. As a senior at Hopkinsville (Ky.) High, he had seven interceptions. Lopez, who had a season-high five tackles at Arkansas State, said he was generally pleased with his performance. He and West, however, were upset that Lopez allowed Williams, who is 6-2, to score on a fade in the closing seconds of the third quarter. "I knew it was coming because Roydell is probably the best receiver in the conference," Lopez said. "I tried to make a play on it and at the last second I tripped over his foot. That's a play I should have made, that kind of made me upset. That's a play I make all the time." Still, the extensive playing time made for an enjoyable afternoon for the sophomore, who enrolled at the U of M in January and participated in spring drills. "That's kind of hard waiting on the sidelines when you know you can play," Lopez said. "But I just tried to step up and help the team any way I could. It felt good. I'm not going to lie. I was pretty excited out there." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/18/04		Lady Tiger Basketball Turning up the Intensity -- Memphis women's basketball now three practice days in to Blair Savage's first season as head coach (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The T-shirts say `Play Harder. Play Smart. Play Together.' When three Lady Tigers hit the floor chasing a loose ball on the third day of practice, you know the intensity has been turned up in Blair Savage's first season as the Lady Tigers' head coach. "We're right where we thought we'd be," Savage said. "Our intensity and enthusiasm levels are really high right now and the good part of practice so far has been that the team is enthusiastic and wants to get better." Day one found the Lady Tigers in the gym in the late morning hours after joining the men's basketball team and participating in Midnight Madness Festivities at FedExForum to mark the official beginning of the 2004-05 basketball schedule. In the Midnight Madness festivities, the Lady Tigers were introduced to approximately 6000 Tiger basketball fans under the spotlight in a new arena, then participated in shooting contests that featured seniors Victoria Crawford and Raven Rogers and sophomores Megan Gooch and Devin Necaise. The upperclassmen were followed by freshmen Jessica Hall and Gresh Gorman competing against one another in an around-the-world shooting contest. Just 15 days out from their exhibition game against the Australian Institute of Sport, the Lady Tigers spent Day Three of practice learning another wrinkle in the offense and working on mental and physical toughness. A trio of Lady Tigers hit the floor while scrambling for loose balls while playing in a 12-minute scrimmage situation. Memphis opens its season with two exhibition games, including the Australian Institute of Sport on Nov. 2nd and cross-town rival Christian Brothers University on Nov. 10th. Memphis opens its regular season against Mercer on Nov. 19th at 7 p.m. Mercer is now guided by former Lady Tiger assistant coach Brenda Welch-Nichols, who is assisted by former Lady Tiger manager Toby Bush. In all, Memphis will play six games at home during the month of November, including the two exhibition games. Included in that November stretch will be the 20th Annual Kroger/Lady Tiger Classic, which features Centenary, South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe. The Lady Tiger Season Tickets went on sale Monday. Season-ticket prices are: 1. Reserved Chairback Seating $75 2. Adult General Admission $50 3. Faculty/Staff/Senior Citizens $40 (Reserved or General Admission) 4. Family Season Ticket $100 (2 Adults and 3 Children)

10/18/04		Darron White Named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week -- White's 60-yard punt return for a score helped seal the honor for him this week (GoTigersGo.com)
		University of Memphis senior receiver Darron White was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week as released by the league office today. It was White's first time receiving a weekly league honor, and the second special teams nod that Memphis had received this season. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski was named Player of the Week following the Arkansas State game. White put Memphis in the right direction in a 49-24 victory over conference foe Tulane, scoring on a 60-yard punt return on the Tigers' first possession in the game. The punt return touchdown is the first for Memphis in 10 years. It was White's only touchdown of the season until he also scored on an eight-yard pass from Danny Wimprine in the third quarter. The Covington, Tenn., native is ranked 18th in the nation in punt returns with an average of 13.55 yards per return and ranks second in the conference. In Saturday's win, White racked up 92 yards on five punt returns.

10/18/04		Upon further review (Commecial Appeal)
		Memphis (5-1, 2-1 C-USA) HHHH It was a year ago that Memphis found its rhythm -- or swagger, as Tiger coach Tommy West might term it -- after six games. The better news for Memphis is that this year's team is 5-1 (and not 3-3 as it was in 2003) after six games. What kind of rhythm have the Tigers found? In back-to-back conference wins over Houston and Tulane, Memphis is averaging 45 points and 492 yards. Its defense is allowing an average of 353 yards, down from the 523 average the two games before Houston and Tulane. And its special teams are making gradual, necessary strides. Next: Saturday at Cincinnati, 6 p.m. Tennessee (5-1, 3-1 SEC) HHH 1/2 Against Ole Miss, the Vols picked up where they left off against Georgia, jumping to a 14-0 first quarter lead. Things stalled from there, until a 30-yard pass from Erik Ainge to Bret Smith with 6:38 left gave UT the 21-17 win. Gerald Riggs had another strong running performance, and the defense again looked dominant, holding the Rebels to 257 yards of total offense. Still, Ainge showed he's capable of freshman mistakes, and that means the journey to the SEC Championship game will be perilous, no matter Tennessee's spot in the proverbial driver's seat. Next: Saturday vs. Alabama, 2:30 p.m. Ole miss (3-4, 2-2 SEC) HHH The Rebels stood tough against Tennessee, but could not finish the deal. Ole Miss can take some good and bad from the loss. The bad -- two more interceptions by the team's "passing" QB, Ethan Flatt, and only 89 yards rushing. The good: A defense that forced eight punts -- and another faked punt -- and nearly won the game with a late interception for a touchdown. Next: Oct. 30 vs. Auburn, time TBA arkansas (3-3, 1-2 SEC) H 1/2 When the best thing you can say about a game is that your team didn't give up, it's a bad sign. True, Arkansas tried to claw back after falling behind 30-0 to Auburn, but there was no chance of that in the 38-20 loss that was worse than the final score indicated. If the Hogs aren't careful, a once-promising season could spiral into despair. Next: Saturday vs. Georgia, 6 p.m. ARKANSAS STATE (2-5) HHH The 13-9 win over the men from Troy showed some character for an ASU team that was humiliated by Middle Tennessee the previous week. Eric Neihouse hit a pair of fourth-quarter field goals to provide the winning margin, and ASU's defense held Troy to 249 yards. Next: Saturday at Louisiana Lafayette, 4 p.m.

10/17/04		Rookies Win Blue-Gray Slugfest, 15-9 -- Tigers show offense potential in scrimmage (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sophomore Brad Fly capped a five-run first inning with a grand slam and junior transfer Collin Bastien added a two-run blast as the Tiger Rookies bested the Veterans 15-9 in the annual Blue-Gray game Sunday afternoon at Nat Buring Stadium. With the win the Rookies break a 17-year winless streak under Head Coach Daron Schoenrock. "We came into the game trying to overcome a 0-16-1 record throughout coach Schoenrock's career," said Rookie coach and Tiger assistant Jerry Zulli. "The guys came out and played as if they had nothing to lose. We had a good approach offensively and our pitching got stronger down the stretch" The game was an offensive explosion for Memphis with the two teams combining for 24 runs on 32 hits. The Vets posted a trio of extra base hits, including a two-run bomb to left by JUCO transfer Robbie Goss. Two of the newcomer's first four hits were homers from Fly and Bastien. Freshman Brent Moss also knocked a home run as the Rooks pounded out five extra base hits. "I felt we did a good job offensively," said Schoenrock. Our offense could be our strength this year. It was encouraging to see that the guys are starting to learn the system. Fly ignited the Rookies with his first inning grand slam to give them a 5-0 lead, and after a single run by the Veterans in the first, Bastien's blast gave the Newcomers a 7-1 cushion. Three Vet runs in the second and fourth innings closed the lead to 8-7, but Moss deposited a Daniel de Armas pitch over the leftfield for a two-run blast and a 10-7 advantage. Goss then pulled the Vets as close as they would get on the night with a two-run shot, but the youngster's pitching came through, shutting the returnees out in the final five innings. Meanwhile the Rookie bats continued to roll with a run in the eighth and four more in the ninth to complete the 15-9 route. "I was glad to see the rookies step up to the challenge ad show that experience doesn't always mean success. I am anxious for the last 10 days of practice before our Fall World Series."

10/17/04		O'Brien's Lone Goal Helps Memphis Tie UIC 1-1 -- The Tigers tie for the first time this season (GoTigersGo.com)
		Chicago - A tough, defensive battle against the University of Illinois-Chicago ended in a 1-1 double overtime tie for the University of Memphis men's soccer team on Sunday. The Flames (3-9-2, 2-2-1 Horizon League) struck first against the nationally-ranked Tigers (9-3-1, 5-1-0 Conference USA) on an Eric Cervantes chip off a Kenneth Nightingale pass in the 24th minute. Nightingale made a deceptive feed from the top of the penalty box that found Cervantes, who battled for position in front of the goal and kicked the ball perfectly past Memphis goalkeeper Tyler Strom. Memphis answered in the 38th minute as Dayton O'Brien dribbled to the top of the box and fired a laser shot from 30 yards out, sending a left-footed strike past the reach of UIC's diving goalkeeper Jeff Engelbrecht. It is O'Brien's second goal on the week and his sixth of the season. That was all the scoring in the game, as the defense of both teams took over and prevented any legitimate attacks from converting. "It was a frustrating game," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "Coming off one day's rest played a little bit of a factor in the game. Our fitness was good; we just looked a little worn out." Strom started his second game of the season for the Tigers and had three saves in the game. Memphis out shot the flames 19-10 with Daniel Dobson's four shots leading the U of M. The Tigers return home to play No. 25 Saint Louis at 7 p.m. at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday. Tickets for the game are $2 for adults and free for children under 18 and students with an ID card.

10/17/04		Finishing strong -- Tigers survive rough start, sink Tulane (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 17, 2004 No, it wasn't the off-week. It had nothing to do with the off-week. That's the point University of Memphis coach Tommy West wanted to make after his Tigers started sluggishly, hit their stride beginning late in the second quarter and early in the third and overwhelmed Tulane, 49-24, in a Conference USA game before 32,897 Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis hadn't played since a lopsided victory over Houston two weeks ago, so there was a natural tendency to blame the layoff for a lackluster opening half. West preferred to target a shaky Tiger defense and two exceptional punts by Houston's Chris Beckman after his first kick had been returned 60 yards for a touchdown by Darron White. ''In the first half, that was a really strange game,'' West said. ''We get that (punt return for a touchdown) and then we get the ball at the 1 and the 3 (after consecutive Houston punts inside the Memphis 5). We moved it out from the 3, but then we throw the intercept (after reaching the Houston 25). ''Our defense did not play well in the first half at all. And the game went exactly like (Tulane) wanted. They kept the ball away from our offense. We kind of let them do that. Then we regrouped at halftime and I thought we came out in the second half and looked the way we were supposed to look.'' And for the Tigers (5-1 overall, 2-1 in C-USA) that meant appearing in mid-season form. After executing perfectly on a two-minute drive to end the half -- and scoring on a 38-yard pass from Danny Wimprine to Tavares Gideon -- the U of M scored on three straight possessions to open the second half. Running back DeAngelo Williams, taking a direct snap from center Gene Frederic, darted into the end zone from 5 yards out for a 28-10 lead. The defense held, getting a key sack from Albert Means, and the offense needed only five plays to go up, 35-10. After a 25-yard run by Williams gave the Tigers a first down at the Tulane 8, Wimprine zipped a pass over the middle to White for the TD. On Tulane's ensuing possession, the Tiger defense stepped up again. This time cornerback Dustin Lopez picked off Lester Ricard's pass near midfield and returned it 37 yards to the Green Wave 14. Three plays later, fullback Robert Douglas gave the Tigers a 42-10 advantage by muscling his way in from a yard out. ''I thought we were able to contain their run pretty good,'' said Tulane coach Chris Scelfo. ''We let them gash us in the second half. We didn't respond to adversity from that standpoint. ''The touchdown right before the half, then not stopping them coming out on that (opening) second-half drive, and then going three-and-out ... that set of three or four series we didn't show the resilience we needed to show, especially against a football team like Memphis.'' The Tigers, who scored 35 points in the second and third quarters, amassed 483 yards -- about their average -- to win for the 10th time in 12 games. Williams rushed 19 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns and freshman Joseph Doss added 66 yards to lead a 257-yard rushing effort. Wimprine completed 19-of-24 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns and receiver Gideon had four catches for 72 yards and two TDs. Tulane (1-4, 0-3) was led by receiver Roydell Williams, who had six catches for 114 yards and three touchdowns. Ricard was 15-of-31 for 226 yards and the TDs to Williams. West said Tulane was able to keep the explosive Tiger offense in check early by establishing the run against one of the nation's top run-defense units. The Green Wave had the ball for five more minutes than the Tigers in the opening half. ''We woke up and came out strong in the second half,'' said Tiger defensive back Wesley Smith. ''We played good at times in the first half, we've just got to learn to play good all the time.'' DeAngelo Williams, who has rushed for 100 or more yards in five of six games, said the Tigers responded to West's halftime "encouragment." ''He gave us that halftime talk,'' Williams said. ''We are trying to put two halves together. It's a tough schedule from here on out. We've got to start playing from the get go.'' Memphis opened as if it were going to make quick work of the Green Wave. After holding Tulane on downs, White returned Beckman's punt 60 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown, the Tigers' first punt return for a TD since 1994. But the Tigers were unable to sustain the momentum supplied by White. Beckman was partially to blame. He pinned the Tigers at their 1 and their 3 on successive punts and Wimprine had a pass intercepted inside the Tulane 20 late in the opening quarter. Tulane used the turnover to drive 85 yards for a game-tying touchdown: a 37-yard pass from Ricard to Roydell Williams, a play on which Tiger cornerback Cameron Essex slipped. The Tigers scored on two of their next three possessions to take a 21-10 halftime lead. Memphis drove 85 yards in eight plays after Tulane's TD, scoring on a direct snap to DeAngelo Williams, who raced 10 yards for the score. After the Green Wave's Nick Beucher converted a 46-yard field goal, the Tigers went 79 yards in final two minutes, scoring on a 38-yard pass from Wimprine to Gideon, who used his 6-4 frame to shield cornerback Sean Lucas from making a play at the Green Wave 15. In the second half, the Tiger put the game out of reach by scoring on their first three possessions for a 42-10 cushion. Gideon scored the Tigers' final TD on a 16-yard pass from backup Bobby Robison. ''A year ago we were 3-3 at this point and now we're 5-1,'' West said. ''Nobody's really excited about it. We're kind of a quiet, sneaky 5-1 right now and that is pretty dang good. That just shows how far we've come.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/17/04		Williams salutes past Tiger record-holders (Commercial Appeal)
		By Todd Vinyard Contact October 17, 2004 University of Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams gives handoffs as good as he gets them. Williams displayed the good character Tiger fans admire when he honored the families of two men whose rushing marks he has broken this year at midfield prior to Saturday's 49-24 Memphis win over Tulane. The Wynne, Ark., native didn't even need a handoff later to reach the end zone at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Williams took direct snaps on his touchdown runs from 10 and 5 yards out. He finished with 132 yards rushing on 19 carries. "He wanted to recognize the two men whose records he broke," Tiger coach Tommy West said. "That is the kind of quality person he is. It was all his idea." The gesture became possible when the junior tailback rushed for 262 yards in a 41-14 win Oct. 2 over Houston to break Paul "Skeeter" Gowen's single-game rushing-yardage record and become Memphis's all-time leading rusher. Williams is two yards short of 3,000 for his career after Saturday. Dave Casinelli had held the record since 1963 with 2,636 yards. Williams gave the gameballs he received after the record-setting day to the Gowen and Casinelli families. Both Gowen and Casinelli have passed away, but their family members were happy to have the Tiger greats' accomplishments remembered. Gowen's son Jason, of Memphis, took the first gameball. "It is really great for DeAngelo to remember players who played before him like this," Gowen said. "My dad would be really pleased that someone like him has the record. My dad's still got the rushing average record for a career (5.4 yards from 1969-71), so hopefully DeAngelo can get that next." Peggy Casinelli said her husband would have loved to have seen the record fall to the type of player who earned it. "I've been very impressed with the way DeAngelo went out of his way for us," said Casinelli, who was at the game with 23 family members and friends from as far away as Florida and West Virginia. "We met his mother (Sandra Hill) before the game, and you can tell how he became such a nice young man. Dave loved Memphis football, and I know he would be proud today." It felt like he was there, as eight of his family members wore T-shirts with his jersey number 30 and Casinelli written on the backs. "It's great the way people came up to us before the game and said hello and how they remembered our dad," said Casinell's daughter Cheryl. Peggy and Cheryl Casinelli went on the field for the pregame ceremony along with Casinelli's other daughter Deena Gryskevich, her husband Larry, and children Hannah, Tera and Haley. Williams flashed his wide smile and gave hugs all around, before he was surprised. For his generous act, West and the team gave Williams a gameball. "I didn't expect that," Williams said. "Everybody was getting a ball out there. It was great." More gameballs will be given and more records will fall in Williams's career. Williams was asked if someone, maybe freshman running back Joseph Doss, broke his records in the future would he want a gameball? "Yeah, I probably would," Williams said laughing. "I would be pulling for him to do it for sure." -- Todd Vinyard: 529-2343

10/17/04		Postgame (Commercial Appeal)
		Go Figure 1994 The year a Memphis player last returned a punt for a touchdown. Darron White's 60-yard first-quarter punt return for a TD was the first since Ryan Roskelly returned a punt against Tulsa. 2:09 The time remaining in the first quarter when Tulane's Anthony Cannon intercepted a Memphis pass. It was the first pass intercepted by a Green Wave player ths season. 166 The number of carries this season by Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams without a fumble. Memphis has lost only two fumbles in six games, including Maurice Avery's fourth-quarter turnover Saturday. Turning point It came in the closing minutes of the first half and the opening minutes of the second. Memphis, which was clinging to a 14-10 lead with 1:47 to go in the first half, scored on four straight possessions and surged ahead, 42-10. During the stretch quarterback Danny Wimprine threw touchdown passes to Tavares Gideon and Darron White, and running backs DeAngelo Williams and Robert Douglas scored on short touchdown runs. Unsung heroes How about Tiger defensive tackle Albert Means and defensive end David McNair? McNair set the tone for the defense by dropping quarterback Lester Ricard for a 2-yard loss on a draw on the game's first play and stopping running back Ray Boudreaux for no gain on the second. Means fought admirably through double-team pressure and steamrolled through the left side of the line early in the third quarter for a sack of Ricard and a loss of 9 yards. Means's sack came on Tulane's first possession of the second half and helped the U of M pull away. Odds and ends For the fifth time this season, a representative from the GMAC Bowl in Mobile attended a University of Memphis game. The GMAC Bowl, which will be played Dec. 22, has been to see all but the U of M's Sept. 11 home game against 1-AA Chattanooga. David Collins, who attended Friday's C-USA game between TCU and UAB at Birmingham, represented the GMAC Bowl Saturday. The hometown AutoZone Liberty Bowl also sent representives. The Liberty Bowl has scouted each of the U of M's six games. Although it wasn't as celebrated as other records he has pursued and surpassed, Tiger running back Williams moved from fourth to second on the U of M's career carries list. Williams started the game with 493 carries and moved to second all time with 19 carries for 512. He passed Larry Porter (498 from 1990-93) and Gerard Arnold (499 from 1997-99). After commenting during the open week that his team had avoided the injury bug, four Tigers went down Saturday. Most of the injuries were to special teams players. Cato Mott left the field on crutches with a possible fractured fibula, Michael Spurlock was carried from the field on a cart with a broken left tibia and 5-5 Brandon Stewart, who was returning kicks for the first time, suffered a torn ACL late in the game. Also injured was starting cornerback Tristan Thomas, who suffered a concussion in the second half and did not return. Before he was injured, Stewart, a redshirt freshman, served as Memphis's main kickoff returner. He returned five kickoffs for 86 yards, but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on the final one in the fourth quarter. Memphis is now averaging only 13.1 yards per kickoff return for the season. U of M coach Tommy West lamented the lackluster performance by the kickoff-return unit, and special teams coach Tyson Helton indicated after the game that star running back Williams will rejoin speedy freshman Joseph Doss on the kickoff-return unit next week. The Tigers have been reluctant to use Williams, who averaged 23.2 yard per return his first two seasons, because they do not want to overwork the talented junior. "We've got DeAngelo and Joe, and I wanted to give Stew a shot,'' said Helton. ''We took a chance and (Stewart) did OK, but we'll still have those other two back there.'' After Williams waltzed into the end zone to finish Memphis's first drive of the second half, the scoreboard went from TIGERS 21 TULANE 10 to TIGERS 20 TULANE 10. No, Memphis didn't lose a point for the touchdown. It's just that the bulbs needed to make an 8 weren't working -- including a couple in the 2. Williams took direct snaps on both his touchdown runs and he joked about it after the game, saying he wanted to feature his run-pass double threat. "Being at the quarterback position, it gives me the run-pass threat," Williams said. "And they dropped in pass coverage. ... I have an arm, I just haven't brought it out. It's on the top shelf. It's really in the experimental phase." On Memphis's third touchdown drive of the second half, fullback Douglas needed two carries from the 5-yard line to push the U of M lead to 42-17. After the first carry, for 4 yards, Williams and White each ran toward the sidelines and appeared to be signaling to the coaching staff to give it to Douglas again. The Tigers did, and Douglas bulled his way into the end zone. It was the first career rushing TD for Douglas. Up next The Tigers travel to Cincinnati Saturday to play their final Conference USA game against the Bearcats. UC joins the Big East next season. Audible ''That was as good a two-minute drive as you can draw up. We showed great poise, we had all our timeouts ... it was just a nice drive, which I thought was the (turning) point in the game.'' -- Tiger coach Tommy West on the team's 79-yard TD drive in the final minutes of the first half -- Phil Stukenborg and Zack McMillin

10/17/04		C-USA Standings (Commercial Appeal)
		C-USA OVERALL W L W L UAB 3 0 5 1 SOUTHERN MISS 3 0 4 1 LOUISVILLE 2 0 4 1 MEMPHIS 2 1 5 1 ARMY 2 3 2 4 TCU 1 2 3 3 SOUTH FLORIDA 1 2 2 3 CINCINNATI 1 2 2 4 EAST CAROLINA 1 2 1 4 HOUSTON 1 2 1 5 TULANE 0 3 1 4 Friday's game South Florida at Louisville, 7 p.m.; ESPN Next saturday's games Memphis at Cincinnati, 6 p.m.; WLMT (30) UAB at Tulane, 2:30 p.m. Houston at TCU, 6 p.m. East Carolina at Southern Miss, 7 p.m.

10/17/04		The returns are in -- Success worth the wait for White (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact October 17, 2004 See Darron White run. That was White, on a first-quarter punt return, hustling to the corner and then sprinting past the Tulane defense for a 60-yard touchdown. It was the first punt return for a touchdown by a University of Memphis player since 1994, and it should push White into the top 15 in the nation in punt returns. See Darron White catch. That was White, an original member of the University of Memphis's DW fraternity, pulling home an 8-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. He needs 18 more receptions to become the all-time leader for the Tigers. See Darron White throw. That was White, a senior from Covington, turning and firing back across the field to his quarterback, Danny Wimprine, for a 9-yard gain to Tulane's 5. It was White's fourth career pass completion. Wimprine and DeAngelo Williams, the more heralded of Memphis's DWs, once again had gaudier numbers, but no Tiger fan among the 32,897 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday could doubt White's immense importance to the 49-24 victory. When someone asked U of M coach Tommy West about his star wide receiver, West used the bare minimum of words to convey the maximum coaching compliment: ''Darron White is a ball player.'' If Williams generates awe (for his explosive talent) and Wimprine appreciation (for giving the Tigers a genuine passing game), then White evokes respect from his coaches, his teammates and Tiger fans for his straight-ahead approach to the game. ''I love Darron White, and what he stands for,'' says U of M offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. It wasn't always thus. Though it's now obscured by the accumulated excellence of White's junior and senior (so far) seasons, his sophomore season, in 2002, represented a crossroads in his career. He performed well enough -- 40 catches for 343 yards -- but he lost the trust of his teammates and the coaching staff. White says he lost his focus, and the distractions off the field affected his status with the team. A talented and highly recruited player was, says West and Fichtner, on the verge of missing what has become the Golden Era of Tiger football. ''Darron wasn't on the same plane we were headed on,'' says Fichtner. ''But he made sure he got on the plane. ''We tried to groom that guy, and it took a couple years.'' Because of White's versatility and professional approach to all phases of the game, Fichtner can threaten opposing defenses in a variety of ways. Though White did not take a handoff on Saturday, he often goes in motion behind Wimprine and sometimes takes a pitch or handoff. As a receiver, he's now got 11 career TD catches and is on pace to break career receiving records. The punt return, after Tulane's first score, spotted the Tigers the early 7-0 lead and pushes his average to 13.5 yards per return. White took advantage of a strategy to double-team Tulane's outside gunners, broke down the sidelines and had only the punter to beat. ''And coach West, he always says, you're not much of a punt returner if you can't beat the punter,'' White said. ''I gave him a baby move and he broke down like the Louisville punter against Miami. ... There was no denying me once I got past the punter.'' And on his throw to Wimprine Saturday, White thought he had his third career touchdown pass until the big quarterback made a cut upfield and bulled through defenders to the 5. ''I'm gonna get Danny,'' White said, laughing. ''He's gonna pay. ... I told him to trust his speed to the corner.'' When it comes to trust, the Tigers put a lot on the shoulders of No. 28. ''If it's the most critical point in the game,'' says West, ''I'd just as soon see the ball in his hands as anybody's.'' -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

10/17/04		I'm about the team, Tiger says -- Blue-chip Washington wants to develop skills (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 17, 2004 It was only about 35 minutes into the first practice of the season when John Calipari halted things and talked to his freshman phenom. "You're not listening," yelled the University of Memphis coach. "We take fakes with our back foot. When you're guarding somebody, if he fakes, go like this, take it with your back foot. "Now come on. Let's go." And with that, the teaching began. All the hype and high school accolades were officially a thing of the past. Darius Washington was now just a freshman on a college basketball team, a guy with a lot to learn despite all he already knows. "Coach Cal has coached players way better than me, so I know I have to listen," Washington said. "In the game of basketball, you can always learn. Nobody knows everything. So right now, he's just sharing his knowledge with me, and I'm trying to absorb it all in." In any other season under any other circumstances, most the talk surrounding this team would be about Sean Banks. He is, lest we not forget, the reigning ESPN.com Freshman of the Year. But as workouts officially began Saturday morning at the Finch Center, it was hard not to instead notice Washington, and note his ongoing progression from prolific high school scorer to steady college floor general. When Calipari rolled the ball out at 10:30, it marked, presumably, the first practice in Washington's life where he wasn't the guy standing alone on a pedestal. Now, he's more like a star among stars, an elite talent at an elite program. More specifically, though, he's the player already tabbed as Antonio Burks's successor at point guard, which is something Calipari has no reservations about and isn't trying to hide. "That's why I put Darius right out there," he said. "I'm not trying to kid anybody. For us to be good, Darius has to play well. And I've said from the beginning that I'm not worried about him. "There are some things on this team that I am concerned about, but Darius is not one of them. He's the least of the issues for me." If Calipari seems defensive about Washington's appointment to starting point guard, it's probably because a lot of people -- from fans to scouts -- seem unsure about it. Valid or not, the one question everybody has about Washington is whether he can be a point guard in the truest sense of the word, because he has forever been a score-at-will guard in the truest sense of the word. Shooting. Breaking down defenders. Dunking over bigger players in traffic. Those are all natural abilities for the McDonald's All-American. Washington could do those things years ago, and do them well. But can he blend in, mesh with teammates and defer to others? Can he pass up an open shot, and get Rodney Carney one instead? Can he be a part of the offense rather than the offense in general? Those are the popular questions at the water coolers around town. Ask them to any Tiger coach, and the answer is yes. By all accounts, Washington has been nothing but one of the guys this summer, and he looked a lot like that Saturday. Despite his reputation as a talker and a talent not shy about letting people know how talented he is, Washington was quiet in both Saturday workouts, attentive and receptive to instruction. Why? Perhaps it's because he realizes NBA riches aren't a guarantee unless he proves he can evolve as a player. After all, if the Tigers' last McDonald's All-American (Dajuan Wagner) has shown anything, it's that undersized shooting guards can succeed in college, but doing so at the next level is none too easy. Thus, Washington's mission this year is simple: To prove to scouts that he can indeed run a team and manage a game with the ball primarily in his hands. "You haven't heard of any 6-1 (shooting guards), except for Allen Iverson, and he's the exception," Washington said. "For me to play in the league, I've got to play my natural position, and that's point guard. That's what Coach Cal is trying to instill in my head, that the high school days are over with. So I will adjust." If he does, then it stands to reason that the Tigers will compete for a Conference USA championship, and be well worthy of the national ranking most preseason magazines are bestowing upon them. In the process, Washington would probably develop into a surefire NBA prospect, and eliminate any doubters of his willingness to share the spotlight and the ball. But just in case that point still isn't clear, here's Florida's Mr. Basketball one more time with an explanation of why there's no reason to worry. "People keep thinking that I'm going to come here and try to score (32) points a game like I did in high school," Washington said. "I did that in high school because . . . who doesn't do that in high school? But everybody on this roster was a superstar in high school, and now we all have to sacrifice something for the team. "So I'll sacrifice scoring. I've got no problem with sacrificing scoring and getting assists, because I'm just trying to get a national championship." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/17/04		Tigers camp report -- From the Finch (Commercial Appeal)
		John Calipari spent most of Saturday morning's practice preaching hard work and trying to get everybody at the same effort level. At one point, the fifth-year Memphis coach brought things to a halt and singled out Sean Banks and Jeremy Hunt as two guys he could always count on. ''Sean may (tick) me off sometimes, but I know when we're in a game he's going to be standing right beside me and he's going to play,'' Calipari said. ''When Jeremy's healthy, he's the same way. I know those two are going to play in games. Why? Because they play in practices.'' Former Hamilton High standout Shawne Williams was at Saturday morning's workout, watching from the side and keeping mostly to himself. Now at Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep, Williams is considered one of the best wings in the nation and the star of the Tigers upcoming recruiting class. Among the spectators in the Finch Center Saturday morning were seven coaches from Greece whom Calipari conducted clinics with in Athens during the Olympics. While there, the Memphis coach invited them here for a week. They took him up on the offer, came to practice and attended the Grizzlies game Saturday night. Injury update Waki Williams watched Saturday morning's practice from the side with a bag of ice on his knee. A transfer from San Jacinto College, Williams is battling what is essentially tendinitis in his knee. He played some at Midnight Madness, but apparently couldn't go 10 hours later. ''It's going to be a day-to-day thing,'' Calipari said. ''It's probably going to bother him, and it's hard to be anything more than a 10-to-15-per-game player like that.'' Meanwhile, Hunt practiced Saturday morning and looked comfortable. He had ACL surgery last season, and is still only at about 90 percent. ''But it feels good,'' Hunt said. ''I felt good out there.'' Away from the court From the ''if you don't want to be a mid-major, don't act like a mid-major'' department came official word late last week that Conference USA, for the first time, would not hold a basketball media day this season. Instead, the league is offering a mere conference call, just like the Patriot League and Sun Belt. -- Gary Parrish

10/16/04		21-point third quarter helps put U of M over Tulane -- Memphis 49, Tulane 24 (Commercial Appeal)
		By The Associated Press October 16, 2004 Tulane learned Saturday there is more to the Memphis offense than DeAngelo Williams and Danny Wimprine, although the Tiger stalwarts did their part. While Williams had 132 yards and two touchdowns, Darron White and Tavares Gideon each added a pair of scoring receptions as Memphis rode a 21-point third quarter to a 49-24 win over Tulane. "A lot of guys got the ball, and a lot of guys contributed," said Wimprine, who completed passes to nine receivers. "It was a pretty productive day." Williams, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in 15 of the last 16 games, scored on runs of 10 and 5 yards. White opened the scoring with a 60-yard punt return and added an 8-yard scoring reception from Wimprine. Gideon's touchdowns came on passes of 38 and 16 yards, the final one thrown by reserve quarterback Bobby Robison. Gideon dragged a defender the last few yards into the end zone. "He's a big guy with a big frame," Wimprine said. "He was moving some bodies down there. ... Once he got it and started dragging people, I knew he was going to get in." The combination of Lester Ricard to Roydell Williams accounted for all three Green Wave touchdowns on scoring passes of 37, 13, and 19 yards. Williams had six catches for 114 yards for Tulane (1-4, 0-3). The Memphis offense racked up 483 yards with a balanced attack of 257 yards rushing and 226 through the air. Wimprine was 19-of-24 for 166 yards. "I thought we were able to contain their run pretty good," said Tulane coach Chris Scelfo. "We let them gash us in the second half. We didn't respond to adversity from that standpoint." Meanwhile, the Tiger defense held Tulane to 90 yards on the ground. The Tigers led 21-10 at the half, but it was far from dominant. Tulane receivers consistently got behind the Memphis defense, but Ricard, who completed 10 of 22 passes in the half, could not connect. "I thought our receivers did a good job of getting down the field, in the first half especially," Scelfo said. " We just missed them. Sometimes you roll sevens, and we didn't a few times." Ricard did find Williams from 37 yards early in the second period for the Green Wave's only touchdown of the half. Nick Beucher added a 46-yard field goal for Tulane's other score, the Wave's first field goal of the season. Tulane also got its first interception of the year, by linebacker Anthony Cannon in the first quarter. The Tigers had a 7-0 lead before the offense ever took the field on White's punt return for the opening score. "I told them when I got to the sideline that it was a long time coming," White said of the first scoring punt return for Memphis since 1994. "Since I started (returning punts), that's all I was trying to do was break one." Memphis relied on its normal offensive strengths, the running of Williams and passing of Wimprine, but the roles were somewhat reversed for two Tiger touchdowns. Williams lined up at quarterback as Wimprine went in motion, and the ball was centered directly to Williams, who scored on both plays. Memphis' 5-1 record is its best start since 1967, and an improvement over last year when the Tigers were 3-3 after six games but still made their first bowl trip in more than 30 years. "I feel good about where we are as a football team," Memphis coach Tommy West said. "...We are kind of a quiet, sneaky 5-1, and that is pretty darn good. We have come a long way."

10/16/04		Nancy Nellans Downs 1,000th Kill in Sweep of Charlotte Tigers win 13th in a row (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - CHARLOTTE (15-8; 2-4 C-USA) 22 28 25 MEMPHIS (20-4; 5-0 C-USA) 30 30 30 Junior Nancy Nellans downed a match-high 14 kills and became the 17th player in Memphis volleyball history to eclipse the 1,000-career kill mark as the Tigers improved to 20-4 with a sweep of Charlotte Saturday evening at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Memphis has now won 13 consecutive matches and is off to a 5-0 start in Conference USA action, its best start as a member of the league. Nellans, who needed just four kills to reach 1,000, did not take long to accomplish the feat that only three other Memphis juniors have. The South Bend, Ind. native connected for kills on four of her first five swings to claim the milestone. "I am so proud of how we are playing," said Memphis head coach Carrie Yerty. "Every time we step on the floor we get more confident. Heather (Watts) was phenomenal running our offense and our liberos Christen Clayton and Emily Steckel were solid at stabilizing our offense by passing well." Trailing 10-9, Memphis used a 12-2 run to take a nine-point lead in the first game. Charlotte responded with a 5-2 run that closed the deficit to 26-22, but the 49ers never got any closer as the U of M scored the final four points to close the game out at 30-22. Memphis picked up where it left off the previous night, hitting .357 in the game, while holding Charlotte's offense to a .179 percentage. The two teams combined for 19 service errors in the game. The second frame was perhaps the most interesting as Memphis claimed 30-28 win. After an illegal substitution penalty by Memphis, the Tigers won the point for what was thought to have been a 30-27 win. However, a protest by Charlotte forced the two teams back to the floor to replay the point. Charlotte won the next point to make the score 29-27, but Memphis held firm and Nellans downed the game-winner for the Tigers. Game three saw Memphis wrap up the match with a .414 hitting percentage. Memphis was spotted a 3-0 lead and never trailed as they extended the lead to as much as six, at 17-11. Charlotte never got closer than three points as Memphis claimed a 30-25 win. Memphis finished its third consecutive sweep hitting .343. Tiara Gilkey hit .476 and had just two errors with her 12 kills. Ashley Liford also had a solid night, downing 10 kills and hitting .368. Melissa Nance hit a match-high .538 with seven kills and no errors. Sophomore libero Christen Clayton served up four aces for the fourth straight contest. Setter Heather Watts again posted a double-double for the Tigers, with 42 assists and a team-high 10 digs. Charlotte was led by Lisa Newell's 12 kills offensively, and Molly Kreyling's 12 defensive digs. Molly McDonald posted a match-high 43 assists in a losing effort. Memphis will now prepare for a three-match road trip that includes matches against Ole Miss on Tues., Oct., 19 at 7 p.m., followed by face-offs with C-USA powers Louisville and Cincinnati on consecutive nights on Oct., 22nd and 23rd.

10/16/04		Memphis Defeats Tulane, 49-24 -- DeAngelo Williams rushes for 132 years and two touchdowns (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -DeAngelo Williams rushed for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns Saturday as Memphis used a third quarter burst to defeat Tulane 49-24. Darron White added a pair of scores for the Tigers (5-1, 2-1 Conference USA), including a 60-yard punt return, as Memphis scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away from the Green Wave (1-4, 0-3). Tavares Gideon also had a pair of touchdown receptions for Memphis. Williams, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in 15 of the last 16 games, scored on runs of 10 and 5 yards. In addition to the punt return, White added an 8-yard scoring reception from Danny Wimprine. Gideon's touchdowns came on passes of 38 and 16 yards, the final one thrown by reserve quarterback Bobby Robison. The combination of Lester Ricard to Roydell Williams accounted for all three Green Wave touchdowns on scoring passes of 37, 13, and 19 yards. Williams had six catches for 114 yards. The Memphis offense racked up 483 yards with a balanced attack of 257 yards rushing and 226 through the air. Wimprine was 19-of-24 for 166 yards. Meanwhile, the Tiger defense held Tulane to 90 yards on the ground. The Tigers held a 21-10 lead at the half, but was far from dominant. Tulane receivers consistently got behind the Memphis defense, but Ricard, who completed 10 of 22 passes in the half, could not connect. Ricard did find Williams from 37 yards early in the second period for the Green Wave's only touchdown of the half. Nick Beucher added a 46-yard field goal for Tulane's other score, the Wave's first field goal of the season. Tulane also got its first interception of the year, by linebacker Anthony Cannon in the first quarter. The Tigers had a 7-0 lead before the offense ever took the field on White's punt return for the opening score. Memphis relied on its normal offensive strengths, the running of Williams and passing of Wimprine, but the roles were somewhat reversed for two Tiger touchdowns. Williams lined up at quarterback as Wimprine went in motion, and the ball was centered directly to Williams, who scored on both plays.

10/16/04		Post Game Notes (GoTigersGo.com)
		Post Game Quotes UM Coach Tommy West "I feel good about where we are as a football team. The first half was really a strange half. I feel good we are 5-1 right now. We are kind of a quiet and sneaky 5-1 and that is pretty darn good. We have come a long way. A year ago at this time we were 3-3.We did have some injuries though. We expect to win but we still have to learn how fundamentally to win." "Darron White is a ball player. He shows alot of leadership and when it is at the most critical point in the game I want him to get the ball in his hands." "We still have to improve on some things though. Our kick return team has got to get better. We have to get better field position. Our kickoff coverage was better today. In the second half we got off some blocks better and covered better. We did have some injuries though. Michael Spurlock has a broken leg, and will be out for the year. Brandon Stewart tore his ACL; Cato Mott has an ankle injury and Tristan Thomas has a concussion." Tulane Coach Chris Scelfo On Danny Wimprine. "He's a competitor. He knows how to use the guys around him. He's grown up tremendously. Three years ago, he wasn't as near as good as he is today because of it." On Memphis ending the first half with a touchdown. "That was a big play, and that's what I just told our football team; to overcome adversity. We didn't handle it very well today collectively. They ended up scoring four-straight times. They handled it a lot better than we did. That's a step we've got to take." On missed opportunities "We had some opportunities there, and we have to give Memphis credit. I thought our receivers did a nice job getting down the field, in the first half especially. We just missed them. Sometimes you roll sevens, and we didn't on a few times." On Tulane's defense. "I really thought we were able to contain their run pretty good. We let them gash us in the second half. We didn't respond to adversity from that stand point. The touchdown right before half, then not stopping them coming out on that second half drive, and then going three-and-out. That set of three or four series, we didn't show the resilience we needed to show, especially against a football team like Memphis." Game Notes: * Senior Darron White returned the first Tulane punt of the game 60 yards for a touchdown, marking the first punt return for a touchdown since 1994 when Ryan Roskelly scored on a punt against Tulsa. White finished with five punt returns for 92 yards to tie for fifth all-time in single game punt return yards. * Junior tailback DeAngelo Williams scored his 11th rushing touchdown of the season in the second quarter off a 10-yard run off the direct snap, and in doing so tied Dante Brown (2001) and Dave Casinelli (1962) for second in touchdowns in a season. The leader is Casinelli who totaled 14 rushing TDs in 1963. Williams' touchdown also marked his 30th career touchdown, as well as his 26th career rushing TD. * In the third quarter, Williams ran five yards for a score and notched his 12th rushing touchdown and became the second all-time scoring running back. Williams also picked up his 31st career touchdown, as well as his 27th career rushing TD. * Following his first seven carries of today's game, DeAngelo Williams became Memphis' second all-time leading rusher as far as attempts is concerned. He came into the game with 493 carries, and moved ahead of Larry Porter (498) and Gerard Arnold (499). Williams finished the game with 19 carries and now totals 512 career carries. Dave Casinelli continues to hold the school mark with 549 carries from 1960-63. * With the 38-yard touchdown pass from Danny Wimprine to Tavares Gideon, Gideon has now tallied six TDs in 2004. He is the only Tiger receiver this season to total multiple touchdown receptions. Gideon has now scored in 11 of his 18 games played. The Greenwood, Miss., native scored again in the fourth quarter and has 15 career TD receptions, and is tied for third, with Isaac Bruce, in the U of M record books behind Earnest Gray (17) and Bill Robertson (16). * Senior receiver Von Webb picked up his first reception of the season in the third quarter. It was his 12th career reception. Webb was one of a 10 Tigers to record a reception on the afternoon. * Ten receivers matches a season high for Memphis. The Tigers had 10 receivers to make a catch against UAB and Houston. * Darron White recorded his 11th career touchdown reception on an eight-yard pass that helped Memphis to a 35-10 lead in the third quarter. It was also White's first TD reception of the 2004 season. * Sophomore DB Dustin Lopez picked off Tulane QB Lester Ricard with just over six minutes left in the game to set up the one-yard rushing touchdown three plays later by senior Robert Douglas. The interception was a first for Lopez who transferred to Memphis from West Minnesota Junior College, and the touchdown was Douglas' first rushing score. He caught his first career TD pass against Arkansas State earlier this year. * There were several injury timeouts in today's game. Cato Mott left the field on crutches with a possible fractured fibula. Michael Spurlock left the field on a cart with a broken left tibia, and a couple of plays later in the third quarter, the medical staff tended to Tristan Thomas who may have suffered a concussion. Thomas left the ASU game earlier this year with a concussion. Brandon Stewart suffered a torn ACL late in the game. * DeAngelo Williams rushed for 132 yards on 19 carries today for his 19th rushing game of 100-plus yards. He has rushed for a score in each of the six games this season, and leads Memphis in scoring with 78 points. His 188 career points ranks sixth all-time. With his yardage in today's game, Williams now totals 2998 career yards. * With the victory today, Memphis improves to 5-1 on the year for the first time since 1967. That year, Memphis opened at 5-1 and ended the year at 6-3 under Coach Billy J. Murphy. Memphis also opened the 1966 season with a 5-1 record. * Senior QB Bobby Robison's fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Tavares Gideon was his third of the season. Robison threw for a pair of scores against Chattanooga. * Kicker Stephen Gostkowski was 7-of-7 on PATs today. He now has 79 consecutive PATs and continues to rank second nationally. His 104 PATs made for his career ranks him third in the Tigers' record books. The junior kicker also moved into second place all-time with 109 PAT's attempted. His 221 points scored moves him into third in Tiger history behind Joe Allison (263) and Ryan White (248).

10/16/04		Final Stats: Memphis 49, Tulane 24 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Tulane 0 10 7 7-24 Memphis 7 14 21 7-49 First Quarter Mem-D. White 60 punt return, (Gostkowski kick), 12:36. Second Quarter Tul-R. Williams 37 pass from Ricard (Beucher kick), 11:29. Mem-D. Williams 10 run (Gostkowski kick), 9:10. Tul-FG Beucher 46, 1:47. Mem-Gideon 38 pass from Wimprine (Gostkowski kick), :12. Third Quarter Mem-D. Williams 5 run (Gostkowski kick), 11:42. Mem-D. White 8 pass from Wimprine (Gostkowski kick), 8:00. Mem-Douglas 1 run (Gostkowski kick), 6:10. Tul-R. Williams 13 pass from Ricard (Beucher kick), :39. Fourth Quarter Mem-Gideon 16 pass from Robison (Gostkowski kick), 9:15. Tul-R. Williams 19 pass from Ricard (Beucher kick), 3:48. A-32,897. --- TUL MEM First downs 17 26 Rushes-yards 34-90 42-257 Passing 231 226 Comp-Att-Int 16-35-1 23-31-1 Return Yards 28 129 Punts-Avg. 7-41 5-31 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1 Penalties-Yards 6-65 5-48 Time of Possession 31:13 28:47 --- INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING-Tulane, Jackson 12-48, Forte 12-45, C. Davis 1-4, Boudreaux 2-3, team 1-(minus-1), Irvin 1-(minus-4), Ricard 5-(minus-5). Memphis, Williams 19-132, Doss 8-66, Douglas 6-29, Avery 2-15, Gaither 5-11, Wimprine 2-4. PASSING-Tulane, Ricard 15-31-1-226, Irvin 1-4-0-5. Memphis, Wimprine 19-24-1-166, Robinson 3-5-0-51, White 1-1-0-9, team 0-1-0-0. RECEIVING-Tulane, R. Williams 6-114, Bush 4-91, Jackson 2-6, Terranova 1-7, D. Davis 1-5, F. Smith 1-4, Forte 1-4. Memphis, D. White 5-28, Avery 5-16, Gideon 4-72, T. Davis 2-23, Kelley 2-15, Doss 1-29, D. Williams 1-26, Pratcher 1-9, Wimprine 1-9, Webb 1-(minus-1).

10/16/04		Singles Quarterfinals Set for Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional -- Two from the University of Georgia and two from the University of Florida in quarterfinal round (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The stage is set for the final three rounds of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional following the third day of competition at The Racquet Club of Memphis. The singles quarterfinals will take place at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, with the semifinals to follow at 1 p.m. Tournament top seed Jesse Witten from Kentucky has advanced to one of the quarterfinals without losing a set, where he will face a battle-tested Vlad Obradovic from Florida, the No. 6 seed in the tournament. Obradovic has won two straight three-set matches, including a 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 come-from-behind victory over upset-minded Jason Pinky from Vanderbilt in the Round of 16 action. Witten downed Colin Purcell from Georgia in the round of 16 after Purcell was one of three non-seeded players to pull upsets and advance to the Round of 16. The winner of the Witten/Obradovic quarterfinal will face the winner of the Janne Holmia and Josh Cohen match. Homia, the No. 4 seed from Florida, also came back from a first set loss, this one a 6-4 loss to Ole Miss' Eric Claesson, to win the next two sets, 6-0, 7-5. Cohen, the No. 9 seed from Miami, had an easier time with No. 17 seed Luigi D'Agord from Alabama, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Cohen has not dropped a set in three matches. No. 9 seed Matias Ormaza from Georgia will face in-state foe Jamie Rodriguez from Georgia State, the No. 17 seed, in the third quarterfinal. Ormaza downed Kentucky's Nate Emge, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to the Sunday quarterfinal, while Rodriguez avoided becoming a second-straight seed to fall to Tulane's David Goulet with a 6-2, 6-1 win. The fourth quarterfinal will feature No. 5 seed Scott Brown from Vanderbilt against No. 9 seed Matic Omerzel, a second quarterfinalist from Georgia. Brown took out Middle Tennessee's Andreas Siljestrom, 6-1, 7-6, while Omerzel downed Mississippi State's Jose Carlos Pinto, 6-3, 6-3. Omerzel has dropped just one set, a 7-6 loss in a tiebreaker, to LSU's Danny Bryan in the round of 32. Other than that, none of his opponents have won more than four points in a set. Brown has won a tiebreaker, 7-6, to decide a match in his favor in each of the last two rounds. Round of 16 Results No. 1 Jesse Witten (Kentucky) def. Colin Purcell (Georgia), 6-1, 6-4 No. 6 Vlad Obradovic (Florida) def. Jason Pinsky (Vanderbilt), 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 No. 4 Janne Holmia (Florida) def. No. 17 Eric Claesson (Ole Miss), 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 No. 9 Josh Cohen (Miami) def. No. 17 Luigi D'Agord (Alabama), 6-3, 6-2 No. 9 Matias Ormaza (Georgia) def. No. 17 Nate Emge (Kentucky), 6-2, 6-3 No. 17 Jaime Rodriguez (Georgia State) def. David Goulet (Tulane), 6-2, 6-1 No. 5 Scott Brown (Vanderbilt) def. No. 9 Andreas Siljestrom (Middle Tennessee), 6-1, 7-6 No. 9 Matias Ormezel (Georgia) def. No. 17 Jose Carlos Pinto (Mississippi State), 6-3, 6-3 Quarterfinal Match-ups for Sunday - 9:30 a.m. No. 1 Jesse Witten (Kentucky) vs. No. 6 Vlad Obradovic (Florida) No. 4 Janne Holmia (Florida) vs. No. 9 Josh Cohen (Miami) No. 9 Matias Ormaza (Georgia) vs. No. 17 Jamie Rodriguez (Georgia State) No. 5 Scott Brown (Vanderbilt) vs. No. 9 Matias Omerzel (Georgia)

10/16/04		Kohl Wins First Collegiate Championship Title -- Freshman wins No. 7 singles championship (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Freshman Kathrin Kohl won her first collegiate singles championship with a win in the No. 7 singles championship in the finals of the Shoney's/Varsity Pro Shop Invitational, Saturday. Kohl defeated Murray State's Whitney Robards, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, to claim her first title. Two other Lady Tigers who had advanced to Saturday's finals suffered setbacks. Junior Andrea Feichtinger and Jaclyn Leeper from Murray State split the first two sets at No. 2 singles before Leeper won the third set and the match with a 6-2 decision in the third set. Saint Louis's Amanda Hellberg won the consolation singles title at No. 2 with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory over SIU-Carbondale's Amanda Tallefer. Kristin Noble also fell in a championship final, falling 6-0, 6-3 to Murray State's Rachel Lask. Saint Louis' Tara Grant won the consolation final in the No. 4 singles bracket. The Lady Tigers are now complete with their fall schedule. Memphis will open its spring dual schedule against USF on Jan. 30th at 10 a.m. Complete Final Results No. 1 singles - Championship - Marina Engelbrecht (Arkansas State) def. Marina Tasheva (Tennessee Tech), 6-3, 6-4 Consolation - Jenny Batty (Ball State) def. Maria Blanco (SIU-Carbondale), 6-2, 6-1 No. 2 singles Championship - Jaclyn Leeper (Murray State) def. Andrea Feichtinger (Memphis), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 Consolation - Amanda Hellberg (Saint Louis) def. Amanda Tellefer (SIU-Carbondale), 7-6, 6-2 No. 3 singles Championship - Jennifer Ward (Murray State) def. Bethany Everett (Chattanooga), 6-3, 6-2 Consolation - Ana Renda (Saint Louis) def. Joana Hornestam (SIU-Carbondale), 6-1, 6-0 No. 4 singles Championship - Rachel Lask (Murray State) def. Kristin Noble (Memphis), 6-0, 6-3 Consolation - Tara Grant (Saint Louis) def. Zuzana Palovic (SIU-Carbondale), 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 No. 5 singles Championship - Casady Pruitt (Murray State) def. Kay Ngiam (Tennessee Tech), 7-6 (2), 6-0 Consolation - Bonnie Adams (UTC) def. Tina Grasso (Saint Louis), 6-2, 6-1 No. 6 singles Championship - Rachel McCullogh (Saint Louis) def. Christina Hall (Murray State), 5-7, 7-6, 6-2 Consolation - Tami McQueen (Murray State) def. Christina Wieser (Memphis), 6-2, 6-1 No. 7 singles Championship - Kathrin Kohl (Memphis) def. Whitney Robards (Murray State), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 Consolation - Beth Campus (Ball State) def. Christy Fazio (Chattanooga), 6-3, 6-7 (10), 6-2 No. 1 doubles Championship - Lask/Lask (Murray State)_def. Ballard/Everett (Chattanooga), 8-4 Consolation - Engelbrecht/Pogacnik (Arkansas State) def. Blanco/Palovic (SIU-Carbondale), 8-2 No. 2 doubles Championship - Hellberg/Renda (Saint Louis) def. Calderwood/Pollack (Ball State), 8-3 Consolation - Leeper/Hall (Murray State) def. Tallefer/Bredniak (SIU-Carbondale), 8-1 No. 3 doubles Championship - Did Not Play Consolation - Owens/Campus (Ball State) def. Grasso/McCullagh (Saint Louis), 8-0

10/16/04		Stroke of midnight tips off hoops year -- Parade leads fans into Tigers' new venue (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 16, 2004 Ann Capra and Emily Williams were minding their own business, just seeing the sights downtown, when the strangest thing happened. A band came parading by. Not a rock and roll band, mind you. That, they kind of expected, this being Memphis and all. But a marching band? With cheerleaders? And a mascot? This was weird, especially for two women from Kansas City. So naturally, they joined right in and followed the pack. ''What's going on?'' Williams asked. It's a pep rally for the University of Memphis basketball team. They start practice at midnight at the big arena over there. ''Really?'' she asked. ''And people can go watch?'' Yep. ''Cool, then we'll go,'' she said. ''I like Tigers.'' And so it was, Friday night. Some diehard fans from around town combined with some not-so-diehards from Kansas City and filled the bottom level of FedExForum for Midnight Madness, which served as the official launching point of the 2004-05 season. On the scoreboard above, a video of last season's highlights played. On the floor below the Tigers and Lady Tigers signed autographs. Off to the side, John Calipari, who had already possibly set a record for most handshakes in a one-hour period, was trying to keep his eyes open long enough to give a speech when the new day came. ''I'm falling asleep,'' he said at about 10:45. ''But I'll be OK.'' Speaking of sleep, that is going to be at a premium for the Tigers over the next week or so. Though Sean Banks and company didn't leave FedExForum until about 1 a.m., they are due back at the Finch Center this morning to begin two-a-day workouts in preparation for a season-opener that is less than a month away. These coming practices will be low on show, and high on instruction. No music will be blaring. No mascot will be jumping. No fans will be in attendance, not even the women from Kansas City. ''So this is the University of Memphis, right? Williams asked. ''Are they going to be any good this year?'' Nice question. For the answer, we go to Arthur Barclay, one of three seniors on the Tiger roster. ''We've got a chance to be really good,'' he said. ''It just depends on how we come together as a team.'' -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

10/16/04		Tiger Notes (volleyball, soccer, tennis) (Commercial Appeal)
		Memphis women run string to 12 wins The University of Memphis volleyball team got a match-high 15 kills from freshman Ashley Liford and the rest of the squad combined to hit a season-high .390 as the Tigers cruised past East Carolina Friday at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The 3-0 win extended the Tigers' victory streak to 12 matches as they improved to 19-4 on the season and remained undefeated in Conference USA play at 4-0. "Tonight was a nice match for us," said head coach Carrie Yerty. "We are playing with a lot of confidence and we are becoming a better team every time we step on the court." Memphis asserted its control of the match early, jumping to a 10-6 lead in the first game. ECU managed to cut the lead to 15-11, but despite hitting .182 in the game, the Tigers put on a 15-9 run to wrap up the game at 30-19. The momentum continued to build for Memphis in the second game as the Tigers hit a scorching .556 while holding the Pirates to a .208 clip. The Tigers got a pair of kills from Shelby Burton, and Nancy Nellans added a service ace for a 3-0 lead. They were never slowed, leading by as much as nine on multiple occasions in a 30-22 win. ECU opened the third set with a 5-3 advantage, but a 5-0 spurt gave Memphis a 10-7 lead. Memphis finished the contest by outscoring ECU 17-9 to claim the match. Tiger soccer men win With 10 minutes left in a tied game, Dayton O'Brien scored on a free kick to give the University of Memphis men's soccer team a 2-1 victory over DePaul in Chicago. O'Brien, a junior from Memphis, scored his fifth goal of the season on an unassisted kick just outside the box. The goal is his third game-winner, matching teammate Andy Metcalf for the team lead. O'Brien, a Preseason All-Conference USA selection, has a team-leading 17 points. John Reilly gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute on a one-timer from a left-side cross by Brad Whitsitt. With the win, the No. 25 Tigers improved to 9-3-0 and 5-1-0 in C-USA. DePaul is 2-10-3, 0-5-1. BRIEFLY Rickey Biven scored with 42 seconds left in regulation to lift the Christian Brothers University soccer team over host Alabama-Huntsville, 2-1. CBU (7-3-3, 3-0-1 Gulf South Conference) outshot UAH (4-8, 2-4 GSC) 13-8. Mariano Ilari scored the other CBU goal. ... The CBU Lady Buc soccer team lost as Alabama-Huntsville's Lindsey Schemeanaur connected on a penalty kick in overtime, lifting the host Lady Chargers to a 2-1 win. CBU (4-7, 3-2 GSC) got a goal from Stacy-Jo Fletcher. .. The Memphis women's soccer (10-4) team fell, 4-0, to host South Florida (4-5-2). A trio of Tigers -- Maten Tamla, Alex Jago and James Spence -- advanced into the round of 64 with tennis victories in the opening round of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional at The Racquet Club.

10/16/04		Tigers spreading receptions around (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 16, 2004 Glance at the leading receivers in Conference USA, and one must wonder if there's a misprint. When the University of Memphis resumes its season today at 1 against Tulane -- after a bye week -- it will bring Conference USA's top-ranked pass offense to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The U of M is averaging 294.6 yards passing, nearly 30 more per game than second-place TCU. Yet none of the league's top 11 receivers -- ranked by receptions per game -- wears a Tiger uniform. The fact hasn't gone unnoticed by Tiger offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, who calls the development not so much an anomaly as a tribute to the team's depth. A year ago, Maurice Avery was among C-USA's top receivers after five games with 31 catches for 402 yards and three touchdowns. Through five games this season, the U of M's top receiver is Tavares Gideon, with 17 catches for 200 yards and five TDs. ''I don't know if we necessarily have a go-to guy, but we have had pretty good distribution,'' Fichtner said. ''To lead the league in passing and not have anyone leading the league in receiving ... that's perfect. That's ideal for a team. Everyone is involved. Everyone is excited about the opportunity to make a play.'' Talk about a spread offense. The Tigers (4-1 overall, 1-1 in C-USA) have averaged throwing the ball to nine different receivers a game this season. Quarterback Danny Wimprine had pass completions to 10 different Tigers in the team's last game, a 41-14 win over Houston Oct. 2. A year ago, Memphis averaged throwing to 7.6 receivers per game, a number that included a heavier emphasis on passes to running back DeAngelo Williams. Williams had 17 catches in the team's first five games in 2003. He has nine during the same period this season. The return of Gideon, who missed last season with a knee injury, has given Wimprine another experienced option. Having Avery and Darron White sharing snaps at the H-receiver spot has provided depth that few teams in the league can match. Avery and White were the team's top two receivers in 2003. Avery finished with 49 catches for 742 yards and eight touchdowns. White had 37 receptions for 525 yards and five TDs. ''We just have a lot of weapons that we can spread the ball around to,'' Wimprine said. ''And any one of those guys can make plays. ''If you have two running backs and two groups of wide receivers like we have, it's going to be eight or nine guys catching passes every week if you can get the ball into their hands.'' Wimprine has passed for 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns through five games and is ranked ninth nationally in total offense (296 yards per game). But Tulane (1-3, 0-2) is expected to make the Tigers work for their passing yards; the Green Wave is ranked second in the league against the pass. While Houston's Vincent Marshall leads C-USA with 33 catches, and UAB's Roddy White has 27, only three Tigers have more than 10 catches. No U of M receiver has surpassed Avery's 17 receptions. ''Some of the guys on this team, if they played for somebody else, they'd have eight or nine catches every week,'' Wimprine said. ''But I have eight or nine guys who catch three and four passes a week. It works out well for us.'' Avery had a 13-catch game against UAB last season, and White caught 10 passes against Mississippi State. This season, the most passes a Tiger has caught in a game is five. ''For the most part, we don't have selfish players on this team who get mad if they don't get their catches,'' White said. ''If DeAngelo has 30 or 35 carries a game and we are winning, it doesn't matter. ''If we can work it to one player on one side of the field, there's going to be a lot of catches over there. If it's to one player in the middle, there'll be a lot of catches there. We have playmakers all over the field.'' Wimprine has been impressed with the attitude, an atmosphere created by ending a 32-year bowl drought in 2003 and winning eight of the last 10 games. ''They've been unselfish, but that comes with being successful,'' he said. ''If you run this type of system and you don't win any games, then people would start to complain. ''But guys here have continued to be unselfish and they are doing a good job. Any of these guys that get open are going to get their catches.'' Receivers coach Clay Helton said it's no surprise to him that the Tigers are outscoring the opposition by 55 points in the second half. Among the reasons is the team's depth at the position. ''In the Mississippi State game last year D-White had one of his best games, but had nothing left in the tank on the last drive,'' Helton said. ''Now we do a good job in the second half against our opponents because we're coming at them with fresh legs.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

10/16/04		Former Tiger has front row seat in NLCS -- Houston reliever Harville trying to get the better of team he idolized as youth (Commercial Appeal)
		By Don Wade Contact October 16, 2004 Against the team he loved while growing up in Savannah, Tenn., Chad Harville stood on the highest point of the field at Busch Stadium: The pitcher's mound. It was quite a view, a much better view than Harville had as a kid when he sat with his Little League team in the upper deck watching Ozzie Smith, Vince Coleman and Willie McGee running around playing Whitey Ball. Of course, Harville's view Wednesday night in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series was spoiled by one swing of St. Louis Cardinal Jim Edmonds's bat. Edmonds hit a three-run double off Harville, blowing open a game the Houston Astros would lose, 10-7. But less than 24 hours afterward, Harville, who pitched for the University of Memphis in the mid-1990s, had done what every player in the postseason must do: He had moved on. "I looked at it today," Harville said before Thursday's Game 2. "It was a fastball down and in, a pretty good pitch. He just turned on it." Unfortunately, Game 2 brought more growing pains for the 27-year-old righthander as he gave up a two-run homer to Scott Rolen that was key in the Cardinals' 6-4 win. Had all this happened earlier in the season, some of the 15 people who were at Busch Stadium for the playoff games as Harville's guests might have had mixed emotions, might have reflexively applauded. Their Cardinal roots run deep. "Most of them are Cardinal fans," said Harville, 27. "But everybody I left tickets for is pulling for us. They're in full support now." This support group includes two of his biggest loyalists: wife, Wendi, and Chad's father, James Harville. They'll all be in Houston today where the Astros will try to fight back from a 2-0 deficit in this best-of-seven NLCS. "We were Cardinal fans," James admitted. "And now here we are rooting for him against the Cardinals. But all our people, we're having a big time." Funny thing is, back in small-town Savannah a young Chad Harville more often dreamed of hitting a dramtic home run. He was going to play the part that Scott Rolen played against him. "My Little League team even had red shoes like the Cardinals," Chad said, smiling. Originally drafted by Oakland in 1997, Harville had only 42 big-league appearances with the A's -- spread among four seasons -- until they traded him to Houston this April. With the Astros, the 5-9, 185-pound righthander pitched in 56 games out of the bullpen, going 3-2 with a 4.73 earned run average in 53.1 innings. "He would pitch a couple of good outings, then have a couple of poor outings," said Astros manager Phil Garner. "You sort of are disappointed because he does have good pitches. He has a good fastball. He has a good sinker and he has a good breaking pitch. "It wasn't until somewhere in the mid part of August that we started using him in mid-relief situations, getting out of jams ... he started performing well in those roles, very adept at coming in, getting a groundball, getting a strikeout." Harville's season was complicated by a hamstring injury to his right leg that landed him on the disabled list for most of May. But that's now in the distant past, same as Edmonds's double and Rolen's home run, same as loyalty to the Cardinals from Harville's family and friends. "We went from Atlanta to Houston and back to Atlanta and now St. Louis," James said. "We do it by car and we've logged quite a bit of miles lately." They hope they'll get to log a few more. They hope the Astros get this series back to St. Louis for Games 6 and 7. They hope Chad gets another chance to help beat those guys in the red shoes. -- Don Wade: 529-2358

10/15/04		Fifth-Annual Tommy Smith Banquet Kicks Off Alumni Weekend -- Alumni Game and the Tigers hosting Saint Louis also part of festivities (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis men's soccer team will celebrate its alumni weekend beginning Friday, Oct. 22 with a banquet, alumni game and the No. 25 Tigers hosting No.25 Saint Louis. The weekend will be kicked off with the fifth annual Tommy Smith Banquet at 6 p.m. on Friday at Lulu Grille in East Memphis. Team supporters, alumni, current players and fans are invited to the banquet, which is held in honor of former Memphis star forward Tommy Smith who passed away suddenly on March 18, 2000. Smith played for the Tigers from 1992-95, cumulating 77 games and scoring 15 goals with 11 assists. Dr. David Dietrich will be the guest speaker at the banquet. Dietrich coached Smith in club soccer at Memphis and is currently the goalkeeper coach for Lambuth University and also an assistant professor of psychology at the university. At the banquet, the Tommy Smith Award will be presented to the Tiger player that most exemplifies high academic standards, dedication, love of the game and sportsmanship. Past award winners are Andy Metcalf, 2003; John Reilly, 2002; Chris Schmidt, 2001; and Nick Glaser, 2000. "This is a special night for our program, for current players and our alumni to come back and remember the importance of Tommy to our program," said head coach Richie Grant. Tickets for the banquet are $15 per person and can be purchased at the event or reservations can be made through Julie Carothers at (901) 678-2452. Lulu Grille is located in Erinway Center on 565 Erin Drive at Poplar, one block west of Mendenhall. The Tiger alumni will then pair off and compete in the annual alumni game at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The event is free to the public. Following the alumni game, the nationally ranked Tigers will host nationally ranked Saint Louis at 7 p.m. Tickets to the game are $2 for adults and free for children under 18 and students with their ID card.

10/15/04		DeAngelo Williams to Honor Gowen and Casinelli Families Saturday -- Fans are invited to get to their seats by 12:30 p.m. for a special pre-game presentation (GoTigersGo.com)
		Approximately 25 minutes prior to kickoff of Saturday's game between Memphis and Tulane, a special presentation will take place on the field. Tiger tailback DeAngelo Williams will present a special commemorative football to the families of Paul "Skeeter" Gowen and Dave Casinelli. Gowen's son, Jason, will represent his family, while more than 20 members of the Casinelli family have traveled from West Virginia and Florida to attend Saturday's game. In the last home game against Houston, Williams rushed for 262 yards, and broke Gowen's record for yards in a game that had stood since he rushed for 260 yards against Tulsa in 1969. With his first three carries in the game, Williams also surpassed Casinelli's career record of 2,636 yards that he amassed from 1960-63. Williams enters Saturday's game with 2,866 career yards, and he needs just five rushing touchdowns during the remainder of the 2004 season to break another Casinelli record. Casinelli rushed for 14 scores during the 1963 season to hold the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. Fans are invited to enter the stadium and be seated around 12:30 p.m. to show their support during this presentation.

10/15/04		Volleyball Handles ECU in Three for Twelfth Straight Victory -- Tigers hit a season-high .390 in solid all-around performance (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - EAST CAROLINA (8-12; 2-3 C-USA) 19 22 20 MEMPHIS (19-4; 4-0 C-USA) 30 30 30 Memphis got a match-high 15 kills from freshman Ashley Liford and the rest of the team combined to hit a season-high .390 as the Tigers cruised to a sweep of ECU Friday at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The win extends the Tiger's streak to 12 matches as they improve to 19-4 on the season and remain undefeated in Conference USA play at 4-0. "Tonight was a nice match for us," said head coach Carrie Yerty. "We picked up were we left off against Southern Miss and Tulane. We are playing with a lot of confidence and we are becoming a better team every time we step on the court. We also got great fan support tonight which really helped." Memphis asserted its control on the match early, jumping out to a 10-6 lead in the first game. ECU managed to cut the lead to 15-11, but despite hitting just .182 in the game, the Tigers put on a 15-9 run to wrap up the set 30-19. The momentum continued to build for Memphis in the second frame as they hit a scorching .556 while holding the Pirates to a .208 clip. The Tigers got a pair of kills from Shelby Burton and Nancy Nellans added a service aces to give them 3-0 lead. They never looked back, leading by as much as nine on multiple occasions in a 30-22 win. ECU opened the third set with a 5-3 advantage, but a 5-0 spurt gave Memphis a 10-7 lead. Memphis finished the contest by outscoring ECU 17-9 to claim the match. ECU hit .147 in the game, while the Tiger offense was again effective hitting at a .529 hitting clip. Liford finished the match hitting .538 with just one error in 26 swings, while senior Tiara Gilkey was the only other Memphis player to reach double figures with 10. Melissa Nance and Nellans each recorded nine kills for Memphis. Nance hit .429 and committed just three errors in 14 attacks. Burton also got in on the act, with eight kills and a .357 percentage. Heather Watts set the offense with a match-high 47 assists. Nellans also led the Tigers defensively with a match-high 15 digs. She was the lone Tiger with at least 10 digs. "We have to be ready tomorrow and we have to have the same intensity against Charlotte to win." said Yerty. Memphis will now prepare for a matchup with Charlotte tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The 49ers defeated Saint Louis, 3-2 this evening.

10/15/04		O'Brien's Free Kick Goal Gives Tigers 2-1 Win Over DePaul -- John Reilly scores his first goal since 2002 (GoTigersGo.com)
		CHICAGO - With 10 minutes left in a tied game, Dayton O'Brien scored on a free kick to give the University of Memphis men's soccer team a 2-1 victory over DePaul on Friday. O'Brien, a junior from Memphis, scored his fifth goal of the season on the unassisted kick just outside the box. The goal is his third game-winner matching teammate Andy Metcalf for the team lead. O'Brien, a Preseason All-Conference USA selection, now has a team leading 17 points. John Reilly gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute of the first half on a one-timer from a left-side cross by Brad Whitsitt. The goal is Reilly's first since 2002 when the midfielder scored eight in the season. The assist is Whitsitt's first of the season. DePaul tied the game in the 57th minute on a penalty kick by John Partyka, his third of the season. The U of M defense held the Blue Demons to six shots in the game, giving up only one in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Sebastian Vecchio knocked down three saves for the Tigers. With the win, the No. 25 Tigers improve to 9-3-0 and 5-1-0 in the conference, surpassing last year's win total. Memphis has won six of its last seven games. The Blue Demons fall to 2-10-3 and 0-5-1. The Tigers stay in Chicago to take on the University of Illinois-Chicago (3-9-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT).

10/15/04		Lady Tigers Stumble in Florida, Fall to USF 4-0 -- Memphis Yields Season High in Goals (GoTigersGo.com)
		Tampa, Fla. - The Memphis women's soccer team gave up a season high in goals with four and stumbled on their first game of this weekend's road trip with a 4-0 loss at South Florida. The Tigers fall to 10-4 overall with the loss and 4-2 in Conference USA. The Bulls struck first just 4:25 into the match as Katie Reed knocked in a pass from Danielle Malkin. Memphis keeper Natalie Haerens had originally knocked away the pass but Reed was able to regain control of it and put it past Haerens. Almost exactly 10 minutes later, the Bulls made it 2-0 on a corner kick as Reed took the corner and Erica Lewis headed the ball in. Michelle Buskey added an unassisted goal at the 31:28 mark to put USF up 3-0 at halftime. USF made it a 4-0 game at 65:26 when Jenny Mulvihill headed in a pass from Reed, who was credited with her second assist of the night. Memphis was outshot on the night 19-8 but USF and just one player, Caroline Barrett, had more than one shot. Memphis, which had only given up four first-half goals all season, yielded three in tonight's first half. The four goals allowed also surpassed UM's previous high. The most the Tigers had given up in a game this year was two. Memphis did have more corner kicks (7) than USF (3). Haerens made six saves on the night while Breck Bankester made three saves for the Bulls. The Tigers will attempt to get back in the win column on Sunday when they take on defending C-USA regular season champion UAB at 1:00 p.m. in Birmingham. Memphis has not lost consecutive games this year and will be looking to keep that streak alive.

10/15/04		Feichtinger, Noble and Kohl Advance to Championship Singles Matches -- All three doubles teams advance into the semifinal round (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Complete brackets (with results) are listed at: http://www.fansonly.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mem/sports/w-tennis/auto_pdf/special-release Juniors Andrea Feichtinger and Kristin Noble (Memphis, Tenn./Germantown) and freshman Kathrin Kohl all advanced to a singles championship final following the first day's action in the Shoney's/Varsity Pro Shop Invitational, Friday. Feichtinger downed Saint Louis' Amanda Hellberg, 7-5, 6-1, in the first round, and used a three-set, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Tennessee Tech's Margot Carter to advance to Saturday's final against Murray State's Jaclyn Leeper in No. 2 singles. In No. 4 singles, Noble downed Saint Louis' Tara Grant, 7-5, 7-6 (4), then downed Ball State's Haly Calderwood, 7-5, 7-6 to advance to the finals, where she'll face Rachel Lask of Murray State, 6-4, 6-2. Freshman Kathrin Kohl used a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ball State's Beth Campus to advance to the finals of the No. 7 singles draw, where she'll face Whitney Robards of Murray State, Saturday. The second day of the tournament will begin with semifinals doubles action at 9 a.m. All three Lady Tiger doubles teams advanced into the semis.

10/15/04		Three Tigers Advance into Round of 64 at Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional -- Marten Tamla, Alex Jago and James Spence each win opening round in main draw (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A trio of Tigers advanced into the Round of 64 with victories in the Opening Round of the main draw of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional at The Racquet Club of Memphis, Friday. Senior Marten Tamla and junior Alex Jago made the most of their qualifying spots from two wins in Thursday's qualifying round with first round victories to advance to the Round of 64. Tamla came back from a 6-4 first set loss to win the match with 6-4 second set win and a 7-6 victory in the third set over Kentucky's Matt Emery. Tamla advances to face No. 17 seed Luigi D'Agord from Alabama in the Round of 64. Jago, who also won twice Thursday to earn a main draw slot, also rallied back from a set down, after falling 6-3 to Georgia State's Matic Sulin before coming back to win 6-2, 6-1. Jago then faced No. 4 seed Janne Holmia of Florida, falling 6-0, 6-1. Holmia entered the contest the No. 32 ranked singles player in the country. Junior James Spence, who started his main draw competition, Friday, won a thriller, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, over Middle Tennessee's Anant Sitaram to earn a spot against No. 17 seed Eric Claesson of Ole Miss in the Round of 64. Senior Alex Bucewicz, also a main draw entrant, was the lone Tiger to fall in the first round, falling 6-2, 6-2 to Kentucky's Nolan Polley. Polley then was eliminated from the draw, 6-3, 6-4, by No. 9 seed Andreas Siljestrom of Middle Tennessee. Complete Day Two Results Main Draw - First Round No. 1 seed Jesse Witten (Kentucky) receives a first-round bye Mark Growcott (LSU) def. Chris Rea (Southern Miss), 6-3, 6-2 No. 17 seed Ted Anglinos (Tulane) receives a first-round bye Andy Mack (Vanderbilt) def. Michele Panzeri (Tenn Tech), 6-0, 6-1 No. 9 seed Joseph Jung (Alabama) receives a first-round bye Colin Purcell (Georgia) def. Andre Naidu (Austin Peay), 6-0, 6-1 No. 17 seed Alex Schweizer (Auburn) receives a first-round bye Juan Palbo Di Cesare (Ole Miss) def. Ryan Sherry (Florida), 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 No. 6 seed Vlad Obradovic (Florida) receives a first-round bye Kevin Dessauer (LSU) def. Ankur Singla (Austin Peay), 6-1, 6-2 No. 17 seed Strahinja Bobusic (Georgia) receives a first round bye Robert Van Swelm (Troy) def. Viuek Subramanian (Miami), 7-6, 6-1 No. 9 seed Irving Morales (Troy) receives a first round bye Marco Born (Middle Tennessee) def. Paul White (LSU), 7-6, 6-3 No. 17 Fredrik Aarum (Ole Miss) receives a first round bye Jason Pinsky (Vanderbilt) def. David Baxendine (Tennessee), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 No. 4 seed Janne Holmia (Florida) receives a first-round bye Alex Jago (Memphis) def. Matic Sulin (Georgia State), 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 No. 17 seed Robbert Lathouwers (Auburn) receives a first-round bye Nathan Sachs (Vanderbilt) def. Jonah Kane-West (Tulane), 6-2, 7-6 No. 9 seed Eric Hechtman (Miami) receives a first-round bye Ryan Preston (Vanderbilt) def. Reid Bourgeois (Southern Miss), 6-2, 6-2 No. 17 seed Eric Claesson (Ole Miss) receives a first-round bye James Spence (Memphis) def. Anant Sitaram (Middle Tennessee), 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 No. 8 seed Tifran Martirosyan (Kentucky) receives a first-round bye Ricardo Gonzalez (Georgia) def. Pfungwa Mehefu (Florida A&M), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 No. 17 Luigi D'Agord (Alabama) receives a first-round bye Marten Tamla (Memphis) def. Matt Emery (Kentucky), 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 No. 9 seed Josh Cohen (Miami) received a first round bye Jason Mallaiah (Kentucky) def. Florent Girod (Mississippi State), 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) No. 17 seed Jason Hazley (LSU) received a first-round bye Jordan Dolberg (Florida) def. Ben Rogers (Tennessee), 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 Colt Gaston (LSU) def. Rawl Martin (Tennessee), 6-3, 6-2 No. 17 seed Greg Oullette (Florida) received a first-round bye Marc Jager (USF) def. Karim Alayli (Ole Miss), 7-6, 6-1 No. 9 seed Matias Ormaza (Georgia) received a first-round bye Haris Huremovic (Southeast Louisiana) def. Gustavo Anzola (UT-Martin), 6-3, 7-6 No. 17 seed Nate Emge (Kentucky) received a first-round bye Greg Pollack (Middle Tennessee) def. Jeff Lester (Murray State), 6-3, 6-0 No. 7 David Canudas (Southern Miss) received a first-round bye Nick Lane (Auburn) def. Andrew Felsenthal (Alabama), 6-4, 6-4 No. 17 seed Sebastian Falk (UAB) received a first-round bye David Goulet (Tulane) def. Billy Mertz (Alabama), 6-4, 6-2 No. 9 seed Matt Lockin (Vanderbilt) received a first-round bye Marcus Sundh (Kentucky) def. Ryan Waits (Miami), 6-1, 6-4 No. 17 seed Nester Briceno (Florida) received a first-round bye Shunsuke Shimizu (Tennessee Tech) def. Brandon Allan (Middle Tennessee), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 No. 17 Jamie Rodriguez (Georgia State) received a first-round bye RJ Murray (Alabama) def. Brett Hunter (Auburn), 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 No. 17 Jacobo Hernandez (Tulane) received a first-round bye Nolan Polley (Kentucky) def. Alex Bucewicz (Memphis), 6-2, 6-2 No. 9 seed Andreas Siljestrom (Middle Tennessee) received a first-round bye Bram ten Berge (Ole Miss) def. Fredy Barton (USF), 6-1, 6-2 No. 17 Chris Brandi (Florida) received a first-round bye Tim Krebs (Miami) def. Alberto Sottocorno (Tulane), 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 No. 5 Scott Brown (Vanderbilt) received a first-round bye Daniel Quiceno (Troy) def. Kristijan Mitrovski (UAB), 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 No. 17 Ockie Oostuizen (Tennessee) received a first-round bye Danny Bryan (LSU) def. Eric Molnar (Alabama), 6-3, 7-6 No. 9 seed Matic Omerzel (Georgia) received a first-round bye Kai Schledorn (Middle Tennessee) def. Kiril Tcherveniachki (Tennessee), 7-6, 6-3 No. 17 Jose Carlos Pinto (Mississippi State) received a first-round bye Alex Hume (Kentucky) def. Stefan Tell (Florida), 6-0, 6-0 No. 2 seed Antonio Ruiz (Georgia) received a first-round bye Second Round Results (Matches with no score recorded were not complete as of 6:23 p.m., Friday. To follow the complete tournament draw, go to www.usta.com and select tournaments. Enter tournament ID 704207804. No. 1 seed Jesse Witten (Kentucky) def. Mark Growcott (LSU), 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 No. 17 seed Ted Angelinos (Tulane) vs. Andy Mack (Vanderbilt) Colin Purcell (Georgia) def. No. 9 seed Joseph Jung (Alabama), 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 No. 17 Alex Schweizer (Auburn) def. Juan Pablo Di Cesare (Ole Miss), 7-5, 6-3 No. 6 Vlad Obradovic (Florida) def. Kevin Dessauer (LSU), 7-6, 6-3 No. 17 Strahinja Bobusic (Georgia) def. Robert Val Swelm (Troy), 6-1, 6-2 Marco Born (Middle Tennessee) def. No. 9 Irving Morales (Troy), 6-4, 6-0 Jason Pinsky (Vanderbilt) def. No. 17 Fredrik Aarum (Ole Miss), 6-3, 6-1 No. 4 Janne Holmia (Florida) def. Alex Jago (Memphis), 6-0, 6-1 Nathan Sachs (Vanderbilt) def. No. 17 Robbert Lathouwers (Auburn), 7-6, 6-2 Ryan Preston (Vanderbilt) def. No. 9 Eric Hechtman (Miami), 7-6, 6-2 No. 17 Eric Claesson (Ole Miss) def. James Spence (Memphis), 6-3, 7-6 Ricardo Gonzalez (Georgia) def. No. 8 Tifran Martirosyan (Kentucky), 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 No. 17 Luigi D'Agord (Alabama) def. Marten Tamla (Memphis), 7-5, 3-6, 6-0 No. 9 Josh Cohen (Miami) def. Jason Mallaiah (Kentucky), 6-2, 6-2 No. 17 Jason Hazley (LSU) def. Jordan Dolberg (Florida), 6-4, 7-6 No. 17 Greg Oullette (Florida) def. Colt Gaston (LSU), 7-6, 6-4 No. 9 Matias Ormaza (Georgia) def. Marc Jager (USF), 7-6, 6-4 No. 17 Nate Emge (Kentucky) def. Haris Huremovic (Southeast Louisiana), 6-7, 6-0, 6-1 No. 7 David Canudas (Southern Miss) def. Greg Pollack (Middle Tennessee), 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 No. 17 Sebastian Falk (UAB) def. Nick Lane (Auburn), 7-6, 6-4 David Goulet (Tulane) def. No. 9 Matt Lockin (Vanderbilt), 7-6, 1-6, 6-1 No. 17 Nester Briceno (Florida) def. Marcus Sundh (Kentucky), 6-4, 7-6 No. 17 Jaime Rodriguez (Georgia State) def. Shunsuke Shimizu (Tennessee Tech), 6-2, 6-4 No. 17 Jacobo Hernandez (Tulane) def. RJ Murray (Alabama), 6-2, 6-4 No. 9 Andreas Siljestrom (Middle Tennessee) def. Nolan Polley (Kentucky), 6-3, 6-4 No. 17 Chris Brandi (Florida) def. Bram ten Berge (Ole Miss), 6-2, 6-4 No. 5 Scott Brown (Vanderbilt) def. Tim Krebs (Miami), 6-4, 7-5 No. 17 Ockie Oosthuizen (Tennessee) def. Daniel Quiceno (Troy), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 No. 9 Matic Omerzel (Georgia) def. Danny Bryan (LSU), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 No. 17 Jose Carlos Pinto (Mississippi State) def. Kai Schledorn (Middle Tennessee), 6-7, 6-1, 6-1 Alex Hume (Kentucky) vs. No. 2 Antonio Ruiz (Georgia)

10/15/04		Memphis Men's Basketball Preview (ConferenceUSA.com)
		It’s Year Five of the John Calipari era, and with each season, the University of Memphis Tiger program is inching closer to where it once was – among the nation’s basketball elite. Just ask around and many Tiger fans can fondly tell you of Memphis’ run to the 1973 NCAA title game. They can recall the Tigers’ 1985 NCAA Final Four team that featured a talented cast of players. Those fans could also tell of Memphis’ Missouri Valley Conference titles in the late 1960s and early 1970s followed by several Metro Conference crowns in the 1970s and 1980s. They could talk about national rankings and postseason tournament appearances up through the early 1990s. In the late 1990s, the Tiger program fell on hard times, including consecutive losing campaigns in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 – something Memphis had not endured in nearly 20 years. Even the most diehard Tiger loyalists admit the program was on a downward slope. Enter Calipari, who was charged with returning Memphis to national basketball scene. Memphis was the second reclamation project of Calipari’s college coaching career. His first was at UMass, where he resurrected that program to national prominence. While Memphis was not in those dire straits, the Tigers were not what they once were. Since Calipari took over in 2000-01, Memphis has been a work in progress, and Calipari will be the first to say it is still an on-going task. Year One saw the Tigers record a 20-win season – their first in five years – and earn an National Invitation Tournament (NIT) berth. Memphis advanced to the NIT final four. The next season, Memphis won 27 games – the most since the 1985-86 squad won 28 – and won the NIT national championship. Season No. 3 under Calipari looked bright following 2001-02 with several key returnees and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class lined up for 2002-03. That promising outlook, though, took major hits in the off-season. Dajuan Wagner, a freshman All-America decided to turn pro, and two members of that top recruiting class made decisions to skip college and go directly to the NBA. Instead of looking at what he didn’t have, Calipari worked with what he had, and he and his staff molded the Tigers into an NCAA Tournament team. The NCAA postseason appearance was Memphis’ first in seven seasons. The Tigers followed up 2002-03 with an incredible 2003-04 season – despite another top recruit going to the NBA – that produced a Conference USA regular season title, a fourth-straight 20-win ledger and an NCAA Tournament second round appearance. As stated earlier, the Tiger program is inching closer to what it was. Or in the paraphrased words of the Memphis head coach, “We have lost something each year, but we keep getting better.” So, as Year Five opens in 2004-05, Calipari feels the program will continue on its track back to the top, but it’s going to take some work. “We have a full team coming back, but I call them a collection of players,” said Calipari, who has a 93-39 record in his first four seasons at Memphis. “Our job is to get them to place their own personal agendas on the shelf and bring them together and make them a great team. “We’ve been able to formulate great teams here the last four years. Every team we had became a good team by the end of the year. Whether it was our first, second, third or last year’s squad, they were terrific. “That’s the challenge. I would imagine that we would be ranked anywhere between No. 10 and No. 20 in the preseason polls. Early on, we may not be there, but as the season rolls on, this could be one of those teams that could make a run.” And Calipari is right on target about the preseason rankings. During the summer and into the fall, many prognosticators had the Tigers rated right where Calipari said. ESPN.com’s Andy Katz ranked the Tigers No. 19 in his summer top 50 poll, while Basketball Digest had Memphis No. 13. SLAM magazine put together a top 20 preseason poll, and although the Tigers didn’t make the cut, they were mentioned among the teams to watch in 2004-05. If a run down the stretch and into the postseason are in store for the Tigers, they are going to have to do it with a youth movement. Granted, Memphis returns four starters from last year, but it’s young experience. While the play of the Tigers’ three seniors in Arthur Barclay (Camden, N.J.), Duane Erwin (Huntsville, Ala.) and Anthony Rice (Atlanta, Ga.) will be pivotal, Memphis will depend on underclassmen as well. “We’re going to be doing it this year with a couple of freshmen and a junior college player possibly getting good minutes,” Calipari said. “One or two of them may even start. You also have a sophomore and two juniors playing integral roles as well. So, you’re looking at a young team, but one that is talented.” The Backcourt When talking about talent and inexperience, look no further than the point guard position -- where all the eyes of Tiger Nation will be looking. The last two years, the point guard spot was in the capable hands of Antonio Burks. The Memphis, Tenn., native was the Tigers’ coach on the floor. Even more than the statistics he put up, Burks, the 2003-04 Conference USA Player of the Year, proved even more valuable in the little things he did -- a fact that is not lost on Calipari. “The only thing is that we’re not going to know how much we will miss Antonio Burks until we get started,” Calipari said. “He was a tremendous leader and impact player. He made everyone around him better.” The mantle now is passed to incoming freshman Darius Washington Jr. (Winter Park, Fla.). Washington Jr. brings a lot of confidence and a load of talent. The McDonald’s and Parade magazine All-American scored over 3,000 points in his prep career, but Calipari’s job is turn the 6-foot-2 Washington Jr. into a complete point. And the Tigers’ coach has a plan to do just that. “It’s going to be a hard transition,” said Calipari, who enters his 13th season as a collegiate head coach in 2004-05. “One of things we’ll do is show Darius a tape of Antonio’s game against South Carolina in the NIT finals when he was 0-of-8 and had nine turnovers and was absolutely awful. He was out of control and running out-of-bounds. We want to show Darius where Antonio started, and now look where Antonio is now. “You have to be coachable and listen, and we’re going to have to get him to do what he does well and eliminate the some of the other stuff from his game. “But, the best thing Antonio did was he guarded. He was an unbelievable defender, and every time we needed a big stop, Antonio got it or got the ball somehow. And that’s what we have to get out of Darius. It’s going to take time. It may not be his freshman year, and it may come as a sophomore. It may come as a freshman. If it is his freshman year, we’re going to have a really good team.” Washington Jr., though, can’t do it all on his own, and he won’t be expected to do so. The Tigers return several veterans that will be counted on to help run the team. The most veteran of the veterans is Rice, one of the squad’s three seniors. A steady performer, Rice has gained a reputation as one of Conference USA’s top defensive players and most deadly three-point shooters. In his career, the 6-foot-4 off-guard has shut down some of the nation’s top offensive players, while at the same time, lit it up from the three-point arc. Rice enters his final season No. 2 on the Memphis all-time three-point chart with 160 treys and needs only four to take over the top spot. Rice added another dimension to his game last year when he took over some of the team’s ball-handling duties, especially when Burks either needed a breather or got into foul trouble. Rice dished out a career-high seven assists in a Feb. 7 victory over Saint Louis. A couple of weeks later, he was used to help Burks bring the ball up the court against the UAB pressure defense, and did a near flawless job. Rice played all 40 minutes against the Blazers and committed only one turnover. In the Tigers’ next contest against Southern Miss, Rice had only two turnovers in 35 minutes while taking over the point in place of Burks, who was in foul trouble the entire game. In 2004-05, the Tigers are hoping to get a full season out of junior Jeremy Hunt. The Memphis, Tenn., native entered the Tiger program two years ago with so much promise. After a sparkling collegiate debut with a 19-point performance against Syracuse in 2002-03, Hunt has been fighting injuries ever since. Stress fractures took away parts of his freshman season, and also forced the 6-foot-4 guard to miss the first two games of 2003-04. Hunt returned to the floor in late November, and moved into the starting lineup in late December. Hunt started 12 of the next 13 games, and Memphis went 11-1 in those games. During his stretch of starts, Hunt’s ability to slash to the basket played an integral role in the Tigers’ 11-game win streak from January through late February. However, Hunt’s season came to an end in late February when he suffered an ACL injury in practice prior to the UAB game. Although the Tigers tied for the Conference USA regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, Hunt’s absence was a blow for a deep Memphis run in the postseason. If Hunt can return at full strength, it adds even more experience and depth in the Tiger backcourt. While Hunt and Rice will see most of the time at off-guard, junior Rodney Carney (Indianapolis, Ind.) can play the position as well and that would pose match-up problems for the opposition. Joining Washington Jr. at the point are fellow freshman Tank Beavers (Athens, Ala.) and junior Clyde Wade (Memphis, Tenn.). Beavers, an All-State performer from Athens High School, is a proven winner who directed his prep squad to the Alabama state championship game. Wade did not play last year, but did attend school and practiced with the squad every day. His work on the scout team proved valuable in the Tigers’ preparation for each opponent. The Frontcourt With a complete array of players, one would think Calipari would be smiling from ear-to-ear, but ... “I’m worried that we finally have a team full of players,” Calipari said. “You now have other teams around the country going through what we were going through the past three years, with players either not coming or leaving early (for the NBA).” It’s been a fact for Tiger fans the past three seasons. Calipari signs some of the country’s top player, only to see them go on to the professional ranks. Despite the losses, Calipari and his staff put together some solid squads. Entering the 2004-05 season, the Tigers have a loaded squad, especially up front. The Memphis frontcourt has size, athleticism, versatility, experience and depth. The main concern for Calipari may be how to use all of the talent at his disposal. “At the three spot, we have Rodney, Waki and Sean, and at the four, there are Sean and Waki,” said Calipari. “If we want to go bigger, we could play Joey or Arthur at the four. “In the middle, we have Joey, Duane, Arthur, Almamy and Simplice. We’re deep up front with size, and yet we’re still athletic.” While there is depth, the engine that will lead the Tiger frontcourt is the Sean Banks (Englewood, N.J.)-Rodney Carney tandem. The “one-two” punch may be one of the the nation’s top wing duos. “Rodney is as athletic as any player I’ve ever coached,” Calipari said. “(Former UMass standout) Will Herndon is the only other player that was as athletic as Rodney, and he was ridiculous. “Sean is as good and smart a basketball player as I’ve coached, and at four position, he creates mismatches for a lot of people.” After a Conference USA All-Freshman Team year in 2002-03, Carney showed no signs of a sophomore jinx last year. The 6-foot-7 forward was third on the team in both scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg). He tied for the team lead with 62 three-pointers and was second with 32 blocked shots. Those numbers were great, but could possibly have been better if not for a midseason injury that not only forced Carney to miss two games, but also made him start over in the middle of the campaign. Prior to the injury suffered in the Dec. 27 Missouri game, Carney was averaging 16.4 points and had started the first nine games. He missed the next two contests against Oakland and Missouri, and didn’t begin to get his groove back until a Feb. 4 nationally-televised game against rival Louisville. Carney netted 19 points in the win over the Cardinals, and made several key plays in the final minutes to lead Memphis to victory. Following that game, Carney reached double figures in eight of the next 11 games and also grabbed five or more boards in eight contests. Another big Carney performance came when the Tigers needed it the most. Carney exploded for a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double in Memphis’ NCAA Tournament first round victory over South Carolina. He hit six three-pointers to set a Tiger NCAA Tournament record for treys in a game. The other half of the tandem proved he could be just as explosive. Banks, the 2004 ESPN.com National Freshman of the Year, led the Tigers in scoring (17.4 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg) and free throw percentage (.725). He was also second on the team in field goal percentage (.434) and three-point field goal percentage (.380). Banks, who was named Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year, netted double figures in 26 games and recorded four double-doubles. Down the stretch of the regular season, he scored 20 or more points in six-straight games. The 6-foot-8 forward make a big splash because, as Calipari stated, Banks created match-up problems for the opposition. If the opponent put a big man on Banks, then he went out to the perimeter, where he was deadly. On four occasions, Banks hit six treys in a game, and is the only player in Memphis history to do that. If he had a smaller player guarding him, Banks would take the defender low on the post. The Tigers will look to exploit this again in 2004-05, but Calipari is looking for a stronger Banks this year. Banks’ production on the boards went down late in the season, and that’s something the Memphis coaching staff does not want to see in 2004-05. Calipari needs Carney and Banks to go to the boards even more in 2004-05, but the duo will have help from some veterans. Barclay and Erwin, both seniors, are especially active on the boards. Barclay was a pleasant surprise down the stretch for Memphis. The 6-foot-8 forward, who has fought through injuries his entire career, started seven of the final eight games. In those final eight contests, Barclay averaged nearly six boards, and 39 of his 63 rebounds came on the offensive end. Barclay’s tenaciousness on the glass was seen in the Tigers’ final possession of the first half against South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. Barclay fought for consecutive rebounds, and the last resulted in a Carney three-pointer to give the Tigers a 30-18 halftime advantage. Much like Barclay, the 6-foot-9 Erwin will provide help on the boards for the Tigers. Erwin was second on the squad with a 6.3 rebounding average last season. He had eight games in which he posted double-digits on the glass, including a career-high 18 rebounds against Fordham. Erwin also had double-digit boards against Austin Peay, Ole Miss, Oakland, Villanova, Tulane, USF and Marquette. Erwin’s double-digit board performances proved to be a good sign for Memphis, as the Tigers were a perfect 8-0 in those contests. Also joining the frontline ranks are two -- what can be called -- veteran newcomers in sophomore Almamy Thiero (Mali, West Africa) and junior Simplice Njoya (Yaounde, Cameroon). Thiero, a 6-foot-10 forward, has been fighting injuries ever since he stepped on the Memphis campus. As a true freshman in 2002-03, he had surgery to place a metal rod in his lower leg to repair a stress fracture. After attempting to play in two games in early December 2002, he saw no action the remainder of the year and received a medical redshirt. Thiero was ready to go in 2003-04, and played in three early games, grabbing three boards in a win over Fordham. But, two weeks later, Thiero was diagnosed with blood clots near the lungs. Thiero was treated immediately, but his season came to an end as he could no longer see action. Thiero, though, was cleared to travel with the team in late January and continued to learn the system. Njoya had to sit out from game action last year, after transferring to Memphis from Duquesne. The 6-foot-10 forward, however, practiced every day with the squad and learned the system. Prior to the transfer, Njoya played two seasons for the Dukes and averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 boards as a sophomore in 2002-03. But, the Tigers’ depth along the front doesn’t stop there, as junior college transfer Waki Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio) and freshman Joey Dorsey (Baltimore, Md.). Williams comes to the Memphis program from Mt. San Jacinto College in California. Despite playing with injuries throughout his two years in junior college, Williams made an impression with several colleges wanting to add his talent to their teams. Similar to Banks, Williams is a 6-foot-9 forward who can play on the perimeter and can cause match-up problems for the opposition. Last season at Mt. San Jacinto College, Williams averaged 15.8 points and 8.4 boards and shot 38.5 percent from the three-point line. Dorsey has been described by Calipari as a Ben Wallace-type player. And Dorsey looks the part at 6-foot-9 and 265 pounds. He also has a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches. Dorsey, who averaged 16 points and 10.2 rebounds in his final high school season at Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep, has the size and athleticism to be one of the nation’s best low-post players. However, Calipari is quick to warn Memphis fans that, despite the promise with size, depth and athleticism up front, the Tigers don’t have a true post like Chris Massie a couple of years ago. At least not yet. “It was a unique situation with Chris Massie,” Calipari said. “Marcus Camby, who I coached at UMass, was a better shot-blocker, better defender and better athlete, but he wasn’t the scorer inside that Chris was. “None of our frontcourt newcomers are capable of Chris Massie numbers. Joey is tremendous, is active around the basket and wants to be good. Almamy has been out because of injuries, but this is his opportunity. Simplice is 6-9, but he needs to gain weight and become a player that just bulldozes people. “Everybody knows what Arthur can do. He’s helped us more and more each year despite his injuries. We need Duane step it up in his final year. I’d like to see him add some weight and establish himself as a top player.” The Schedule When Tiger fans look at the 2004-05 schedule, they either may be excited about the ranked opponents or think Calipari is crazy for scheduling so many. Memphis is schedule to play 13 teams that made it to the 2004 postseason, including 10 NCAA Tournament squads. If the Tiger advance in the season-opening Coaches vs. Cancer (CVC) Classic, the number of postseason teams could reach 15. What especially has Memphis fans giddy is the games at the Tigers’ new home, FedExForum. Memphis has home non-conference contests against the likes of East Tennessee, Ole Miss and Providence. “As for the non-conference schedule, I’ll put it up against any in the country. We have Providence, which is a top-15 team, and Mississippi, an SEC team with an RPI no lower than 60, at home. We also have East Tennessee, a top-25 team; Austin Peay, a postseason team the last two years; and Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech, squads that will battle within their leagues to earn postseason bids.” The road non-league games are just as impressive as the Tigers travel to Purdue Dec. 3 and Texas Jan. 6. The Boilermakers are a perennial postseason program, while the Longhorns are just two years removed from an NCAA Final Four appearance. The Tigers’ Conference USA home slate is one of the best in recent years, with Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville and Marquette all coming to the Bluff City. “The schedule, which is great for our fans, has Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, DePaul, Southern Miss, TCU, East Carolina and Tulane at home,” said Calipari. “That’s a great home league schedule. But, we have to go on the road at UAB, USF, Charlotte, Saint Louis, Louisville and Southern Miss, where we always struggle.” For the third-straight year, Memphis will give an assist in tipping off the college basketball season, as the Tigers host a Coaches vs. Cancer (CVC) regional at FedExForum. George Mason, IPFW and Savannah State join the Tigers in the CVC regional Nov. 11 and 13. If successful with two victories, Memphis would advance to New York to play two additional games in the CVC. The CVC is the first of three special events Memphis is scheduled to compete in. The Tigers face Maryland in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic Nov. 26 in Springfield, Mass., and meet Pittsburgh in the Jimmy V Classic Dec. 7 back in New York. “We will play Maryland, which will be a top-five team, in Springfield, Mass, and Pittsburgh, another top-five team in the Jimmy V Classic,” Calipari said. “We have no games where you can say that is a win. It’s going to be a rough schedule.” Wrap-Up The past couple of years the Memphis program has gone through changes with players leaving early and or jumping directly to the pros, but the Tigers have -- like Calipari has stated -- improved a little each year. If 2004-05 shows continued improvement, then Memphis fans are possibly looking at least at going to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. But, Calipari is not just looking at how this year’s team will perform. He is also looking further down the road, making sure the entire program is on sound footing. “I feel good about where we are,” Calipari said. “I feel good about where we are academically and on the campus. I feel good about our recruiting. We’ve been in the top 10 every year since we’ve been here. Kids know our facilities. Kids want to come here and play for this staff, and they want to play in Memphis.”

10/15/04		Tiger trio a winning team -- Gostkowski, holder and snapper combine to form successful kicking game (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 15, 2004 If Stephen Gostkowski should find himself summoned to appear before the media at some point this season after, say, booting a game-winning field goal, it's likely he'll follow a precedent set by teammate DeAngelo Williams. Williams, the University of Memphis All-America candidate at running back, routinely takes several offensive linemen with him to interview sessions after games, giving members of the unsung group a chance to bask in the spotlight of television cameras. Gostkowski, a junior from Madison, Miss., might coerce sophomore deep snapper Rusty Clayton and senior holder Ryan Ivey to accompany him. Gostkowski often jokes he's leaving after this season if school officials can't find another year of eligibility for Ivey. Such is the bond between the trio of special teamers largely responsible for a solid first-half-of-the-season performance by Gostkowski. In NCAA statistics released this week, Gostkowski ranks second nationally in field goals (2.2 per game), second in consecutive point-after-touchdown kicks (72) and eighth in scoring (54 points/10.8 per game average). ''I'm the one that gets credit for the points, but without them I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am,'' said Gostkowski, speaking like the pitcher that he is for the Tiger baseball team and complimenting his catcher and infield. ''They help me out a lot.'' A candidate for the Lou Groza Award -- awarded annually to the nation's top field goal kicker -- Gostkowski ranks third on the U of M's career scoring list for kickers with 214 points. Entering Saturday's Conference USA game against Tulane at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, he trails fellow kickers Joe Allison (263) and Ryan White (248) and and is tied with John Butler. Gostkowski also is 14 PATs shy of breaking Allison's career mark of 110. He has hit 72 straight dating to his freshman season. He was perfect on 44 tries in 2003 and hasn't missed in 21 attempts this season. His four field goals against Arkansas State allowed the Tigers to remain in position to mount a frantic, fourth-quarter rally and escape with a 47-35 win. Gostkowski was successful from 19, 24, 30 and 41 yards against ASU. In the opener at Ole Miss he connected from 39 and 45 yards and hit both PATs, all important points in a 20-13 victory. He is four of four this season from 40 to 49 yards and has connected on 47-yard field goals against UAB and Houston. Gostkowski says his early season success is a mix of ''confidence and experience'' and productive practices. ''We kick probably, as far as a full operation goes, about 25 kicks a day,'' Gostkowski said. ''Sometimes I'll kick with just Ivey holding. Sometimes I'll go out and kick by myself. We do get good reps in every day. It's not like we're just out there going through the motions.'' He said the experience comes into play during a less-than-stellar performance. ''If I had a bad day in the past I would just kick and kick until I felt good,'' Gostkowski said. ''Now if I have one bad day I know things are going to be all right. I try not to kick my leg out. If you go out and kick your leg out, you develop bad habits.'' As he moves up on several school kicking charts, Gostkowski finds himself reflecting on the jobs turned in by Clayton and Ivey. They spent the summer working out on their own, kicking as many as three times a week. ''We all met on a certain day, and we ran a lot,'' Gostkowski said. ''I was already in good shape because of baseball season.'' Gostkowski said the group had several cookouts during the summer, and he and Ivey played a lot of golf. ''This is our third year together,'' said Ivey, a backup punter and former high school kicker in Mayfield, Ky. ''It's huge because Stephen knows where I'm going to put the ball down, and I know where Rusty is going to snap the ball. Me and Rusty know if we do our job the ball is going through the uprights.'' Ivey, who took over as holder midway in Gostkowski's freshman season, said Gostkowski's career got off to a strong start when he was successful on his first attempt: a 50-yard field goal that bounced off the crossbar and through the uprights against Murray State. It remains his career-long kick. ''That was huge for his confidence,'' Ivey said. Clayton, from Hattiesburg, Miss., keeps up with where Gostkowski ranks nationally and in league play. He knows he receives little attention unless he has a bad snap, but says his reward, after a perfect snap, is ''seeing the ball go through the uprights from 47 yards out.'' Gostkowski ranks first in C-USA in field goals (2.2 per game), first in kick scoring (10.8 ppg) and is tied for first in PAT percentage (100 percent). ''It makes us proud to see his name up there,'' Ivey said. ''As (former special teams coach) Murray Armstrong always says, 'A kicker is only as good as his snapper and holder.' We take a lot of pride in seeing him do well.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 ------------------------------------------------------ Memphis vs. Tulane Saturday, 1 p.m., at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Radio: WMC-AM (790). Tickets: Call 678-2331 or go to gotigersgo.com.

10/15/04		C-USA rankings (Commercial Appeal)
		October 15, 2004 1. Louisville (4-0, 2-0 C-USA, last week No. 1) -- Cardinals look like they're ready for the BCS. 2. Southern Miss (4-0, 3-0, No. 2) -- Golden Eagles are off to their best start since 1981. 3. UAB (4-1, 2-0, No. 3) -- Watch out for the Blazers. 4. Memphis (4-1, 1-1, No. 4) -- Tigers should have no problems with Tulane. Nobody else really does. 5. South Florida (2-2, 1-1, No. 5) -- USF is the perfect middle-of-the-league team. It won't beat anybody any good, but won't lose to anybody really bad. 6. TCU (3-2, 1-1, No. 6) -- Three of TCU's next four are on the road. Using the Horned Frogs' struggle at Army as the gauge, this could end badly. 7. Cincinnati (2-4, 1-2, No. 7) -- Would former coach Rick Minter have lost to Army? 8. Houston (1-5, 1-2, No. 8) -- Note to Houston: If you're going to play Southern Miss close, go ahead and finish it. 9. Army (1-4, 1-3, No. 11) -- Black Knights are now on a momentous one-game winning streak. 10. East Carolina (1-4, 1-2, No. 10) -- Nice win for the Forrest City, Ark., native. Now John Thompson has an extra week to savor it. 11. Tulane (1-3, 0-2, No. 9) -- It can't be good for job security when you're ranked behind Army and East Carolina. -- Rankings by Gary Parrish Today's game TCU at UAB, 7 p.m.; ESPN Saturday's games Tulane at Memphis, 1 p.m. Southern Miss at Alabama, 2:30 p.m. Army at South Florida, 6 p.m.

10/15/04		Tigers turn Madness into a celebration -- Calipari and company plan several hours of fun for fans (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact October 15, 2004 It should come as no surprise that John Calipari is going all out. That's what he does, after all, with anything and everything. Example No. 1,383 comes tonight, when the University of Memphis basketball team holds its Midnight Madness festivities to kickoff the 2004-05 season. ''At about 9 o'clock, I want us to take over Beale Street,'' Calipari said. ''I want it to be all about the University of Memphis.'' What began as a simple, two-hour event has now morphed into a night of celebration. Doors to FedExForum don't open until 10:30. But at 8, Calipari and his staff will be at The Field on Beale to greet fans. There, they'll wait until about 9:15, when the Mighty Sound of the South marching band comes parading by, leading a venture to FedExForum. Then the cheerleaders and Pouncer will perform at 9:45. Then everybody will go inside at 10:30. Then the WPTY-ABC 24 cameras will start rolling at 11:35. Then the Tigers will officially begin practice a little after midnight by conducting a scrimmage that should last about 20 minutes. ''The stuff with the band is going to be great,'' Calipari said. ''I want it to be a celebration.'' While Memphis fans will get their first look at this year's team -- which returns four starters and is nationally ranked in most preseason polls -- there will also be an opportunity to see some future Tigers. Expected to attend are Shawne Williams and Antonio Anderson, two top-100 prospects from Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep who have already committed to the U of M. When they presumably sign national letters of intent with the program next month, the duo should ensure Memphis again has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. According to athletic director R.C. Johnson, that's just one of many things worth celebrating tonight, just one of the reasons the U of M is holding Midnight Madness. ''I think people are excited about our team this year and also about FedExForum,'' he said. ''Some schools are doing away with Midnight Madness. But we've got a lot going on right now that is positive with our basketball program, and I think the more we can expose it the better off it is for us.'' ----------------------------------------------- Midnight Madness When, where: 10:30 tonight at FedExForum. Tickets: Admission is free for students and U of M employees with proper ID. All others are encouraged to bring a nonperishable canned good for, or make a monetary donation to, The Food Bank. TV: Coverage will begin at 11:35 on WPTY (24) and last until 12:35. Schedule of events 8 p.m.: John Calipari and staff will arrive at The Field on Beale (Fourth and Beale) to sign autographs, pose for pictures and greet fans. 9:15: The Mighty Sound of the South marching band will parade down Beale Street and to the plaza at FedExForum for a pep rally. 9:45: The band, cheerleaders and Pouncer will perform in front of FedExForum. 10:30: Doors to FedExForum will open. Players will sign autographs for 30 minutes. 11:10: The Lady Tigers will be introduced. 11:25: Contests and giveaways will be conducted. 11:45: The Tigers will be introduced. Midnight: John Calipari will address the crowd. 12:10 a.m.: The Tigers will hold their first scrimmage in their new home, an intrasquad game that should last about 20 minutes.

10/14/04		Tamla and Jago Advance at Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional -- Tigers send two more into Friday's main draw (Daily Helmsman)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn.-- - Men's tennis players Marten Tamla and Alex Jago each won two matches Thursday to advance to the main draw singles event at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional at The Racquet Club of Memphis. Tamla downed Alabama's Jordie Kindervater, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 in his first match, then downed Florida A&M's Frank Green, 6-1, 7-5, to advance to one of the eight qualifying slots. Jago followed suit with a first round win over Tulane's Magdy El-Midawy, 6-0, 6-2, before downing UT-Martin's Danny McGuire, 6-0, 6-2. Four of the six Tigers entered in Thursday's draw advanced to the second round. Senior Andrew Olswing (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway) and freshman Bryan Bankester (Madison, Miss./Central) ended up playing one another in a match following a withdrawal, with Bankester advancing 6-3, 7-6. Bankester then fell to Southern Miss' Reid Bourgeois, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Senior Scott Felsenthal (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) had a mixed day. The senior won his opening match, 6-1, 6-4 over Dirk Prinsloo from UT-Martin before falling to Mississippi State's Michele Panzeri, 6-4, 6-2. But while the senior's tournament is done, barring his name being drawn as a lucky loser to filling in a withdrawal from tomorrow's main draw, he did watch younger brother Andrew advance to the main draw for Alabama. The younger Felsenthal won his opening match 6-2, 7-6 over Southeast Louisiana's Olivier Nussbaum, then used a 6-4, 6-1 straight set win over Troy's Robert Van Swelm to advance to the main draw. Van Swelm had advanced to his match against the younger Felsenthal with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 thriller over Memphis' Mark Finnegan in the first round. Complete Day One Results Round of 32 Tommy Ostenson (Southern Miss) def. Olti Mollaymeri (UT-Martin), 7-5, 6-3 Kevin Dessauer (LSU) def. Josh Irey (Mississippi State), 6-1, 6-3 Marten Tamla (Memphis) def. Jordie Kindervater (Alabama), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 Frank Green (Florida A&M) def. Daniel Balog (Georgia State), 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Michele Panzeri (Tennessee Tech) def. Taylor Striplin (Alabama), 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 Scott Felsenthal (Memphis) def. Dirk Pinsloo (UT Martin), 6-1, 6-4 Florent Girod (Mississippi State) def. Jonathan Howard (LSU), 6-3, 6-3 Andrew Naidu (Austin Peay) def. Yuri Pompeu (Murray State), 6-3, 7-6 Andrew Felsenthal (Alabama) def. Olivier Nussbaum (Southeast Louisiana), 1-6, 6-2. 6-3 Robert Van Swelm (Troy) def. Mark Finnegan (Memphis), 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 Arnaud Roussel (Mississippi State) def. Jon Brown (Austin Peay), 6-2, 6-0 Jason Mallaiah (Kentucky) def. David Donaldson (Ole Miss), 6-0, 6-1 Danny McGuire (UT-Martin) def. Jordan Jones (Mississippi State), 6-3, 6-0 Alex Jago (Memphis) def. Magdy El-Midawy (Tulane), 6-0, 6-2 Reid Bourgeois (Southern Miss) def. John Thornton (Tennessee), 6-2, 6-2 Bryan Bankester (Memphis) def. Andrew Olswing (Memphis), 6-3, 7-6 Round of 16 Kevin Dessauer (LSU) def. Tommy Ostenson (Southern Miss), 6-1, 6-3 Marten Tamla (Memphis) def. Frank Green (Florida A&M), 6-1, 7-5 Michele Panzeri (Tennessee Tech) def. Scott Felsenthal (Memphis), 6-4, 6-2 Florent Girod (Mississippi State) def. Andrew Naidu (Austin Peay), 6-1, 6-0 Andrew Felsenthal (Alabama) def. Robert Van Swelm (Troy), 6-4, 6-1 Jason Mallaiah (Kentucky) def. Arnaud Roussel (Mississippi State), 6-3, 6-3 Alex Jago (Memphis) def. Danny McGuire (UT-Martin), 6-0, 6-2 Reid Bourgeois (Southern Miss) def. Bryan Bankester (Memphis), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

10/14/04		Memphis Midnight Madness Schedule -- The night's festivities to begin at 8:00 p.m. (CT) (Daily Helmsman)
		Midnight Madness Schedule of Events (All times are approximate) 8-10 pm -- Coaches and staff to greet fans at The Field 9:15 -- Memphis Marching Band to begin playing at Beale and Fourth Sts. 9:45 -- Band, cheerleaders and Pouncer to perform on FedExForum Plaza 10:30 -- Doors open to FedExForum (Admission - One non-perishable food item or monetary contribution to The Food Bank; University students, faculty and staff admitted free with University ID) 10:30-11:00 -- Players autographs on FedExForum floor (A five-minute warning buzzer will sound; players will have to leave at 11:00 pm) 2003-04 Season Highlight Tape will be played 11:10 -- Lady Tigers introduced 11:25-:45 -- Contests, prizes, giveaways; Cheerleader, pom squad and band performances 11:35 -- Midnight Madness goes live on WPTY-TV 11:45 -- Tiger Player Introductions 12:00 am -- Basketball Season Officially Opens/Coach Calipari to speak 12:01-:07 -- Warm-ups/Dunks 12:10-:30 -- Intra-squad Scrimmage

10/14/04		Women's Soccer Hits the Road Again, Travel to USF and UAB -- Lady Tigers look to extend winning streak to five and break school record for wins (Daily Helmsman)
		Memphis Hits the Road Again, Travels to USF and UAB Friday, October 15, at USF, 6:30 p.m. USF Soccer Stadium (4,000), Tampa, Fla. Sunday, October 17 at UAB, 2:00 p.m. West Campus Field (2,500), Birmingham, Ala. This Week: The Tigers embark on their second conference road trip of the year, which will take them to both Florida and Alabama. They will take on the University of South Florida on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Central time. They then continue on to Alabama to take on defending C-USA regular-season champion the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Looking Ahead: Memphis returns home for a Friday night home game against Marquette on October 22 at 7:00 p.m. before hitting the road for a game at Saint Louis on Sunday, October 24 at 1:00 p.m. Game Change: The game originally scheduled for Saturday, October 30 against Cincinnati at home has been moved up a day to Friday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. The change was made necessary because a number of teams in the conference need to make up games that were postponed because of the hurricanes that came through last month. Some teams will need to play two games instead of the originally scheduled one and to make it fair, the conference elected to change games previously scheduled for Saturday to Friday. Scouting USF: The Bulls, who have had several game postponed or cancelled due to the hurricanes, won their first two conference games this past weekend on the road against Southern Miss and Tulane, shutting out both opponents by 3-0 and 1-0 scores, respectively. They have a 3-5-2 record overall and a 2-2-0 mark in C-USA. Prior to this weekend, however, they struggled to score, as they were shut out in three consecutive games. They have scored just eight goals on the year and are led by Erica Lewis, who has two goals and two assists for six points. Defensively, they have a 1.41 goals against average and goalkeeper Breck Bankester has played in all but 30 minutes of USF's games, averaging 1.17 goals against. Scouting UAB: The defending regular season C-USA champions also swept their games this past weekend against Tulane and Southern Miss, winning by scores of 3-2 and 4-0, respectively. They will enter their Friday night game at home against Saint Louis with an 8-4-1 overall mark and a 4-1-0 record in C-USA play, tied with Memphis. Tara Kidwell leads the Blazers with 10 goals on the year and 21 points after scoring five goals in their two games over the weekend. The Blazers have a team goals against average of just under 1 at 0.99. The Coaches: Brooks Monaghan (Memphis, 1994) is in his fifth year as head coach of the Lady Tigers. He holds a career record of 38-46-5 during his time with the Tigers. Prior to becoming the head coach, he served as the goalkeepers coach for the Lady Tigers from 1996-99. He has been a part of the Lady Tiger program for all but one year of its existence, that being the first year of the program in 1995. Under his guidance in his first year as goalkeepers coach, the team's gaa dropped by nearly an entire goal, from 2.74 to 1.77. Monaghan is the all-time leader in shutouts (24) and goals against average (1.40) for the Memphis men's soccer program, which he played for from 1992-94. T. Logan Fleck (Old Dominion, 1984) is in his 10th year as head coach at USF, where has compiled a 82-72-14. He has a record of 96-82-15 overall in this, his 12th year as a head coach, doing a two-year stint at Arkansas-Little Rock prior to USF. He has also served as the head coach of the men's team at USF at the same time from 1994-96. Paul Harbin (Mercer, 1985) is in his ninth season as head coach at UAB. He is the only coach in the history of the program. He has a career record of 122-100-13 in this, his 13th year as a head coach, which also included a stint at his alma mater prior to coming to UAB. He is 86-74-11 in his time at UAB. He led the Blazers to regular season C-USA championship last year. UM All-Time vs. USF: Memphis holds a 2-6 all-time record against the Bulls. They were shut out by USF in each of the last two seasons. Their last win over the Bulls came in the 2001 season. UM All-Time vs. UAB: The Tigers are also 2-6 all-time against UAB. Memphis lost to the Blazers last year, also in Birmingham by a 2-1 score. Their last win over UAB came in the 2002 season, a 1-0 victory. Tigers Crack Regional Rankings: For the first time in program history, Memphis was regionally ranked onSeptember 28. This week, the Tigers moved up to #10 in the Soccer Buzz Central Region poll. Wealth Spread over the Weekend ... : While Memphis scored nine goals and recorded 12 assists and 30 points in its two games over the past weekend, it wasn't any one player that got all of the accolades, rather it was a plethora of individuals that got in on the action. Eight different players recorded the Tigers' nine goals while six different players recorded assists. Of those six players, four had more than one assist on the weekend, led by Vicki Greenwell and Monica Powell with three apiece. and on the Year as well ... : With all of this past weekend's offensive exploits, Memphis now has 12 players that have scored at least one goal on the year, 10 players with at least one assist, and 15 players with at least one point. What, no Shutout?: For only the second weekend this year, Memphis failed to record a shutout, as they had recorded at least one in all but one weekend so far this year. Twice the Fun: The nine goals scored in back-to-back games is the most for the Tigers since the beginning of the 1999 season, when they scored 11 goals in back-to-back wins over Rhodes and Toledo. They are the most scored in back-to-back games against Division 1 opponents since 1996 when they scored 11 against Stephen F. Austin and Evansville. However, they lost the game to Evansville that year, making this two-game stretch this year the most goals Memphis has ever scored in back-to-back wins against a pair of Division 1 opponents. Tigers Break Another Streak: For the second straight weekend, Memphis recorded its first-ever win in program history against an opponent. The Tigers 5-1 win over Charlotte was their first-ever against the 49'ers, who had previously been 9-0 against the Tigers. This follows Memphis's 2-0 win over Houston last weekend, which was their first-ever win against the Cougars in seven tries. Two More for the Record: With 10 wins now on the year, Memphis has doubled its win total from last year and already has the second-most wins in school history. With just two more wins, they will set a school record for most wins in a season. That record is 11 set by the 1997 squad. Double W's: With a 10-3 overall record and a 4-1 mark in C-USA play, Memphis has now doubled its win total from last year both overall and in conference play. Greenwell Helps Out: Freshman midfielder Vicki Greenwell has started the last three games after getting just two starts in the Tigers' first 10 contests. She responded well by recording three assists this past weekend and she now leads Memphis in helpers with six on the year. Greenwell, the last signee of this year's freshman recruiting class, has displayed exceptional ball control and passing ability. Firsts: Two more Memphis players scored their first career goals this weekend, and both came in the waning second of the games. Redshirt freshman Candace Halvorson netted her first career tally at the 87:45 mark in the win over Charlotte, while true freshman Kelsey Irish scored her first career goal as the horn sounded to end the game against East Carolina. They join fellow freshmen Carla Scanniello and Caroline Barrett, sophomores Beth Keating and Melissa Savage, and senior Susannah Dawells as Memphis players that have scored their first-career goals this season. Mikami Debuts: It did not take long at all for sophomore transfer Shoko Mikami to get her name into the points column. Mikami, a transfer from Division II Christian Brothers University who led Division II nationally in points and goals per game last year, assisted on Melissa Savage's first career goal and game-winner against Houston on October 3. She then scored her first-career Division 1 goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, against East Carolina on Sunday. Mikami, who tore an ACL last spring, did not play until the Evansville game on September 26. Defense Continues to Shine: Exception defense is needed for success and the Tigers have gotten no less than that for most of this year. Expected to be a strong point on the team this year, the Memphis defense has allowed just nine goals in 13 games, which equals out to a 0.69 goals against averag