Vols roll past Tigers

CUSA-fans.com has a new staff of team correspondents this fall to help bring you, the fan, more detailed Conference USA football coverage. Today, our Memphis Correspondent Kyle Eaton recaps the Memphis Tigers loss to their in-state rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers.

Two weeks ago, the Tigers fired defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn in hopes to shake up a very lethargic and uninspired defense. With Tommy West now at the helm, the Tigers were facing their toughest test of the season. The early results for West and the Tiger defense were not good.

The only thing hotter than the weather in Memphis on Saturday was Eric Ainge and the Vols offense. The fifteenth ranked Volunteers embarrassed the Tigers in the Liberty Bowl and made sure that the Tigers could not get their second win in the team’s series history. Ainge connected on 23 of his 27 passes, for 324 yards, and four scores.

Receiver Robert Meachem, 157 yards, and halfback LeMarcus Coker, 126 yards, each gained more yards in the game than the entire offense of the Tigers, 121 yards. The bulk of Meachem’s yards came on an 84 yard touchdown strike in the third quarter that sent the majority of Tiger fans home. Coker continued the trend of opposing backs dominating the Tigers’ defenders.

Martin Hankins and the entire Tigers’ offense have been completely inept over the last six quarters of play. Over that span, the Tigers have been outscored 69-7. The defense has been overmatched and the offense has been lost.

The only positive of the day for the Tigers was the play of All-Conference punter Michael Gibson. Gibson pinned the Vols inside their own three on three different times and averaged nearly 51 yards a punt. The problem was that after each of Gibson’s deep punts, the Vols scored.

If the Tigers want to make it to a fourth straight bowl game, some major changes need to be made before the Saturday’s game in Birmingham.