Sept. 5, 2015
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis capitalized on two early Missouri State turnovers to build a 28-point first-quarter lead en route to a 63-7 victory Saturday in the 2015 season opener for both teams before a crowd of 41,730 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Powered by an offense that piled up 519 total yards, the Tigers scored four times in the first 11 minutes of the game and cruised the rest of the way.
Mose Frazier, who caught six passes for 89 yards on the night, hauled in two touchdown receptions in the opening quarter, as the Tigers (1-0) utilized an opportunistic offense and a dominant defensive performance to score the first 49 points of the contest. UofM, which totaled 315 yards of offense in the first half, scored four times in the first 11 minutes of the game with the help of two MSU fumbles, then tacked on two more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a commanding 42-0 lead into intermission.
The Tigers defense delivered as well, holding the Bears to 54 yards of total offense in the first half and keeping MSU off the scoreboard for nearly 55 minutes before Breck Ruddick's two-yard scoring pass to Malik Earl with 5:24 to play in the third period capped a 75-yard drive and squashed UofM's bid for a shutout.
Missouri State (0-1) struggled throughout to mount a consistent offensive attack, however, as UofM held the Bears to 18 rushing yards on 30 carries and 125 yards of total offense overall in the debut game of new head coach Dave Steckel.
Jarvis Cooper rushed for a game-high 102 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers, while Sam Craft added 72 rushing yards for a UofM attack that ran for 317 yards on 60 carries, five of which ended in touchdowns. Memphis also found success through the air, as three different passes threw for touchdowns, completing 16-of-21 passes for a total of 202 yards.
Ruddick completed 14-of-24 passes for 1-1 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut, while Earl and LeMarcus Stewart each reeled in four receptions for the Bears.
A fumble on Missouri State's opening possession of the game spelled immediate trouble for the Bears, as Jackson Dillon fell on the loose ball at the MSU 25 to set up an early scoring chance for the home club. Craft gashed the Bears for 20 yards on two carries before quarterback Paxton Lynch found Frazier in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 Tigers lead just 1:53 into the contest.
The early touchdown would serve as a springboard for UofM scoring drives on the Tigers next two possessions as well. Wide receiver Phil Mayhue would connect with Frazier for a 44-yard scoring strike on a reverse pass to cap a four-play, 66-yard drive, before Dololand Dorceus forged into the end zone from two yards out following a second MSU fumble deep in its own territory.
Roderick Proctor put the exclamation mark on the opening quarter, bringing a Chris Sullens punt all the way back for a 63-yard return and a 28-0 UofM lead with 4:28 to play in the period.
The Tigers would outgain MSU by 140 yards in the first quarter, racking up 173 yards of total offense. The UofM defense stifled the Bears' rushing attack, allowing just 19 yards on 11 carries while holding MSU without a first down over the game's first 23 minutes.
Cooper's four-yard run just over one minute into the second quarter finished off a 10-play, 70-yard drive and stretched the advantage to 35 points. The Tigers, who rushed for 193 yards on 32 carries in the first half, added another touchdown late in the period, as Dorceus covered the final yard of a 67-yard drive with 2:32 left on the clock to make it a six-touchdown margin for UofM.
MSU mounted its most promising offensive drive of the half early in the second quarter, using a 14-yard Ruddick scamper to move the chains for the first time. The Bears' redshirt freshman signal-caller then found Stewart for a 17-yard pickup, and a facemask penalty moved the ball into UofM territory for the first time.
But, after Ryan Heaston's three-yard rush brought the Bears to the Tigers' 21, an errant snap resulted in a 22-yard loss. A roughing the passer penalty briefly handed MSU a reprieve, but the Tigers defense stood strong, as Latarius Brady sacked Ruddick for a six-yard loss on a third-and-10 call at the Memphis 34 to force another Sullens punt.
Craft and Cooper combined to rush for 142 yards on 22 carries in the half, while Lynch completed 8-of-12 passes for 78 yards.
Cooper struck again early in the third period, finishing a 12-play drive with another four-yard scoring run that handed the Tigers a 49-0 advantage. Following the Bears lone touchdown during a penalty-ridden drive, Jae'Lon Oglesby scored on a four-yard pass from Clay Holgorsen late in the third period, and Jamarius Henderson capped the scoring with a six-yard run with just over a minute to play in the game.
Three Bears -- Dylan Cole, Christian Hoffmann and Anthony Upchurch -- tallied eight tackles to share game-high honors, while freshman Jared Beshore totaled seven stops for MSU.
Missouri State opens its 2015 home slate next Saturday (Sept. 12) with a 2 p.m. game against Chadron State at Robert W. Plaster Stadium as part of MSU's annual Family Weekend.
A limited number of single-game tickets are available online at MissouriStateBears.com/Tickets, by calling (417) 836-7678, or visiting the JQH Arena ticket office during normal box office hours.
Noteworthy: MSU dropped to 1-2 all-time vs. Memphis...Saturday's announced attendance of 41,730 represents the 14th largest crowd to witness a Missouri State football game...MSU's lone touchdown of the night--Breck Ruddick's two-yard pass to Malik Earl--marked the first for each as a Bear...Robert Booker made his 25th consecutive start on the Bears' offensive line Saturday; Dylan Cole stretched his string of starting assignments to 22 straight, while Christian Hoffman ran his streak of consecutive starts to 20 in a row...A total of seven players made their first starts for the Bears, including Ruddick, Jordan Turner, Jake Lasater, Aaron Clardy, Alexz Jones, Anthony Upchurch and Jared Beshore...With four receptions apiece, both Earl and LeMarcus Stewart established career single-game highs...Chris Sullens eclipsed the MSU career record for punting yardage (9,060), passing Jordan Chiles (8,986) for the Bears' all-time mark...The 63 points allowed represented the most for an MSU opponent since Murray State scored 72 in an Oct. 9, 2010 victory ... The 56-point defeat was the largest margin of victory for an MSU opponent since 1968.
