Memphis Tigers vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Historic Cramton Bowl
Montgomery, Alabama
THE GAME:
- Memphis defeated Florida Atlantic 25-10 in the inaugural Montgomery Bowl
- Memphis (8-3) closed the season with a 2-game winning streak
- FAU (5-4) ended the season with three straight losses
- Memphis QB Brady White was named the Most Valuable Player
MONTGOMERY BOWL FIRSTS:
Pregame Weather: Cloudy; 63 degrees; 46% Humidity; 76% chance of showers
Coin Toss: Memphis won toss (called heads); deferred to second half
Game Captains: Memphis #3 Brady White; FAU: #5 Ahman Ross
Kickoff: Riley Patterson kicks off; Touchback; FAU ball at FAU 25-yard line
First Play: James Charles rush for 5 yards to FAU 30 (JJ Russell)
First Punt: Matt Hayball 35-yard punt; Memphis fair catch at UM 12-yard line
First Score: Patterson 53-yard field goal in first quarter (7:15 mark)
First Touchdown: #3 Brady White 5-yard TD pass to Javon Ivory with 2:26 left in first quarter
PATTERSON SETS CRAMTON BOWL RECORD; SCORES FIRST POINTS IN MONTGOMERY BOWL HISTORY:
Memphis kicker Riley Patterson kicked a 53-yard field goal for the game’s first points. That’s the longest field goal in the history of the stadium. The record was 51 yards until Florida International’s Jose Borregales booted a 52-yarder last December in the Camellia Bowl. Patterson, who set the all-time NCAA bowl record with six field goals in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, recorded the longest field goal in Cramton Bowl history.
CLEMSON GRAD TRANSFER CATCHES TD PASS:
FAU receiver T. J. Chase transferred from Clemson this year after being on two national championship teams (2016 and 2018), losing to Alabama in the 2017 semifinals and to LSU last year. He is from Plant City Fla., and caught the Owls’ only touchdown on a 3-yard reception from Nick Tronti (that made it 18-7). He finished with two catches for 6 yards.
IVORY SHINES FOR TIGERS:
Memphis redshirt freshman receiver Javon Ivory caught the first of three touchdown passes from Brady White and finished with seven catches for 126 yards. He is a redshirt freshman from Clarke County High School who was pressed into a bigger role this season when Coye’ Fairman – in response to several positive COVID-19 tests on the team – elected to opt out of the 2020 season in early September.
“That’s our motto, you’ve got to treat each day the same as the next day. You’ve got to bring it to work every day. Tonight was just that we had to bring more effort. It’s great to end it the way we did because we went through so much adversity this season.”
D-LINEMAN CATCHES TD PASS:
Memphis senior defensive lineman Joseph Doreus caught one of three touchdown passes from White. Dorceus entered the game as a blocking back on a first-and-goal at the FAU 2-yard line. White threw a 2-yard TD pass to his big blocking back to give the Tigers a 16-0 lead. The Tigers then went for two as Preston Brady, the holder on extra points, flipped the ball to John Hassell, who ran in the –point conversion to give the Tigers an 18-0 halftime lead.
“When we left the huddle and the Coach had called the play, my eyes had already lit up,” he said. “When I was lined up in my stance and saw where I was supposed to go and how soft the coverage was, I attacked it right away. When I looked back, Brady had the ball for me in the right place, so I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
MEMPHIS COACH HIT WITH UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT PENALTY:
Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first quarter.
“It was selfish of me,” he said. “That’s 100 percent on me. I was just telling him how much I liked his outfit. That’s what I was telling him. I was wishing him happy holidays, but he must have thought I said something else.”
In addition, FAU fifth-year senior OL Desmond Noel was ejected for fighting in the next-to-last play of the first half.
MARTIN PACES RUN GAME:
Memphis rushed for 185 yards (second most in the last eight games) and Asa Martin, former Mr. Football from Austin High in Decatur, rushed for a season-high 96 yards (previous high was 39 vs. Tulane).
“I’ve always pinned it on me, it’s my fault that it wouldn’t get going,” Silverfield said. “But I do think we were able to execute at a higher level. It was great to see Asa Martin. Asa is one of those guys who has stepped up. Week in, week out, he’s going to continue to progress. It’s been running back by committee with us and it’s nice to have a guy that we know at least we can hang our hat on next year.”
GILBERT BACK ON HOME TURF:
FAU fifth-year senior CB Zyon Gilbert had an 11-yard interception for the Owls in the second quarter. Gilbert played high school football at Jeff Davis High School in Montgomery. He played the majority of his prep games here at the Cramton Bowl. Gilbert also added seven tackles and one pass breakup.
