University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagles Top Memphis, Win 'Black and Blue' Battle
9/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Final Statistics - Memphis
Golden Eagles Top Memphis, Win 'Black and Blue' Battle
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The annual grudge match between Southern Miss and Memphis, dubbed the "Black and Blue" game, lived up to its name again on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles (2-1, 2-0 in Conference USA) outlasted the Tigers (2-1, 0-1) in the physical contest, scoring two fourth quarter touchdowns to secure a 23-6 win in front of an M.M. Roberts Stadium crowd of 29,233.
Marvin Young returned a Brandon Roberson punt 87 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to break open a 9-6 score, and running back Tim Blackwell scampered for a 38-yard touchdown to seal the deal.
The win was Southern Miss' 36 overall in the long-time series and also was the second in a row. The Golden Eagles now own an 18-2 record over the Tigers in series games played in Hattiesburg.
Southern Miss got on the board first in the opening quarter as Micky D'Angelo crossed on a 1-yard run with 8:05 remaining in the period. But the Memphis defense blocked the extra-point attempt to leave the score at 6-0.
The Tigers' Stephen Gostkowski then got his team on the board with a 21-yard field goal with 8:45 remaining in the half. Gostkowski then connected on a 23-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half, knotting the score, 6-6.
The home-standing Eagles got the lead back for good after Darren McCaleb made good on a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Offensively, Southern Miss tallied 307 yards in the game, including 205 yards on the ground. Blackwell led the team with a season-high 96 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, while fellow running back James Walley rushed 24 times for 80 yards.
D'Angelo managed 58 yards and one interception on 4-of-11 passing in the first half before leaving the game after a hard hit. Dustin Almond held down the spot for the entire second half, finishing with 44 yards on 3-of-14 passing.
The Tigers, who had averaged 42 points per game going into the contest, could not find the endzone for the first time this season. The high-powered offense still amassed 374 yards of gains, including 192 yards on the ground.
For Memphis, DeAngelo Williams had a game-high 158 yards on 28 carries, while quarterback Danny Wimprine finished 16-of-30 for 182 yards and three interceptions.
Michael Boley paced the Southern Miss defense with 15 tackles in the game, while Rod Davis followed with 11 stops. Greg Brooks came down with two interceptions, and Etric Pruitt nabbed the other.
Coot Terry and Will Hyden led Memphis with nine tackles each.
