University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Postgame Notes For the Memphis Game
11/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2006
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. - * The Southern Miss game captains were No. 24 Gerald McRath, No. 48 Jonathan Palmer and No. 70 George Batiste.
*With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 37-19-1 in the series and snapped a two-game losing streak to the Tigers.
* The Golden Eagles captured their first win in the last four games at the Liberty Bowl since capturing the 1999 AXA Liberty Bowl in defeating Colorado State, 23-17. Since then, Southern Miss had lost to Memphis twice (22-17 in 2001 and 30-26 in 2004) as well as dropping the 2003 AXA Liberty Bowl 17-0 to Utah.
* Southern Miss tied its most ever points scored against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl, also scoring 42 on Nov. 22, 1997, in a 42-18 win.
* The Golden Eagles made their sixth appearance on national television this season - the fifth on the ESPN family of networks including once on ESPN Game Plan, twice on ESPN2, once on ESPNU and the Memphis contest on ESPN. The Golden Eagles are now 2-4 on TV this season and 51-36 all-time in their history when they appeared on television.
* Freshman Tory Harrison recorded the team's longest rush of the year - and the team's second longest offensive play of the campaign - in the first quarter of 50 yards en route to a season-best 138 yards rushing on 12 carries. It was the fifth 100-plus yardage game by a Southern Miss running back as fellow freshman Damion Fletcher has the other four for the Golden Eagles. The 138 yards is the seventh-best rushing performance all-time by a Golden Eagle freshman.
* Senior offensive lineman George Batiste made his 44th career start on the offensive line.
* Travis Cooley returned to the starting lineup for the first time since being injured in the opening half of the Houston game. Cooley missed the Virginia Tech and East Carolina games because of that injury. It was Cooley's 33rd career start.
* Jonathan Palmer caught his first pass of the season and second of his career with a 42-yard reception on the Golden Eagles first drive.
* Chris Johnson recorded his second and third touchdown catches of the season - a seven-yard strike and a 24-yard reception from Jeremy Young. Johnson now has five for his career.
* The 91-yard scoring drive on the Golden Eagles first possession was Southern Miss' longest of the season. Southern Miss has now scored on drives of 70 or more yards 14 times this season.
* The Golden Eagles have scored on their opening drive in four games this season (two touchdowns against Florida and Memphis and two field goals coming against NC State and Virginia Tech).
* Damion Fletcher tallied his first rushing touchdown in six games, since tallying three against NC State (9/23), on a one-run run in the first quarter.
* Senior Anthony Perine had season bests of four receptions as well as 73 yards.
* Senior Bobby Weakley scored his second TD of the season and third of his career with a one-yard rush in the second quarter.
* Quarterback Jeremy Young threw for career highs for both yards (193) and touchdowns (three). His previous bests were 184 yards against UCF (9/26) and two TDs against Houston (10/14).
* Reserve QB Stephen Reaves came in and completed all four passes in the fourth quarter including a 19-yard scored to Shawn Nelson. It was the first TD pass of his Golden Eagle career.
* The Golden Eagles went over 400 yards of total offense for the third time this season, collecting a season-best 486 total yards. The previous best was 448 against Southeastern Louisiana (9/9).
* Southern Miss also threw for over 200 yards for the first time this season - Young with 193 yards and Reaves with 39 yards - to finish the night with 232 total.
