KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Jonathan Crompton threw for a career-high 331 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another as Tennessee routed Memphis 56-28 on Saturday night.
Crompton surpassed his career high of 310 yards with a 10-yard pass to Denarius Moore on Tennessee’s first drive of the second half.
He tied his career high of five touchdown passes on the next play with a 16-yard connection to Moore to make it 49-7 with 12:38 left in the third quarter.
Crompton finished 21-for-27 and no interceptions and was replaced by backup Nick Stephens halfway through the third quarter.
Tennessee (5-4) gave coach Lane Kiffin his first winning streak and dominated the game much as it’s done the series. The Vols hold a 21-1 advantage against Memphis and have won all 12 meetings in Knoxville.
But the games between the state rivals often have been closer than the record indicates. Six of the 10 meetings between the two teams since 1991 have been decided by fewer than two touchdowns.
David Oku took the opening kickoff 69 yards, and Bryce Brown scored on a 1-yard run 2 minutes later. Memphis (2-7) could do nothing to catch up.
The Vols never punted with Crompton in the game, though they turned the ball over when they couldn’t convert a fourth-and-2 at the Tigers’ 29 and when Dennis Rogan muffed a punt return.
Memphis drove 93 yards in its 2-minute offense and scored on a 36-yard run by Marcus Hightower to cut Tennessee’s lead to 35-7 with 58 seconds left in the half. The Vols responded with a 55-yard drive and Crompton’s 1-yard touchdown run with 4 seconds on the clock.
The Tigers have been hampered with injuries this season, and it especially showed on defense. The Vols had their way passing nearly the entire game with wide-open routes.
Crompton, who until a few games ago was more likely to throw interceptions than touchdowns, had his selection of scoring targets in Moore, Gerald Jones, Luke Stocker, Quintin Hancock and Nu’Keese Richardson. Stephens also hit Moore for a TD.
Jones led the receiving corps with 97 yards on four catches.
Crompton was only 5 yards and a TD pass short of tying his previous career high at halftime. By the break, Tennessee had outgained Memphis 382 yards to 104 and had gained 11 more first downs.
Memphis entered the game with the 100th-ranked defense, giving up an average 416.5 yards. Tennessee finished with 566 yards.
The Vols rank 13th in the nation in defense, but were playing second- and third-string players by the time Curtis Steele scored on a 1-yard run and again on a 3-yard run in the middle of the third quarter. The scores cut Tennessee’s margin to 49-21.
Steele finished with 144 yards on 21 carries in addition to the two touchdowns. Will Hudgens was 19 of 31 for 194 yards and an interception.
Tennessee’s Eric Berry, the Southeastern Conference’s career interception return leader, inched closer to the NCAA career record when he picked off Hudgens and returned the ball 7 yards. Berry has 494 career return yards, 5 yards shy of Florida State’s Terrell Buckley.
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Crompton as you have probably read is forth in the nation for Touchdown passes and over the past four games, Crompton has thrown 14 TD passes and only two interceptions. That compares to seven TDs and eight interceptions in the first four games. After five touchdown passes against Memphis, Crompton has 21 on the season.
Key things to his new found success:
When the passing game was failing one player Gerald Jones came forward and asked and received permission from the coaches for extra work after practice after the Auburn game, soon after Jones and Crompton started doing extra work they were joined by all the other receivers and QB’s and the result was seen in the Georgia game. Jones wanting to improve has now motivated the entire receiving and QB corp. In the Memphis game he threw to 9 different receivers 4 of which were freshman one was a converted Defensive back. Against South Carolina he completed passes to 8 different players 2 to fullback and one to a freshman. So when you look at both games he has thrown to 12 different players 5 of which were freshman.
Offensive Line remember at the beginning of the season when there was no pass blocking the Offensive line has really turned around and dramatically improved. This has given him time to throw and build confidence.
Confidence, starting in the 4th quarter of the Auburn game he became a different player, prior to that game 90% of the fans were wanting a change and the pressure was getting to him, I think that he wasn’t playing that great and thought the coach was going to pull him, somewhere in the 3rd quarter it hit him the coach wasn’t and if the coach and team believed in him then he would play, and so far he has.
Crompton had 3 new offensive coordinators in his career and whenever he struggled he was pulled which really hurt him and his confidence, now with a coach that believes in him and his abilities, he is showing us what he could have been for the last three years.
Coaching this has been a dramatic change the coaches teach and practice what they have been teaching no matter how unpopular the decision is, they have also instill discipline both on and off the field. The team as a whole is highly motivated and this can and is the result of the coaches. The biggest thing is they have stood by the players and the players have responded.
Crompton was picked at the beginning of the year as the worst starting QB in the SEC and because of these factors and his abilities he is now the best, what a difference a few games and confidence can make, I would bet several NFL teams are now looking at him and he could go in the draft, we will have to see how he finishes the season.
Too bad he can’t play again next year I would like to see what he would do, but we have two QB’s that have been training all year and standing by and Bray coming in who threw 5 Touchdown passes Friday and is one of the most accurate recruits in the nation and four more top receiver recruits have committed so it will be real interesting next year with the great Running backs we have and coming in (Fugate ran for 4 Touchdowns Friday) and receivers.
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I am glad to see someone that understands what is or is not going on in a game.
I also am very glad that so many got experience for this game it can only help us in the future, I think every freshman played.
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Most likely the second and third string were practiced to replace injuries, meaning they were more ready for some REAL Kiffin defense, not prevent. Its all good.
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The way the VOL’s have been playing as of late I would have liked to see then play FLA again, but unless the biggest miracle that ever happened in College football happen it won’t.
For this to happen the VOL’s would have to win out (Highly possible) and the Gators loss every remaining game (Highly improbable) and the bowl selection arrange the game (Very Doubtful)
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No One knows what will happen in the future but I don’t think it will take that long I think year three, I feel because of all the experience the true freshman are getting this year plus like in this game nearly everyone played will propel the VOL’s playing dramatically this remaining year and next year.
The things that I worry about for next year, is Offensive Line and Linebackers, both areas need improvement. The line loses 4 next year and of the 4 leaving 3 were walk on’s, at Linebacker we have some youth but will need some depth. At both positions recruits could expect to start.
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Yes a first year coach but do you realize that they have lost four game’s 2 of the loses to teams that were at that time the #1 ranked team in the nation and lost those two games by a combined score of 12 points, total combined points is 20 for their four loses.
Just to put it in prospective the VOL’s are 24 points from having an undefeated season.
I feel the VOL’s are on track and will make a bowl game this year.
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go BIG ORANGE!
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The Team looks ready for Mississippi next week.
I was happy to see Crompton passing so well, I expected more of a running attack but Memphis never went away from stopping the run, so the VOL’s continued to pass all night long. So I was wrong in my prediction of the running attack, but the VOL’s called a great game plan in working what the Tigers defense gave them. Mississippi will now need to work on a defense that can cover both the pass and the run if they expect to stop the VOL’s new attacking Offence.
Congratulations to Crompton for being selected player of the game and now leads all SEC QB in passing touchdowns as of the end of the game.
I was happy that nearly all players got to play in the second half but expected our second, third string defense to be better, however the goal line stance at the end of the game is something to build on.
I got to listen to the game via the net and was very exciting game
Good Luck Memphis for the rest of the year
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