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Tigers were hosting the University of Arkansas in Memphis for the first time in the two schools' histories and Irvin used the opportunity to not only log a couple of records but help Memphis to a 22-6 win over the Razorbacks. In a span of 60 minutes, Irvin broke the oldest record in the NCAA record book. The 1992 Memphis-Tulane game in the New Orleans Superdome saw the greatest first-half offensive explosion in modern Tiger history and produced the most points scored by a Tiger team in 23 years. Memphis tallied 35 points in the first quarter on touchdowns by tailback John Martin (2), wide receiver Isaac Bruce, flanker Mac Cody and strong safety Sam Edwards. Martin and Bruce added second quarter scores to up Memphis' halftime lead to 4913. Cody caught his second touchdown pass of the game in the third stanza and kicker Joe Allison added a 31-yard field goal to push the UM lead to 59-20. Allison booted his second field goal of the game in the fourth quarter to make the final margin of victory a whopping 62-20. With his three field goals against Tulane boosting his season total to 19, Joe Allison laid claim to the 1992 Lou Groza Award. The Groza Award, which is presented each year to the nation's top kicker, was the first national award ever won by a Memphis football player. The cousin of the late NASCAR driver Davey Allison, Joe finished the season with 23 made field goals. He was named to six all-America teams in addition to being named the recipient
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marched 81 yards in 10 plays. Junior tailback Mazio Royster, USC's Heisman Trophy candidate, did most of the damage in the drive but it was quarterback Reggie Perry who went the final 20 yards for the touchdown. After a Cole Ford field goal, Memphis trailed, 10-3, at halftime. But the second half belonged to the boys from Memphis. On the opening drive, Benton hit wide receiver Russell Jones with a 40-yard touchdown strike and suddenly the score was tied at 10-10. Xavier Crawford and Porter began banging away on the ground in the third and fourth quarters and set up a four-yard touchdown pass from Benton to fullback Jeff Bynum to give the Tigers a 17-10 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Trojans bobbled the ball and it was recovered by the Tigers' Rod Brown. Three consecutive rushes by Crawford gained the Tigers their final score of the day and provided the 24-10 margin of victory. Actress Cybill Shepherd, star of stage, screen and television, was presented the game ball since she gave the team an inspiring pregame speech in the locker room. Memphis gained wins over Mississippi State, Southern Mississippi and Louisville on its way to a 5-6-0 record. During the 1992 and 1993 seasons, the team's record improved to 6-5-0 and included impressive wins over the University of Arkansas, Tulane, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. In 1992, Tiger cornerback Ken Irvin placed his name in the NCAA and Memphis record book by blocking four punts in a single-game. The
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In 1991, Stobart's Tigers again put the school's name in headlines across the nation by beating the 14th-ranked Trojans of Southern Cal, 24-10, in the Los Angeles Coliseum. The passing of Keith Benton and the rushing of Larry Porter aided in the monumental victory. The Tigers scored the first points of the game on a 45-yard field goal by Joe Allison. During the next three minutes, the Trojans
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1990s
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sive backs Eddie Moore and Glenn Rogers, Jr., led the team to the win. However, the 1988 season's 6-5-0 record soon paled in the light of an NCAA investigation of the Tiger football program. When it was determined by the NCAA that one player, James Maclin, had received approximately $300 in over payment for a summer job, Bailey was forced to resign and the team received two years probation. Chuck Stobart was hired to rebuild the football program. He became the fifth coach in a 10-year span to lead the team. Arriving just three weeks before the team reported for fall camp, Stobart was forced to keep most of the staff of his predecessor. The Tigers defeated Vanderbilt and Cincinnati, but dropped nine games in 1989 to finish the season with a 2-9-0 record.
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Memphis gained national attention after its upset win over No. 14 ranked USC at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Actress Cybill Shepherd, a native of Memphis, gave the team a pregame, inspirational talk.
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Tiger History
Record-setting quarterback Steve Matthews threw 31 touchdown passes in his two-year career.