Top performers from Memphis’ win over Army

Memphis improved to 7-2 on Saturday with a 49-22 win over Army. The Tigers got things rolling early, and took a double-digit lead into the locker room before cruising in the second half.

Charles Huff’s team has struggled lately with fast starts, but that wasn’t the case against the Black Knights. Memphis scored on four of its five first-half possessions and only punted the ball away three times.

Defensively, the Tigers were able to keep Army’s triple-option offense under wraps, despite giving up 320 rushing yards.

This game was essentially a conference championship elimination game, and with the win, Memphis remains in contention for the conference title game with three games left on the schedule. The Tigers will have their second open date of the season before ending the year with back-to-back road contests and a home game on black Friday.

Marcus Stokes

It was another impressive performance for Marcus Stokes on Saturday, as he threw for more than 300 yards for a third straight game. The quarterback helped lead the offense to a strong start, which included four touchdowns in the first half, and he accounted for five touchdowns throughout the game. 

Stokes went 29-for-35 for 371 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, and he added 30 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

After a few games with slow starts, Stokes got things going early, and he finished the first half 20-for-23 with 258 yards and three touchdowns. 

Stokes has now thrown for 2,532 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions this year, and he ranks fifth in passing yards and tied for first in passing touchdowns.

Ellis Ellis Jr.

Ellis Ellis Jr. recorded his second interceptions of the season and finished second in tackles on Saturday against the Black Knights. Ellis finished with seven tackles and an interception.

It makes it back-to-back games the cornerback has grabbed an interception. Ellis has recorded 25 tackles this season, 0.5 sacks, and a pair of interceptions, and he ranks as the eighth-leading tackler for Memphis.

Both interceptions ended the game, but last week’s was a game-saving takeaway, while this week just ended the game.

Receivers

Several receivers made huge plays on Saturday, so the entire receivers group will be listed as a top performer. 

Jermane Hayes finished the game with 86 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught nine of his 10 targets. Hunter Tipton tied Hayes as the leading receiver on five receptions, averaging 17.2 yards per catch.

Jemyri Davis also brought in a pair of touchdowns, and he finished with 75 yards on four catches, averaging 18.8 yards per reception.