SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 25, 2014
Memphis 48, Southern Methodist 10: Paxton Lynch passed for 307 yards and the visiting Tigers scored 24 points in the second quarter to roll over the Mustangs.
Jarvis Cooper ran for 93 yards and a pair of scores and Brandon Hayes added 101 yards rushing and a touchdown for Memphis (4-3, 2-1 AAC), which rolled up 582 yards of total offense and surpassed last season's win total of three in the rout. Lynch completed 17-of-23 attempts with a TD and departed in the third quarter just four yards shy of a career high in passing yards.
Garrett Krstich was 10-of-22 for 59 yards and two interceptions for the Mustangs (0-7, 0-3), who have been outscored 78-3 in the first quarter and 207-20 in the first half this season. Prescott Line capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard score in the second quarter to provide SMU with its fifth touchdown of the season and first in four home games.
Cooper broke free for a 31-yard run on the first play of the second quarter and plowed over from the 1-yard line with 11:08 left in the half for a 14-0 lead before Lynch set up a 1-yard TD run by Alan Cross with a 42-yard pass down the right sideline to Phil Mayhue. Hayes swept left end for a 36-yard TD with 1:23 left in the half and Jake Elliott booted a 37-yard field goal on the final play to provide Memphis with a 31-7 halftime bulge.
Elliott booted a 22-yarder just over three minutes into the second half and Cooper scored from 7 yards out 5 1/2 minutes later to provide a comfortable 41-7 cushion. In his first action of the season, Memphis backup quarterback Jason Stewart threw a 29-yard TD pass to Robby Young in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Memphis snapped a three-game losing streak in the series and now leads 4-3 all-time. … Memphis LB Tank Jakes, who entered leading the conference in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (12), was ejected for targeting in the third quarter. … The Tigers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 54-yard pass from Lynch to Mayhue.