This was not the best way the Memphis Tigers could have asked to become bowl eligible but they will take it however they can get it. Without the win, the Tigers would not be playing in a bowl game. Memphis has taken an easier road to a bowl game in previous years. This might be a blessing in disguise because it caused the teams to build character. This is the fifth bowl season the Tigers have had in the past six seasons.

Memphis is one of six Conference USA teams to play for one of the conference's possible bowl games. They whooped Tulane 45-6. There were 25 seniors on the team and they will get a curtain call since they have played their final home game. The Tigers finished 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the conference. Tulane was 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the conference.
"Don't really care where we might be going now," said Tigers' coach Tommy West, whose team won its season finale for the fifth straight year. "It's good that this group of seniors gets to go out on a good note ... and the bowl game means we get to go back to work in a week, continue to get better and build for the future to replace those seniors."

Memphis at one point was 0-3 and they knew they had to win some games if they were to become bowl eligible. They won three games in a row and had a 3-3 record with 6 games remaining. They in dramatic fashion to Louisville, a long-time rival, so you know that had to hurt even worse. They also lost three of their four top quarterbacks via injuries. Arkelon Hall had an injured thumb. Will Hudgens had an injured knee. Tyler Bass had an injured knee too. Hall and Hudgens got injured in the first quarter in a game they ended up losing at East Carolina. They knew if they were going to be playing in a bowl game, they would have to win despite their more than fair share of injuries.

"We had to get really creative," said West, whose offense still managed to rack up 10 games of 400 or more yards but started getting the yards on the ground.

The Tigers had a good running attack, running for 379 yards on the ground. They had 109 yards via the pass. That was a total of 488 yards and those yards were reflected in their blowout win. Curtis Steele, a junior, scored a touchdown and had 135 yards. He ended the year with 1,175 yards which is the fourth best season in Memphis Tigers history. Steele ran for 100 yards in all six of Memphis's wins.

"He opened a lot of things with the way he could get the tough yards," said West.
The Tigers used the "wild" formation in the Tulane game. The Tigers used the "wild" formation to snap the ball to Steele or other wide receivers on the team like seniors Maurice Jones and Steven Black. Jones and Black had a total of four touchdowns and 59 yards. Black scored three of the touchdowns.

Brandon Washington, a junior, had 77 yards. Brandon Ross, a freshman, had 57 yards and the Tigers' last touchdown.

"We had to get creative after losing the quarterbacks, but we've also become a good running team again," West said. "We've always been a team that can throw, but to win consistently, you have to run the ball."

Hall just got back from a thumb injury. He threw 12 passes, completing 10 of them for 109 yards.

The Tigers had their best defensive outing of the year. In the game, they allowed 222 yards and forced 3 turnovers.