U of M can't untangle Webb on Senior Day

The rivalry was trivial. The 100-pound trophy of bronzed bones was unimportant. Even bragging rights were deemed irrelevant. What mattered for the 25 seniors on The University of Memphis football team was suiting up to play for the last time at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Saturday against UAB.

"(Coach) was telling us to go out there and have fun," said senior defensive lineman Josh Weaver. "All week at practice, he was telling us to go out and play our hearts out and have fun."

Senior tailback Curtis Steele said he had a hard time keeping his emotions in check leading up to the game.

"I've seen a lot of things happen in the three years that I've been here," he said. "I thought I was going to be all right coming into the game, but during the Tiger Walk, I started getting a little teary-eyed. Then it hit me that this was going to be my last time to play at home for The University of Memphis and the city."

Although their hope was to walk out of the season's last home game as winners, things didn't play out that way. A slow offensive start and the inability to stop UAB quarterback Joe Webb dug a hole that the Tigers (2-8, 1-5 Conference USA) could not claw their way out of, as they eventually fell 31-21 to the Blazers in front of an announced crowd of 18,031.

Webb led the way for UAB (5-5, 4-2 C-USA), throwing for 378 yards and three touchdowns to go with an additional score on the ground.

Going into the game, coach Tommy West's goal was to stop Webb from running the ball, but his ability to throw so well came as a surprise.

"Right now, we're not good enough in the secondary," said West. "We're fighting like crazy against the run, but we're getting exploited some in the passing game. We're one-dimensional defensively."

Webb's 52 yards rushing were the fewest he's had all season, but in the end it didn't matter.

"I don't really know how to say it, but you wish you could have come out with a win playing for the last time in front of your hometown," said senior quarterback Will Hudgens. "I wish it could have been different, but you've got to roll with the punches and get back out there tomorrow."

Hudgens, who completed 26-of-41 passes for 333 yards, is wrapping up his sixth season playing for The U of M and said Saturday's game was a culmination of unlucky breaks throughout the year.

"It was our last chance to get it done at home, and it's been just a frustrating year," he said. "This is how our season has been going. It's been bad bounce after bad bounce, and it's unfortunate that it happened, but that's football."

The Blazers opened up the scoring with four seconds left in the first quarter when Webb broke away from The U of M's defense, scurrying 15 yards for the score.

An 11-yard touchdown run from Steele just a couple minutes later evened things up, but then UAB reeled off 24 straight points - which included three Webb touchdown tosses of 77, 26 and 12 yards. The Tigers had plenty of shots to cut the Blazers' chances short, but Webb would break away from defenders and create something out of nothing.

"We had three or four guys who had a chance to get a sack, but (Webb) gets away from them and makes a play," said West. "He's got tremendous vision downfield."

Turnovers didn't help the Tigers' chances, either.

Although Hudgens didn't throw any interceptions, The U of M squandered two scoring opportunities in a row. Hudgens found seniors Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton in the red zone on two separate occasions, but both fumbled the ball into the end zone, which led to consecutive touchbacks for UAB.

"Just like all the games this season, we had our chances to win, but we didn't execute," said Singleton. "Me and Duke had a chance to score - that's 14 points gone. It could have been a game-changer."

The U of M didn't score again until Steele ran in a 7-yard touchdown with 4:34 left in the game. He finished the game with 107 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, but it wasn't easy.

"It's very frustrating," Steele said. "It seems like every time we get down there close, something bad is going to happen. We knew coming into the game that we couldn't afford that if we wanted to win."

The Tigers blocked a punt on UAB's next possession, which led to a 6-yard quarterback draw from senior Brett Toney for a touchdown with 1:48 left in the game. The score narrowed the margin to 31-21, but the Tigers wouldn't have another chance to put points on the board.

Although he wants to win every game, West said, losing the Senior Day game was a little more disappointing than other losses this year.

"You hate it for (the seniors) that you're having this kind of year," he said. "They're good players, and you just hate to have a sour year. I know I'm going to coach again, but I hate it for them because some of them might never play again."

Even though he will be out of a job at the end of the season, West said there are still two more games left to play.

"We've got two more games, and we're going to coach for two more games, and we're going to play for two more games," he said.

The players said they have two more games left to prove they're not quitters.

"Overall, no matter what, we're still going to play our hearts out," said Weaver. "That's one thing I don't think people see - we don't quit. No matter what the situation, no matter who we play, we're going to go out there and play like it's 0-0, beginning of the game, every play."