The Memphis Tigers earned a 41-0 shutout of the Auburn Tigers to improve to 3-0 in their division and rise to the top of the division.
The winner of this game would have found themselves in strong contention for the SCRC DII Championship game. Auburn is tied for fourth in the division after the heavy loss. President of the Memphis Tigers Rugby club, Joel Witcher, said the team made improvements since last week, and they showed in the game.
“The team played well,” Witcher said. “I expected them to keep the pressure on from start to finish, and they did. We did, however, get off to a slow start, but once we clicked, we clicked.”
The two teams met in Huntsville, Alabama, to play the match in a neutral setting. Some heavy rain began early that morning, and the rest of the day had showers making field conditions slippery. Memphis was slow to score but broke the deadlock with a try from Joshua Scott in the first half to begin the contest. Calvin Gentry took control of the scoreboard and got three tries in the first half. Memphis led 26-0 at halftime, and Auburn could not produce.
Allan Bowden kept the points pouring after he scored the first points of the second half on a breakaway try. Derek Colston and Johnny Holloway each scored a try to maintain the 41-0 shutout. Brittin Roedel was assigned to conversion kicks, and he converted 4 of 7.
The Tigers varsity rugby team is now 4-1 overall. Coach Dave Hill said he was pleased with the performance from the entire team, and it resulted in another win.
“Once again, we got the job done,” Hill said. “Our team was able to keep Auburn out of sync the entire day. We kept the pressure coming from the opening kickoff, and it did not stop.”
Memphis kept all the players healthy, and no injuries have been reported. It is the second week all players have not been moved on the injury report
The Memphis Tigers are scheduled to play their last regular season away game against Mississippi State in Starkville. The Bulldogs are fifth in the division, and their only conference victory was a 39-33 victory over last-place Ole Miss. If the Tigers found a way to lose to Mississippi State, the only way Memphis will see the postseason is if they win their final game of the season.
For the season finale, the Tigers will play the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders in Memphis. If the UofM beats MTSU, they would enter as the number-one seed in the division and would automatically advance to the SCRC championship game. MTSU could face the Tigers again if they win their final game against Georgia Tech. If Georgia Tech also beats the Blue Raiders, the championship game will be between the Yellow Jackets and the Tigers.
If Memphis loses their final game, they would likely advance to the championship game regardless. No other team in the division has fewer than two losses. The greatest possibility for the championship game is going to be between MTSU and Memphis.
The Memphis Tigers prepares for a scrum against the Auburn Tigers. Memphis shutout Auburn 41-0 to retain a first place lead in their division.
