Oct 23, 2015; Tulsa, OK, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) throws the ball against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the first quarter at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Junior quarterback Paxton Lynch passed for a school-record 447 yards and accounted for five touchdowns as the No. 18 Memphis Tigers remained unbeaten and prevailed in a 66-42 shootout against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in American Athletic Conference play at Tulsa.
Lynch passed for four touchdowns and rushed for one and Memphis (7-0, 3-0) rolled up 704 yards while remaining atop the AAC West Division. He fell four yards short of the school-record 416 yards Martin Hankins threw for in 2007 earlier this season but got the mark this time as the Tigers scored 50 or more points for the fourth time this season.
True freshman running back Jamarius Henderson rushed for 112 yards and two scores and added a receiving touchdown for Memphis. Sophomore running back Doroland Dorceus rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns and senior receiver Tevin Jones caught two touchdown passes.
Junior quarterback Dane Evans passed for 421 yards and four touchdowns and senior receiver Keyarris Garrett matched his career best of 14 receptions while posting a career-high 268 yards and scoring three touchdowns for the Golden Hurricane (3-4, 0-3). Evans topped 400 yards for the fourth time in his career as Tulsa racked up 534 yards.
The 108 total points is the most in a college football game this season. The teams combined for 1,238 yards and 62 first downs.
Lynch threw for over 300 yards for the sixth consecutive game while senior receiver Mose Frazier (10 catches for 128 yards) and sophomore wideout Anthony Miller (five for 106 with one touchdown) both topped 100 yards receiving.
The Tigers led 42-21 early in the third quarter after a 1-yard run by Dorceus before the Golden Hurricane scored two touchdowns in a span of 1:45. Garrett caught his third scoring pass of the contest — this one a 32-yarder in which he was ruled to have made the catch out-of-bounds before it was reversed — and junior receiver Josh Atkinson turned a short catch into an 80-yard touchdown with 9:30 left in the third quarter.
Lynch scored on a 1-yard rollout to the right to give Memphis a 49-35 advantage with 5:34 left in the third quarter. Junior Jake Elliott kicked a 30-yard field goal later in the quarter and Lynch teamed with Jones on a 5-yard scoring pass to make it a 24-point margin with 12:39 left in the game as the Tigers pulled away.
Lynch passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as Memphis held a 35-21 lead at the break.
The eighth and final touchdown of the half was the most dramatic as Tulsa scored on a 46-yard “Hail Mary” pass from Evans to Garrett as time expired. Senior safety Dion Witty and junior cornerback Arthur Maulet both went up for the interception instead of batting the ball down and Garrett was waiting to catch the deflection for the score.
Lynch tossed first-quarter touchdowns of 58 yards to Jones and 45 yards to Miller. The Golden Hurricane struck in the first quarter on Evans’ 36-yard aerial to Garrett and tied the score early in the second on a 5-yard run by redshirt freshman Ramadi Warren.
The Tigers scored three consecutive touchdowns to open up a 35-14 advantage. Henderson scored on a 10-yard and caught a 21-yard pass from Lynch in a six-minute span and Dorecus scored on a 1-yard run 53 seconds before halftime.
