Jump to content

1979 Memphis State Tigers football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1979 Memphis State Tigers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–6
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Ragland (5th season)
CaptainWayne Weedon, Leo Cage
Home stadiumLiberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1978
1980 →
1979 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Florida State       11 1 0
No. 7 Pittsburgh       11 1 0
UNLV       9 1 2
No. 17 Temple       10 2 0
Tulane       9 3 0
Rutgers       8 3 0
Tennessee State       8 3 0
East Carolina       7 3 1
No. 20 Penn State       8 4 0
South Carolina       8 4 0
Navy       7 4 0
Notre Dame       7 4 0
Southern Miss       6 4 1
Syracuse       7 5 0
Colgate       5 4 1
Boston College       5 6 0
Holy Cross       5 6 0
Memphis State       5 6 0
Miami (FL)       5 6 0
North Texas State       5 6 0
Villanova       5 6 0
Virginia Tech       5 6 0
West Virginia       5 6 0
Georgia Tech       4 6 1
Louisville       4 6 1
William & Mary       4 7 0
Illinois State       3 8 0
Northeast Louisiana       3 8 0
Army       2 8 1
Air Force       2 9 0
Cincinnati       2 9 0
Richmond       0 11 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1979 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its fifth season under head coach Richard Williamson, the team compiled a 5–6 record and was outscored by a total of 223 to 166.[1][2] The team played its home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

The team's statistical leaders included Kevin Betts with 884 passing yards, Leo Cage with 599 rushing yards, Tony Hunt with 234 receiving yards, and Richard Locke with 30 points scored.[3]

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 8at Mississippi StateW 14–1343,500[4]
September 15Ole MissL 34–3853,166[5]
September 22at Wichita StateW 16–1017,922[6]
September 29Texas A&M
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
L 7–1738,477[7]
October 13Northeast Louisiana
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
L 20–2125,494[8]
October 20at Southern MissL 0–2227,286[9]
October 27North Texas State
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
W 22–0[10]
November 3at VanderbiltL 3–1328,900[11]
November 10Louisvilledagger
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN (rivalry)
W 10–617,205[12]
November 17at No. 5 Florida StateL 17–6648,021[13]
November 24Cincinnati
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN (rivalry)
W 23–1714,607[14]
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1979 Memphis Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Memphis Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Memphis. p. 270. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "1979 Memphis Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "Knowlton's TD keys Tigers past Bulldogs". The Commercial Appeal. September 9, 1979. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Sloan recruiting pays off as frosh lead Ole Miss". The Tennessean. September 16, 1979. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Memphis State edges WSU". The Wichita Eagle. September 23, 1979. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "A&M in rally to trip MSU after struggle". The Commercial Appeal. September 30, 1979. Retrieved October 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Memphis State downed". The Jackson Sun. October 14, 1979. p. C1. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Southern shuts out Memphis". The Greenwood Commonwealth. October 21, 1979. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Memphis State blanks North Texas State 22–0". The Tennessean. October 28, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Heflin passes Vanderbilt to first win". The Courier-Journal. November 4, 1979. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ray's steal saves Memphis State's 10–6 win over U of L". The Courier-Journal. November 11, 1979. Retrieved October 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Orange Bowl-bound FSU clobbers Memphis State". Florida Today. November 18, 1979. Retrieved October 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Memphis State puts end to US's misery". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 25, 1979. Retrieved October 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.