Tulsa
Memphis
Tulsa Tames Tigers in OT 33-30
11/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 27, 2009
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| Box Score 
Tulsa, Okla. -- Kevin Fitzpatrick's 37-yard field goal in overtime gave Tulsa a 33-30 season-ending victory over Memphis in front of 19,552 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
Tulsa ended the season with a 5-7 record, while Memphis finished at 2-10.
With 4:40 left in the game, it appeared that the Memphis Tigers locked up the victory when Curtis Steele scored his fourth rushing touchdown and his second within a four-minute span to give the Tigers a 30-23 lead coming back from a 23-17 deficit.
But, there was no quit in the Hurricane and sophomore quarterback G.J. Kinne led Tulsa on a nine-play 70-yard drive in 3:26 to tie the game at 0:32 on the clock after Kinne threw the final two yards to Trae Johnson for the score, and Fitzpatrick tied it with the extra point.
After 60 minutes the score was tied 30-30, and Memphis received the ball first after Tulsa won the overtime coin toss.
On the first Memphis play from the 25-yard line, Tulsa senior James Lockett saved his first career interception for his final career game when he picked off Arkelon Hall's pass. Tulsa took possession and after gaining five yards, it was up to Fitzpatrick to try the game-winner, knocking it through from 37 yards.
The field goal was a career-high fourth for Fitzpatrick, as the other three went for 25, 31 and 21 yards.
"That was a special, special way for James Lockett to get that interception and to end it like that for those seniors," said Tulsa Head Coach Todd Graham. "
For the Hurricane, Kinne passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 27-of-40 yards. He rushed for a team-high 57 yards, while Jamad Williams add 53. Trae Johnson's two receptions in the game were both for touchdowns. For Memphis, Steele rushed for 232 yards to lead the Tigers offense, while Hall completed nine passes for just 790 yards.
Tulsa had a 416 to 362-yard advantage in total offense.
Memphis' final scoring drive was set up by Bryan Wright's interception at the Memphis 30-yard line. The Tigers began the drive at the Tulsa 44-yard line and it took just six plays for the score, as Steele ran in from three yards out for the touchdown.
The Hurricane took the subsequent kickoff 70 yards in nine plays, taking 3:26 off the clock, as Kinne threw the two-yard touchdown pass to Trae Johnson with just 0:30 left on the clock.
Tulsa began the second half as if it might put the Tigers away early scoring 10 points in he first eight minutes. The Hurricane took the opening second-half kickoff 66 yards in 14 plays, but had to settle for a 31-yard Kevin Fitzpatrick field goal at the 10:19 mark of the third quarter.
On the ensuing Memphis series, the Tulsa defense held the Tigers on fourth-and-one at the Memphis 28-yard line, as George Clinkscale made the initial hit and Mike Bryan made the final stop giving the Hurricane offense the ball at the UM 28-yard line. Four plays later, Tulsa made the score 20-10 on a 10-yard pass from Kinne to Charles Clay.
Memphis's Curtis Steele took the first play 77 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Hurricane lead to 20-17.
Fitzpatrick connected on a 21-yard field goal at the 3:47 mark of the third period to put Tulsa ahead 23-17. The field goal capped an 11-play, 43-yard drive for the Hurricane.
On the game's opening drive, it took Memphis only 37 seconds to put the first points on the scoreboard as Steele ran 59 yards on the second play from scrimmage capping the 68-yard drive.
Tulsa responded with a score of its own, taking only 1:25 off the clock as the Hurricane marched 67 yards in four plays to tie the score at 7-7. Trae Johnson took a Kinne 23 yards for the touchdown, giving Johnson his 23rd career touchdown reception and team-leading seventh this year.
Tulsa took the lead at the 13:07 mark of the second quarter on a Kevin Fitzpatrick 25-yard field goal, Memphis took the subsequent possession 42 yards in 11 plays as Matt Reagan's 35-yard field goal knotted the score at 10.
At halftime, Tulsa held a 207 to 146-yard edge in total offense in a closely played first half.
Scoring Summary
| 1st Quarter | |
| Memphis (14:23) - Curtis Steele 59 run (Reagan PAT) | 0-7 |
| Tulsa (12:53) - G.J. Kinne 23 pass to Trae Johnson (Fitzpatrick PAT) | 7-7 |
| | |
| 2nd Quarter | |
| Tulsa (13:07) - Kevin Fitzpatrick 25 FG | 10-7 |
| Memphis (7:08) - Matt Reagan 35 | FG 10-10 |
| | |
| 3rd Quarter | |
| Tulsa (10:15) - Kevin Fitzpatrick 31 FG | 13-10 |
| Tulsa (7:27) - G.J. Kinne 10 pass to Charles Clay (Fitzpatrick PAT) | 20-10 |
| Memphis (7:10) - Curtis Steele 77 run (Reagan PAT) | 20-17 |
| Tulsa (3:47) - Kevin Fitzpatrick 21 FG | 23-17 |
| | |
| 4th Quarter | |
| Memphis (8:08) - Curtis Steele 29 run (Reagan PAT) | 23-23 |
| Memphis (4:04) - Curtis Steele 3 run (Reagan PAT) | 23-30 |
| Tulsa (0:30) - G.J. Kinne 2 pass to Trae Johnson (Fitzpatrick PAT) | 30-30 |
| | |
| Overtime | |
| Tulsa) - Kevin Fitzpatrick 37 FG | 33-30 |
