Tennessee 20, Memphis 16

Posted 6:38PM on Saturday 12th November 2005 ( 19 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee Volunteers ended the longest losing streak in coach Phillip Fulmer's career and celebrated a victory for the first time in over a month. Rick Clausen came off the bench and threw two touchdown passes, and Tennessee rallied to beat Memphis 20-16 on Saturday. ``I'm going to tell you it's great to get a win,'' a smiling Fulmer said. ``We're not dead yet.'' The win snapped a four-game losing streak, but the Vols' first victory since Oct. 1 looked very much in doubt most of the game, even with Memphis' star tailback DeAngelo Williams out of action with an injury. After erasing a 13-0 deficit, Tennessee (4-5) was clinging to a 17-16 lead when James Wilhoit kicked a 34-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining. Time ran out before the Tigers (4-5) could get in scoring position. The Vols still need to win their final two games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky to be eligible for a bowl for the 17th straight year. They improved to 19-1 over their cross-state rivals, but it was another lackluster performance that has characterized this season. ``It's never not a fight,'' Fulmer said about the series. ``It's like neighborhood kids getting together to play.'' Memphis jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the second quarter on two field goals and Maurice Avery's 4-yard TD run as the Tigers managed to move the ball early without Williams, the nation's leading rusher who is averaging 184.5 yards. He hurt his left ankle last week against UAB. Joseph Doss started in place of Williams, and Memphis had 72 yards on the ground against the nation's fourth-best rush defense. Memphis coach Tommy West said during the week he believed Williams would play, but the situation changed at game time. ``(DeAngelo) felt like after warm-ups he'd be better coming off the bench. If that's the case, I felt like he shouldn't play. I knew this was a game where we'd have to play like men. It wasn't a place for somebody who's gimped up. We're in front of 107,000 people. We ain't coming off the bench, we're coming to play,'' West said. Williams was not available for interviews. Doss finished with 77 yards. Avery went 13-of-29 for 128 yards. ``Make no mistake, we came here to win. We had it right there. We just couldn't close it out,'' said West, a Tennessee graduate. Clausen finished 14-of-24 for 209 yards, and Arian Foster had 132 yards on 28 rushes for the Vols. Tennessee's Erik Ainge started the game but was pulled after having two passes intercepted in the first quarter. One interception was negated by a roughing the passer penalty, but Ainge could not move the offense. Clausen, who has rotated throughout the season with Ainge, came in and rallied the Vols, much the way he did in Tennessee's 30-27 overtime victory at LSU. Clausen threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter to put them ahead 14-13. His 39-yard pass to Josh Briscoe was Tennessee's longest scoring play of the season. Clausen capped a 94-yard drive with a 15-yard TD pass to C.J. Fayton with 4 seconds left in the first half. ``Driving the ball 94 yards in a minute, that's why you come to Tennessee,'' Clausen said. ``It was a big win today. Everyone pulled their weight.'' The Tigers regained the lead, 16-14, in the third quarter on Stephen Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal. Wilhoit made a 28-yard field goal with 9:06 remaining to put the Vols up by a point. Tennessee held on to the ball for a little over six minutes in their last possession, with 13 straight running plays preceding Wilhoit's final field goal. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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