Sept. 23, 2000

Box Score

By RIK STEVENS
Associated Press Writer

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army quarterback Curtis Zervic saw Bryan Bowdish open in the end zone. He didn't see Memphis safety Idrees Bashir.

Bashir stepped in front Bowdish and returned the interception 100 yards for a touchdown with 3:49 left Saturday as the Tigers won 26-16 and kept the Cadets (0-4, 0-3 C-USA) winless this season.

"It looked clear," Zervic said. "The safety made a great play on that ball."

"I just saw the quarterback looking," Bashir said. "Then I used the blocking to my advantage."

With Army down 20-14 and driving, Bashir was 2 yards deep in the end zone when he saw the ball coming his way. The return matched the longest in the 76-year history of Michie Stadium. Army's Ed Givens set the record against Lafayette in 1991.

Army, under new coach Todd Berry, is off to its worst start since 1973, when the Cadets went 0-10. The loss was Army's eighth straight - the Cadets longest losing streak since 1975.

"We did not play up to our capability," Berry said. "We made too many mistakes. I thought we had a better understanding of what we needed on both sides of the football and that didn't happen and I take responsibility for that."

The interception was one of three by Zervic, a third-stringer. He relieved Joe Gerena in the first quarter after Gerena hurt his right shoulder. Zervic was 28-of-38 for 246 yards.

Memphis' Neil Suber was 20-of-31 for 187 yards and one touchdown. With the score tied at 14 midway through the fourth quarter, Suber hit Jeremiah Bonds for a 31-yard score that put Memphis (3-1, 1-0 ahead.

Army had tied the score when Jason Milton popped Wade Smith on the opening kickoff of the second half, and Anthony Miller picked up the ball and ran 23 yards for a touchdown.

A stingy Memphis defense, two big plays and penalties were the story of the first half.

Twice, Army marched the ball downfield and failed on fourth-and-goal.

The first time was near the end of the first quarter when Zervic lined up from the 2 and tried to draw the Tigers offsides. It didn't work and Brendan Mullen then missed a 24-yard field goal attempt.

On Army's next possession, set up by Randy Mitchell's block of a punt by Ben Graves, the Black Knights moved 29 yards to the Memphis 1. This time, Army went for it on fourth down but linebacker Derrick Ballard and defensive end Andre Arnold stuffed Zervic's plunge.

Army finally broke through on special teams with 9:53 left in the first half, getting a 72-yard punt return up the left sideline from Omari Thompson, who lunged into the end zone and knocked over the pylon as he tumbled out of bounds.

Memphis scored on its first possession on a 62-yard TD run by Sugar Sanders, who left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle. Darche Epting took over and added a 1-yard TD for the Tigers.