Sept. 2, 2010

MEMPHIS, TENN. -

University of Memphis head football coach Larry Porter is poised to open his career at the helm of the Tiger program this weekend when the squad travels to Starkville, Miss., to face the Bulldogs of Mississippi State on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPNU.

Tiger Nation is hoping that Porter keeps his streak alive as he is 5-0 in Starkville as both a Memphis running back and as an assistant coach. The last time that Memphis won in Starkville was on Sept. 4, 1993, a game that saw Porter rush for two touchdowns, as the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs, 45-35. Mississippi State, though, holds a 14-4 series advantage in games played in Starkville, and have won the last five games played on their home field.

Saturday's Labor Day weekend game is the 43rd overall meeting between the two schools. The Bulldogs hold a 31-11 advantage in the series. The last time the two teams met on the gridiron was back in the 2003 campaign, with Mississippi State taking a narrow 35-27 win in Starkville. The 2003 encounter was the final meeting in a 30-year annual meeting between the Tigers and Bulldogs (1974-2003).

The Tigers open the season with two straight games on the road for the first time since 1995. That season, Memphis opened with losses to both Mississippi State and 11th-ranked Michigan. Tiger Nation will welcome Porter to his very first game on the sidelines at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Sept. 18 when Memphis hosts Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. The game has been tabbed Code Blue and fans are encouraged to come out in their Tiger Blue to show support for the home team. It will also be the first game for U of M fans to experience Tiger Lane, a unique tailgating experience that was the result of a massive project of removing the fairgrounds arena buildings and barns from around the property and creating a greenway and pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.

Porter Making Head Coaching Debut

Coach Larry Porter is one of three Conference USA coaches making their head coaching debut during the 2010 season. Joining Porter are East Carolina's Ruffin McNeill and Marshall's Doc Holliday. Porter and McNeill have returned to their alma maters, while Holliday is a native of Hurricane, W.Va. Porter and Holliday open with BCS opponents Mississippi State (9/4 on ESPNU) and Ohio State (9/2 on BTN), respectively, while McNeill starts his career with a C-USA meeting versus Tulsa (9/5 on ESPN2).

Three C-USA Teams Starting New QBs

With Coach Larry Porter tabbing Cannon Smith as the starting quarterback for this weekend, the Memphis Tigers will be one of three teams in Conference USA that are expected to debut a new starter under center. East Carolina could start Dominique Davis or Brad Wornick when they host Tulsa in the season opener. Both would be playing in their first game at ECU. Davis is a JuCo transfer but played as a redshirt freshman at Boston College in '08, and Wornick is a sophomore with the Pirates. In addition, UAB is expected to open the season against Florida Atlantic with sophomore David Isabelle, who played in 12 games as a backup to Joe Webb in 2009.

From Bulldogs To Tigers

While there are no Tigers remaining on the roster who made the last trip to Starkville in 2003, there are two U of M players who know the deafening sounds of the cowbell all too well. Senior linebacker Jamon Hughes, who is in his third year with the Tigers played at MSU during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. While at State, he logged 22 games played and two starts. He had a productive sophomore campaign with 65 tackles in '07. In addition, the Tigers signed receiver Delmon Robinson out of Copiah-Lincoln CC this past February. Before his stint at Co-Lin, Robinson played in 11 games as a true freshman for the Bullies in '08, logging 12 receptions for 125 yards.

Porter Perfection In Starkville

While the Tiger program has had some success when playing in Starkville, head coach Larry Porter can claim a perfect mark against the Bulldogs on their home field. Porter has a 5-0 record (combined as a player and coach) against Mississippi State in Starkville, and the following shows that:

Year/Position          School         Result

2009/Asst. Coach    LSU             30-26, W

2007/Asst. Coach    LSU             45-0, W

2005/Asst. Coach    LSU             37-7, W

1993/Player            Memphis     45-35, W

1991/Player            Memphis      28-23, W

Porter Versus Mississippi State

 While he is perfect versus the Bulldogs in Starkville, head coach Larry Porter's overall record against Mississippi State isn't too bad either. As a player and coach, Porter is 7-2 against Mississippi State (2-2 as a Memphis player; 5-0 as an LSU assistant coach). The two setbacks both were narrow four-point losses (27-23 in 1990; 20-16 in 1992) during his playing years at Memphis.

On This Date

The Tigers have a 3-2 record when playing on Sept. 4. All five games have been played against either Mississippi State (once) or Ole Miss (four times). The last time Memphis played a Sept. 4 game was the 2004 campaign. The Tigers went to Oxford, Miss., and posted a 20-13 win over Ole Miss to open the season. The Tigers also opened the 1993 season on Sept. 4 with a 45-35 win over No. 23 Mississippi State in Starkville. Larry Porter was a member of that 1993 Memphis squad.

A Win Would ...

A win on Saturday would mark the second consecutive Conference USA opponent to defeat the Bulldogs. Mississippi State dropped a 31-24 decision to Houston on October 10, 2009. Since 2003, Mississippi State is 7-6 against Conference USA.

Representing The 901 ...

One of the statements made by Coach Larry Porter early on was that he will look to keep key talent in Memphis. In fact, this year's marketing campaign of billboards and commercials touts the local guys who chose to play in their hometown such as freshmen Fred Harvey (White Station HS), Lonnie Ballentine (Southwind HS) and Al Bond (Southwind HS) who all signed with Porter this past February. The current Tiger roster consists of 29 players from the Memphis area and six others who are within 17 miles of campus in Southaven, MS, West Memphis, AR or Olive Branch, MS.

Looking For Play Makers

The Tigers had some big play makers on offense last season with running back Curtis Steele and receivers Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton scoring 24 of the team's 33 touchdowns. Of the returning skill players, only Marcus Rucker (2 TDs), Tyler Bass (1 TD) and Marcus Hightower (1 TD) have scored for the Tigers. In addition, of the 44 offensive plays of 20 or more yards last season, only 14 were by returning players. Of the 14, 7 were passes from Tyler Bass to either Calhoun or Singleton.

Young Cubs

When the Tigers take the field on Sept. 4, there will more than likely be a large contingency of underclassmen on the field and probably several first-time starters. Of the 102 players listed on the current roster, 58 percent of the players are either freshmen or sophomores. The largest class on the squad this season are freshmen, which number 41. On the flip side, there are only 21 seniors this year.

Complete Memphis Release in PDF Format

See below for interviews with quarterback Cannon Smith and head coach Larry Porter.