Liberty Bowl 2017: Defense leads Iowa State to win over Memphis: 3 takeaways
The Iowa State Cyclones defeated the hometown Memphis Tigers 21-20 in the Liberty Bowl. Here are three takeaways from the win.
With the game-time temperature of 35 degrees and the accompanying windy conditions in Memphis, the Iowa State Cyclones probably felt right at home, while the Memphis Tigers, playing in the familiar Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, might have felt out of place.
Of course, it was still an unfamiliar situation for the Cyclones. Iowa State hadn’t played in a bowl game since 2012, meaning no player on the roster had ever suited up for the Cyclones in the postseason. Nevertheless, head coach Matt Campbell led the team to seven wins in the regular season to secure the first winning season for the program since 2009 and then added one more for good measure.
It nearly didn’t happen. With fewer than five minutes left to play and the Cyclones driving to increase its 21-20 lead, Iowa State running back David Montgomery fumbled as he stretched for the goal line.
The Tigers recovered in the end zone for a touchback, giving the ball back to Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson with an opportunity to orchestrate a game-winning drive. Unfortunately for Ferguson, the drive fizzled out after 11 plays, the last four obeingincompletions. The Cyclones, with former quarterback, turned All-American linebacker Joel Lanning picking up a first down on the ensuing drive, were able to run out the clock and pick up win No. 8.
Though Memphis entered the game averaging 47.7 points per game (second best in the country) and 7.46 yards per play (No. 4 among FBS offenses) Iowa State looked like the more explosive early in the first quarter. The Cyclones needed just six plays to get on the scoreboard first as quarterback Kyle Kempt connected with Hakeem Butler on a 52-yard bomb on the opening drive of the game.
A miscue by the Cyclones punt unit gave Memphis its first momentum. Looking to pin the Tigers deep in their own territory, punter Colin Downing instead mishandled the snap and was tackled for a 16-yard loss. Memphis took over at the Iowa State 40-yard line, and Ferguson and Tony Pollard immediately hooked up for a 30-yard pass to set up 1st-and-Goal, and Ferguson then threw a short pass and run to Anthony Miller for a 10-yard touchdown to tie the game.
The Tigers defense came up with a huge stop on the next Iowa State drive to set up another scoring opportunity. Memphis stopped running back David Montgomery for a 19-yard loss on third-and-1 and then took over at its own 46-yard line the Cyclones punted. On the third play of the drive, Ferguson appeared to throw his second TD pass of the first quarter – a 21-yarder to Phil Mayhue – but the play was called back for an ineligible man downfield penalty. Memphis settled for a 38-yard field goal attempt, but Riley Patterson missed and the score stayed tied.
The Cyclones later got a huge spark defensively by stopping Memphis on 4th-and-8 when JaQuan Bailey sacked Ferguson to give the ball back to Iowa State near midfield. Iowa State capitalized with a methodical 12-play, 55-yard touchdown drive that ended when Lanning scored on a two-yard direct snap. It was the second rushing touchdown of the season for the two-way senior and the 17th of his career. Lanning would also go on to pick up a key fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter to extend Iowa State’s near TD drive.
Ferguson led the Tigers down the field just before halftime, and Memphis pulled to within four on the final play of the first half when Riley Patterson connected on a 34-yard field goal. Memphis also got the second half started with a bang when Ferguson connected with Mayhue on a 36-yard TD pass on the first possession of the second half to take its first lead of the game, 17-14.
The Tigers made an apparent interception in the end zone on the following Iowa State drive, but a roughing the passer penalty negated the pick and set the Cyclones with 1st-and-Goal instead. Two plays later, the Cyclones got a fortunate bounce when Kempt’s pass into the end zone was tipped into the hands of Lazard for a five-yard touchdown catch that was upheld on review as to whether or not Lazard was able to stay in bounds. Lazard finished with 10 receptions for 142 yards and the TD to finish his Iowa State career.
Iowa State then bent, but didn’t break defensively on the following drive as the Tigers settled for another short field goal to cut the lead to 21-20, and the Cyclones kept Memphis off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Iowa State beats Memphis in the Liberty Bowl: 3 takeaways
1. Memphis QB Riley Ferguson and WR Anthony Miller will be missed
It’s been apparent all year, but the Liberty Bowl was a great display of the impact quarterback Riley Ferguson and receiver Anthony Miller have made on the Tigers program.
Ferguson threw for 3,971 yards and 36 touchdowns with nine interceptions during the regular season and entered the Liberty Bowl with 7,669 passing yards, 68 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in two seasons with the Tigers. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 286 yards and two TDs against Iowa State to finish his career. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior will likely have an opportunity to continue his football career in the NFL.
Miller, who set school records with 96 receptions, 1,462 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns this season, is a potential first round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Memphis native doesn’t have the size most pro teams covet as their top wideout, but his ability to make plays in the slot, and his overall production (238 catches, 3,590 yards and 37 TDs during his career) certainly caught the attention of pro scouts.
2. Memphis should have an explosive offense in 2018
Simply put, Ferguson and Miller are two of the best players in Memphis history. However, head coach Mike Norvell will still have several offensive weapons at his disposal next season.
Running backs Patrick Taylor, Jr., Tony Pollard and Darell Henderson all have explosive playmaking ability. Henderson led the Tigers with 1,154 rushing yards while averaging an eye-popping 8.9 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns during the regular season. Taylor scored a team-high 13 touchdowns on the ground and added 798 rushing yards during the season, and led the team with 68 rushing yards on 17 carries against Iowa State.
Pollard, who averaged 7.7 yards per carry on just 29 attempts, scored twice on the ground and ranked second on the team with 34 receptions, 501 receiving yards and four TD catches ahead of the Liberty Bowl, and is also one of the best return men in the nation. He led the nation with 42.4 yards per kick return in 2017, and took four kickoffs to the house during the regular season and had two TD returns in 2016. He added 35 receiving yards and eight rushing yards in the bowl game.
Furthermore, the Tigers are expected to return four starters on the offensive line and eight of their top 10 on the two-deep with only right guard Gabe Kuhn and back up Lio Lafaele scheduled to run out of eligibility. Though the Memphis O-Line struggled at times in the bowl game (the Iowa State pass rush tallied a season-high six sacks on the season), the Tigers allowed just 15 sacks in 12 games in the regular season and paved the way for 5.88 yards per carry as well.
3. Iowa State doesn’t look like a one-hit wonder
The Cyclones must also replace its top passing duo. Kempt, the unexpected hero of the Oklahoma and TCU upsets, had a huge impact on the 2017 season. Lazard, a pro prospect who led the team with 61 receptions, 799 yards, and nine touchdowns during the regular season before putting together the best game of his senior season in the Liberty Bowl, will also be missed. However, the Cyclones still have a big target in Hakeem Butler, who at 6-foot-6, is taller than Lazard. Butler has also shown an explosive ability and finished the season with five catches for 111 yards and a 52-yard TD in the Liberty Bowl.
Iowa State must replace several important pieces of their defense in the offseason, including multiple starters at all three levels of the unit. However, the performance the Cyclones put together in the Liberty Bowl – holding one of the most explosive offenses in the country to 20 points and 339 total yards on 86 plays, an impressive 3.94-yard average nearly two yards below its season average.
Next: 10 teams on the rise for 2018
Prior to the start of the start of the 2017 season, Iowa State had the look of a potential bowl team, but Matt Campbell – a rising star in the profession – helped elevate the Cyclones to a bowl win, an 8-5 overall record, and set the stage for an even better 2018 and beyond.