1983 Memphis State Tigers football team

The 1983 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third and final season under head coach Rex Dockery, the team compiled a 6–4–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 274 to 205.[1][2] The team played its home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

1983 Memphis State Tigers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–4–1
Head coach
CaptainGreg Montgomery, Derrick Crawford
Home stadiumLiberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1982
1984 →
1983 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Miami (FL)       11 1 0
Virginia Tech       9 2 0
No. 19 Boston College       9 3 0
No. 16 West Virginia       9 3 0
No. 20 East Carolina       8 3 0
No. 18 Pittsburgh       8 3 1
Florida State       8 4 0
Penn State       8 4 1
Southern Miss       7 4 0
Memphis State       6 4 1
Notre Dame       7 5 0
Syracuse       6 5 0
South Carolina       5 6 0
Cincinnati     4 6 1
Southwestern Louisiana       4 6 0
Temple       4 7 0
Tulane       4 7 0
Louisville       3 8 0
Navy       3 8 0
Rutgers       3 8 0
Army       2 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The team's statistical leaders included Danny Sparkman with 1,390 passing yards, Punkin Williams with 546 rushing yards, Derrick Crawford with 594 receiving yards, and Don Glosson with 71 points scored (29 extra points, 14 field goals).[3]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 3Ole MissW 37–1751,323[4]
September 10at No. 8 North CarolinaL 10–2449,000[5]
September 17Virginia Tech
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
L 10–1739,528[6]
October 1at No. 6 AlabamaL 13–4460,210[7]
October 8Tulane
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
W 28–25[8]
October 15Southern Miss 
L 20–2735,323[9]
October 29at VanderbiltW 24–740,485[10]
November 5at Mississippi StateW 30–1328,203[11]
November 12at CincinnatiW 43–10
November 19Arkansas State*
T 14–1428,130[12]
November 24at LouisvilleW 45–79,574
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

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  1. ^ "1983 Memphis Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Memphis Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Memphis. p. 270. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "1983 Memphis Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "Memphis State blasts Ole Miss". The Jackson Sun. September 4, 1983. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Whew! Memphis State's bid for upset falls short in North Carolina". The Commercial Appeal. September 11, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Tech spolis MSU's night". The Commercial Appeal. September 18, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Tide's big second half buries Tigers". The Jackson Sun. October 2, 1983. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "MSU duo topples Tulane". The Jackson Sun. October 9, 1983. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Tigers roar too late". The Jackson Sun. October 16, 1983. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Tigers gain respect from Commodores". The Leaf-Chronicle. October 30, 1983. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Bellard says he's toblame for loss". The Greenwood Commonwealth. November 6, 1983. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Theft keys Tigers' tie with ASU". The Commercial Appeal. November 20, 1983. Retrieved October 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.