If you live on the East Coast and didn’t stay up to watch Memphis take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl last Saturday night, then shame on you.
Led by a strong performance by sophomore quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Tigers took the No. 11-ranked team in the country all the way down to the wire, losing 42-35 in what was a surprisingly (to most) exciting game from start to finish.
Lynch—who was under center for near upsets against UCF and Louisville in 2013—played at a extraordinarily high level against the Bruins, finishing 27-of-41 (65.9 percent) for 305 yards, two touchdowns (one rushing) and no interceptions, while posting a career-best 75.8 Adjusted QBR. He completed 17-of-23 (73.9 percent) pass attempts for 234 yards and had two scores through the first 20 minutes of the game, proving that the big stage isn’t something he’s afraid of.
Memphis now seems to be in a position to compete for the American Athletic Conference, and the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Lynch looks be the catalyst for much of the Tigers’ success moving forward.
And for this reason, Lynch is our AAC Player of the Week, following the Keevan Lucas show from Week 1.
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