| Maurice Avery |
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A 2005 honors candidate who is expected to lead a deep receiving corps...
Career: Holds the single-game record for most pass receptions in a game with 13 in 2003 against UAB...Ranks eighth in career receptions with 87...Enters the 2005 season ranked 11th in receiving yards with 1,177...Would move up four spots with just 100 yards receiving...Totals two career games of more than 100 yards receiving...
2004: Played in all 12 games as a junior, and was second on the squad in receptions with 36 and in yards with 422...Averaged 11.7 yards per catch...Also totaled 63 yards rushing on nine carries last season...Opened the 2004 season with four pass receptions for 79 yards in the win over Ole Miss...Matched his career-long pass reception with a 55-yard catch against the Rebels, which marked the third time in his career that he had a 55-yard catch...Caught a 21-yard pass from backup QB Bobby Robison for a key first down in the Tigers' win over Chattanooga...Caught four passes for 58 yards in the Tigers' win over Arkansas State...Had a long reception of 29 yards to set up a Tiger field goal versus ASU...Caught three passes for 10 yards in the Tigers' game with UAB...Rushed the ball two times for 28 yards and caught one pass for three yards in the win over Houston... Grabbed five passes for 16 yards, and totaled 15 yards rushing in win over Tulane...Led Memphis with four pass receptions in the Cincinnati game...Had three pass receptions for 62 yards in the Louisville game...Totaled three pass receptions for 10 yards in win over Southern Miss...Had one of his best performances of the season in win over East Carolina, catching five passes for 84 yards and numerous key first downs...Set up winning field goal with an 18-yard reception late in the ECU game...Had four rushes for 21 yards and several key first downs in the Tigers' win over USF...Caught his only touchdown pass of the season off a 38-yard pass from Danny Wimprine in the second quarter of the GMAC Bowl against Bowling Green...Caught three passes for 51 yards in the bowl meeting...
2003: Led the Tigers in receiving after making the move from quarterback in the spring of 2003...Missed two games with a late-season knee sprain...Was named second-team All-Conference USA as a sophomore...Opened the 2003 football season with two touchdown runs in the victory over Tennessee Tech...Scored on runs of 33 and two yards...Caught three passes for 61 yards and one touchdown in the Memphis win over Ole Miss...Touchdown versus the Rebels came on a 31-yard pass from Danny Wimprine...Broke the 100-yard barrier for the first time in the Southern Miss game with seven pass receptions for 103 yards...Had a long gainer of 35 yards against Southern Miss...Had five pass receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown in the Tigers' win over Arkansas State...Shattered the Memphis record for pass receptions in a single game with 13 against UAB, totaling 125 yards and a touchdown in that game...Totaled three receptions for 54 yards in the Mississippi State game...Was the leading receiver in the win over Houston with four receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns...Had touchdown catches of nine and 55 yards against the Cougars...Led the team with four receptions for 46 yards and one touchdown in the win over Tulane...Also ran for a two-yard touchdown against the Green Wave...Led the team in receiving in the win over East Carolina with four pass receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns...Had touchdown receptions of 29 and 51 yards against the Pirates...Had one pass reception for 55 yards in the victory over Louisville...Suffered a torn MCL against Louisville and missed the remainder of the regular season...Started his rehabilitation prior to the 2003 New Orleans Bowl...Was able to return to practice the week before the game...Played in the New Orleans Bowl and caught three passes for 14 yards...Finished the 2003 season with 49 receptions for 742 yards and eight touchdowns...Led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns in his first season as a receiver...Spent the winter of 2003-04 playing basketball for the Tigers...Due to injuries among the Tiger guards, Avery saw action in eight games for John Calipari's Tigers...Scored his first collegiate basketball points against Charlotte...Had four points and two rebounds in Tigers' basketball win over TCU...Became the only player in 2003-04 to have played in an NCAA sanctioned bowl game and won and also played in the NCAA Basketball Tournament...
2002: Lettered as a true freshman while playing quarterback, receiver and punter...Saw his first action in the Southern Mississippi game, when he replaced an injured Danny Wimprine and immediately ran for a two-yard touchdown, which was his first collegiate touchdown...Finished the USM game with three carries for six yards and one score...Played in the next four games but did not have his first collegiate pass completion until the Cincinnati contest...Subbing for an injured Wimprine, he completed three-of-four passes for 19 yards against Cincinnati...Led the team in rushing against the Bearcats with eight carries for 23 yards...Had two pass receptions for 13 yards in the game against USF...Had five rushes for 25 yards in the Memphis win over Army...Became one of the team's two punters when the Tigers went to rugby-style punting in the Cincinnati game...Punted three times for a 34.0 yard average against the Bearcats, and had a long punt of 48 yards...Punted once against Houston for 51 yards and had his kick downed inside the Cougar 20-yard line...Averaged 50.0 yards per punt in the USF contest and had a season-long kick of 60 yards...Had one punt for 51 yards against Army that was downed inside the 20...Finished his freshman season as the team's third-leading rusher with 27 carries for 76 yards and one score...Completed four-of-nine pass attempts for 32 yards and caught two passes for 13 yards...Averaged 42.0 yards per punt on eight kicks...
Prep: Was one of the most highly-rated quarterbacks in the Southeast in 2001...Played for coach Johnny Gilbert at McNair High School...Was twice named the Offensive Player of the Year in DeKalb County...Was an All-DeKalb County selection as a senior...Completed 433 of 815 pass attempts for 6,833 yards and 48 touchdowns during his career at McNair High School...Passed for 2,080 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2001 and rushed for 850 yards and 10 touchdowns...Set the McNair records for touchdown passes in a season with 21 and rushing touchdowns in a season with 10 in 2001...Was a 4-A All-State selection in 2001 and was rated as the number one quarterback prospect in the state of Georgia for 2001...Newberg Recruiting compared Avery to former Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick in arm strength and running ability...Was listed by Rivals.com as the No. 26 quarterback prospect in the nation...Rated by FansOnly.com as a Super Prospect for 2001...Was rated as one of the Top 13 Athletic Quarterbacks in the nation by Max Emfinger...Was rated by The Sporting News as the No. 26 quarterback prospect in the nation in 2001...Selected by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as the top quarterback prospect in Georgia for 2001...Rated by Insiders.com as one of three Southern Sleepers for 2001...Fab50Recruiting.com rated Avery as one of top 50 quarterbacks in the nation...Ranked by OKScouting.com as one of the top 130 players in the nation for 2001...Rushed for 215 yards and passed for 185 yards and six touchdowns in win over Dunwoody in 2001...Passed for over 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior...Completed 52 percent of his passes as a junior...Was an All-DeKalb County selection as a junior...Was selected honorable mention All-State as a junior...Was honorable mention All-DeKalb County as a sophomore...Also lettered in basketball and track...Was a three-year member of the McNair honor roll...
Personal: Maurice Jermaine Avery is the son of Stacey Avery...Born January 3, 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia...Majoring in sport management...Expected to graduate in May 2006.
AVERY'S STATISTICS
Passing G/S Att Comp Yds Int Tds
2002 9/0 9 4 32 0 0
2003 11/10 1 0 0 0 0
2004 12/0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 32/10 10 4 32 0 0
Rushing G/S No Yds Avg Tds LG
2002 9/0 27 76 2.8 1 17
2003 11/10 24 98 4.1 3 33
2004 12/0 9 63 7.0 0 32
Total 32/10 60 237 4.0 4 33
Receiving G/S No Yds Avg Tds LG
2002 9/0 2 13 6.5 0 11
2003 11/10 49 742 15.1 8 55
2004 12/0 36 422 11.7 1 55
Total 32/10 87 1177 13.5 9 55
AVERY'S CAREER HIGHS
Most Rushes/Game: 8 vs Cincinnati (`02)
Most Rush Yds/Game: 55 vs Tennessee Tech (`03)
Longest Run: 33 vs Tennessee Tech (`03)
Most Rushing Touchdowns/Game: 2 vs Tennessee Tech (`03)
Most Pass Attempts/Game: 4 vs Cincinnati (`02)
Most Completions/Game: 3 vs Cincinnati (`02)
Most Pass Yds/Game: 19 vs Cincinnati (`02)
Longest Completion: 17 vs Cincinnati (`02)
Most Pass Receptions/Game: 13 vs UAB (`03)
Most Yards Receiving/Game: 125 vs UAB (`03)
Most Touchdown Receptions/Game: 2 vs Houston & ECU (`03)
Longest Pass Reception/Game: 55 vs Houston & Louisville (`03) & vs. Ole Miss (`04)
