Memphis-Tulane football: 5 things learned from the Tigers' commanding 47-17 win

The Memphis football team knew it at halftime. They knew the energy was different at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

Before leaving the field against Tulane, they waved their arms to the crowd. Some waved towels to urge the crowd on.

The crowd responded with a roar, knowing they were watching the Tigers make a statement. A 47-17 win Saturday not only shook off the stink of losing to Temple, it was done with Memphis’ most complete performance of the season.

Here’s what we learned from the Tigers (6-1, 2-1) becoming bowl eligible for the sixth consecutive season.

Tulane dared Brady White to beat them. He did

Tulane (5-2, 2-1) loaded the box to start the game and Memphis responded by airing it out early and often. Brady White wasn’t afraid to throw the ball downfield and converted two fourth downs and a third-and-17 with his arm.

White, who continues to play better at the Liberty Bowl, finished with 358 yards and five touchdowns on 21-for-29 passing, his second consecutive 300-yard game.

Kenneth Gainwell joins the 200-100 club

Let’s review Gainwell’s historic night, shall we?

He became the first player in Memphis history to have 100 rushing and receiving yards in the same game.

With a career-high 203 receiving yards, he became the first FBS player to have over 200 receiving yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game since Troy Edwards did it at Louisiana Tech in 1997.

Gainwell finished with 307 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns. He’s not just among the best freshmen in the country but among the best all-purpose players in the country, regardless of class.

Memphis natives lead the charge

All week, the Memphis football Twitter account dubbed this game “Memphis vs. Everybody.” It was only fitting the Memphis natives on the football team stepped up.

Calvin Austin III showed off his All-American track speed with his first two receiving touchdowns. Austin Hall had a spectacular one-handed interception in the first quarter to add to his strong season.

ANTI-AAC:Memphis fans dress up as refs, make anti-AAC signs to show displeasure over Temple replay reversal

Thomas Pickens (MUS) added an interception that led to a Memphis scoring drive before halftime. And Magnifico added a touchdown catch as he joined Alan Cross as the only Memphis tight ends with over 1,000 career receiving yards

A turnover-free day

The Memphis defense not only had interceptions from Hall, Pickens and Quindell Johnson, it came on a day where the Tigers protected the ball.

After four turnovers against Temple, the Tigers had their first turnover-free game since East Carolina last season. It showed Memphis played its best game against a team that was sitting just outside the Top 25 this week in the coaches and Associated Press polls.

Memphis keeps controlling its AAC West destiny

There’s a three-way tie for second place in the AAC West with Memphis, Tulane and Navy, and the Tigers hold a tiebreaker over both teams.

With the Tigers a game behind No. 19 SMU, it means their date on Nov. 2 at the Liberty Bowl will determine who sits in the driver’s seat for the division. Memphis needs to take care of business next week at Tulsa, but after dominating Tulane, the Tigers showed they’re right back in the race.

MOBILE USERS:  Click here if you cannot see the live blog below

Want to stay informed on the latest Memphis Tigers football news? A Commercial Appeal subscription gets you unlimited access to the best inside information and updates on local preps sports, and the ability to tap into sports news from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites.

You can reach Tigers football beat writer Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_B) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com