Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, the best college quarterback most people haven't heard about, put his name in a lot of ears Saturday.
The 6-foot-7, 245-pound junior lit up Ole Miss for 384 yards and three touchdowns to lead a 37-24 upset win.
"(Lynch) hasn't gotten sidetracked by some of the recognition," Memphis coach Justin Fuente told ESPN. "You're just proud of the kid, great character, great work ethic, and obviously he's become a pretty good player."
It was Lynch's fifth consecutive 300-yard passing game. For the season, Lynch has completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns, and Saturday's interception was his first of the season. Lynch completed 39 of 53 passes, with one interception, outdueling the Rebels' Chad Kelly. The nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly completed 33 of 45 passes and found star junior Laquon Treadwell for 14 catches, 144 yards.
With the loss, Ole Miss (5-2) loses any hope of a College Football Playoff berth, but remains in the race for the SEC West division. Rebels star DL Robert Nkemdiche suffered a concussion during the game, and losing him for an extended period would do further damage to the team's hopes. The Tigers improved to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 against Power Five conference teams. Memphis, of the American Athletic Conference, beat Kansas 55-23 earlier this season.
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