University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Matthew A. Smith
Memphis Named FWAA National Team of the Week
Nov 04, 2019 | Football
MEMPHIS – After a 54-48 win over previously-unbeaten SMU, the University of Memphis football team has been named the Suits National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). This is the second time Memphis has earned the national team award, with the last time coming in 2015 following the win over Ole Miss.
The win over SMU gave the Tigers the tiebreaker over the Mustangs in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference with both teams now at 4-1. Memphis also holds the tiebreaker over a 5-1 Navy squad if the teams end up tied at the end of the regular season.
At 8-1, Memphis has now posted its sixth consecutive season with eight or more wins. In that five-plus year stretch, the Tigers have posted a 53-22 overall mark, including a 34-15 mark under head coach Mike Norvell.
The national award is the second of the week for the Tigers. Senior wide receiver Antonio Gibson was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Sunday. He is just the second Tiger in history to earn a national offensive player of the week award (Riley Ferguson, 9/17/07 after a win over UCLA).
On the defensive side of the ball, both TJ Carter and Austin Hall have previously won national player of the week honors. Hall was named the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the week on Oct. 15, 2017 after a win over Navy and TJ Carter won that same honor the next week following a come-from-behind win at Houston.
After the upcoming bye week, the Tigers play back-to-back road games, starting at Houston on Nov. 16. The match-up at Houston is the final game against West Division foes for Memphis on the regular season slate. The schedule finishes against a pair of teams from the East: at USF on Nov. 23 and home against East-leading Cincinnati, Nov. 29. Tickets for that Black Friday game against Cincinnati are on sale now.
The win over SMU gave the Tigers the tiebreaker over the Mustangs in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference with both teams now at 4-1. Memphis also holds the tiebreaker over a 5-1 Navy squad if the teams end up tied at the end of the regular season.
At 8-1, Memphis has now posted its sixth consecutive season with eight or more wins. In that five-plus year stretch, the Tigers have posted a 53-22 overall mark, including a 34-15 mark under head coach Mike Norvell.
The national award is the second of the week for the Tigers. Senior wide receiver Antonio Gibson was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Sunday. He is just the second Tiger in history to earn a national offensive player of the week award (Riley Ferguson, 9/17/07 after a win over UCLA).
On the defensive side of the ball, both TJ Carter and Austin Hall have previously won national player of the week honors. Hall was named the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the week on Oct. 15, 2017 after a win over Navy and TJ Carter won that same honor the next week following a come-from-behind win at Houston.
After the upcoming bye week, the Tigers play back-to-back road games, starting at Houston on Nov. 16. The match-up at Houston is the final game against West Division foes for Memphis on the regular season slate. The schedule finishes against a pair of teams from the East: at USF on Nov. 23 and home against East-leading Cincinnati, Nov. 29. Tickets for that Black Friday game against Cincinnati are on sale now.
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