NOTES: Memphis Hosts SEC Rival Mississippi State

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis Tigers return home to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium this Saturday to host SEC rival Mississippi State at 3:05 p.m. CT. The game will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 and can be heard on the radio on 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS.

SETTING THE SCENE
• This past Saturday, the Tigers earned the team's first road win of the season, taking down Arkansas State, 55-50, in Jonesboro. The win for Memphis at A-State was the first for the program since 2004.
• Last season, Memphis posted a record of 8-3 in head coach Ryan Silverfield's first season at the helm of the program. The Tigers ended the year with a 25-10 win over Florida Atlantic in the Montgomery Bowl.

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
• Mississippi State moved to 2-0 on the season with a 24-10 win over NC State at home in Starkville this past Saturday. MSU opened the year with a come-from-behind win over Louisiana Tech, 35-34.
• Prior to the start of the season, the Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh in the Western Division of the SEC.
• Last season, Mississippi State opened the 2020 season with a bang, taking down No. 6 and defending National Champions LSU in Baton Rouge, 44-34.
• Following that win, the Bulldogs lost four-straight and ended the season with an overall record of 4-7 and 3-7 in SEC play.

INSIDE THE SERIES
• Saturday's game against Mississippi State will mark the 45th all-time meeting between the two programs dating back to the 1951 season.
• Overall, the Bulldogs hold a 33-11 record over the Tigers in the series, including a mark of 17-6 all-time in Memphis.
• The meeting will be the first between the two teams since Sept. 1, 2011.
• Mississippi State has won 12-straight in the series, with Memphis' last win coming on Sept. 4, 1993, 45-35, in Starkville.
• The Tigers last win over the Bulldogs in Memphis came on Oct. 1, 1988, 31-10.
• The two teams are scheduled to open the 2022 season against one another in Starkville on Sept. 3.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
• Memphis has won 16-straight games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium – the fourth-best streak among FBS teams in the nation. Clemson (29 games), Notre Dame (25), and Cincinnati (22) are the only teams with longer streaks.
• Memphis' last loss at home came to No. 9/10 UCF on Oct. 13, 2018 in a tight, 31-30 setback. The 15-game winning streak began three weeks later on Nov. 10, 2018 with a 47-21 victory over Tulsa.
• The Tigers have also won 21-consecutive non-conference games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium dating back to a 31-7 win over Arkansas State on Sept. 21, 2013.
• The streak includes a 37-24 victory against No. 13 Ole Miss on Oct. 17, 2015 and a 48-45 win against No. 25 UCLA on Sept. 16, 2017.
• Five of those games were against Power 6 programs (Cincinnati in the AAC title game, Kansas, Ole Miss twice and UCLA).
• Memphis continues to make Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium a difficult place to play. Since Silverfield joined the coaching staff in 2016, the Tigers are 32-3 (.917) at home, including a pair of perfect 7-0 records in 2017 and 2019 and a 6-0 mark in 2020.

ONE OF THE ELITE PROGRAMS IN THE NATION
• Memphis has posted 67 victories since 2014, tying the Tigers for the ninth-most wins in the nation during that stretch.
• The 67 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that stretch.
• The Tigers also rank 11th in the country in winning percentage dating back to 2014 with their 66-26 (.720) mark.
• Memphis is one of only five FBS programs with at least eight wins each of the last seven seasons (Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma).

MEMPHIS OFFENSE AMONGST BEST IN NATION
• Through two weeks of the season, the Memphis offense is amongst the best in the nation.
• The Tigers rank first in the NCAA in total offense (633.5), seventh in scoring offense (48.5), eighth in rushing offense (292.5) and 13^th in passing offense (341.0).

AUSTIN III EARNS AAC WEEKLY HONORS
• Wide receiver Calvin Austin III was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Week after his outstanding performance in a 55-50 road win at Arkansas State on Sept. 11.
• Austin III has the best game of his career in a 55-50 win at Arkansas State this past Saturday, reeling in six catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns.
• His 239 receiving yards were the second-most in single-game, program history behind Anthony Miller's 250-yard performance vs. Tulsa, Oct. 29, 2016.
• Austin III totaled more than 100 receiving yards for the seventh time in his career, the third most 100-yard games in program history.

THOMAS LEADS NCAA IN RUSHING
• Redshirt freshman Brandon Thomas has been spectacular for Memphis through two weeks, leading the NCAA in rushing yard (338) and rushing yards per game (169.0).
• Thomas also ranks third in the nation in rush yards per carry (9.94) and eighth in the country in all-purpose yards (169.0).
• In 2020, Thomas appeared in four games for the Tigers, rushing twice for eight yards.

TRUE FRESHMAN HENIGAN CONTINUES TO SHINE
• Through two weeks, true freshman Seth Henigan has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.
• Henigan ranks fifth in the NCAA in yards per completion (16.63), sixth in passing yards per game (341.0), seventh in passing touchdowns (7), ninth in passing yards (682) and 15^th in passing efficiency (181.7).
• After his 22-of-33 for 417 yards and five touchdown performance at Arkansas State on Sept. 11, Henigan was named to the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 and to the midseason Davey O'Brien Award Watch List.
• Against Nicholls on Sept. 4, Henigan became the first true freshman QB to start a season opener in Memphis football history.

TIGER OFFENSE EXPLODES IN WIN AT A-STATE
• Memphis gained 680 yards of total offense in a 55-50 win at Arkansas State on Sept. 11.
• The 55 points scored were the most for the team on the road since a 59-41 win at East Carolina, Nov. 3, 2018.
• Quarterback Seth Henigan completed 22-of-33 passes for 417 yards and five touchdowns, while wide receiver Calvin Austin III reeled in six catches for 239 yards and three scores.
• Running back Brandon Thomas rushed 18 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Sean Dykes had nine receptions for 143 yards and two scores.

DANTON BARTO REMEMBERED
• On Aug. 23, 2007 M-Club Hall of Fame inductee Danton Barto passed away at 50 years old.
• The University will honor him with a moment of silence prior to the Tigers' game against Mississippi State on Sept. 18.
• Barto is the school record holder for career solo tackles (273) and career total tackles (473) and ranks second all-time with 200 assisted career tackles.
• An All-South Independent first team honoree in 1991, 1992 and 1993, Barto was named the All-South Independent Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 after leading Memphis with four interceptions.
• Barto earned All-Independent Football Alliance (IFA) Conference first-team honors in both 1992 and 1993 and was the All-IFA Defensive Player of the Year in 1992.
• Following his Tiger career, Barto spent five years playing professional football in the CFL and AFL. The Niceville, Fla., native coached in the AFL2 for the Memphis Xplorers, a team he guided to its first-ever league championship, earning Coach of the Year honors.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Football, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

University of Memphis Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Calvin Austin III

Sean Dykes

Seth Henigan

Brandon Thomas

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