Postgame Notes: Memphis vs. North Alabama

Nov 19, 2022 | Football

KICKING IT OFF
• Coin Toss: Memphis won the toss and elected to receive.
• Memphis Captains: Ryan Glover, Chris Howard, Quindell Johnson
• Attendance: 24,154

TEAM NOTES
• Prior to the game, Memphis recognized 17 student-athletes for Senior Day - Jaylon Allen, Xavier "Zay" Cullens, Matt Dale, Michael Denson, Joe Doyle, Wardalis Ducksworth, Ryan Glover, John Hassell, Chris Howard, Quindell Johnson, Asa Martin, Tyler Murray, Austin Myers, Sylvonta Oliver, Rodney Owens, Gabriel Rogers and Johnny Westbrook.
• The gametime temperature was 39 degrees – the coldest game of the Ryan Silverfield era.
• Memphis' halftime lead (38-0) was the largest of the Silverfield era.
• The Tigers scored 24 points in the second quarter to mark the first time since the 2018 AAC Championship game against UCF (first quarter) scoring 24 or more points in a single quarter.
• With the win, Memphis earned the program's ninth-consecutive bowl game berth. The streak is the longest among non-Power 5 teams and is currently tied for ninth longest among all NCAA teams. That includes all seven seasons that Silverfield has been on staff.
• With the victory, Memphis is now 41-7 (.854) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium with Silverfield on staff. As head coach, Memphis is 16-4 (.800) at home under Silverfield.
• With the win, the Tigers improved to 9-0 against FCS teams since 2013.
• The shutout win was the first for Memphis since 2015 against SMU (63-0) and was the largest margin of victory (59) since the Tigers beat Bowling Green 77-13 in 2016 (64).
• The Tiger defense did not allow the Lions to cross midfield for the entire game. The furthest UNA moved the ball was to its own 44-yard line.
• The Memphis defense allowed just 24 yards passing – the fewest since allowing 20 against Navy in 2017.
• Memphis held North Alabama running back ShunDerrick Powell to 41 yards on 20 carries (2.1 YPC), his lowest yards-per-carry average this season. Powell entered the contest averaging 147.2 yards per game with four games over 200 yards.
• Memphis held UNA to 124 yards of total offense – the fewest total allowed by the Tigers since allowing 170 against South Florida in 2019.
• The Tigers rushed for a season-high 246 yards on 43 attempts (5.7 YPC). It marked the first 200-yard rushing game for Memphis since rushing for 200 against Navy last season.
• Memphis had two players rush for two touchdowns each (Ducker, Martin) for the first time since 2018 when NFL running backs Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor each rushed for a pair of scores against Houston.
• The Tigers' five rushing touchdowns were the most as a team since they rushed for five against Stephen F. Austin in 2020.
• Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 14 of its past 16 games. During that stretch, the Tigers have created 31 takeaways.

PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore quarterback Seth Henigan connected with redshirt-senior wide receiver Eddie Lewis for a 38-yard touchdown strike midway through the first quarter. Henigan's pass extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 22 – every game of his Tiger career (fifth-longest active streak in the country).
• Additionally, Henigan's touchdown pass moved him into a tie with Martin Hankins for fifth all time at Memphis with 43-career touchdown passes.
• Henigan was relieved of his duties at halftime, but ended the game 14-for-24 passing for 218 yards and a touchdown.
• Freshman running back Sutton Smith drew the first start of his Tiger career.
• Cullens recovered a fumble for the second-consecutive game when he fell on ShunDerrick Powell's first quarter fumble. It was the fourth fumble recovery of the season for Cullens, who ranked second in the NCAA entering today's contest.
• With 7:15 to play in the first quarter, redshirt-sophomore running back Jevyon Ducker found paydirt from six yards out to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead.
• Ducker found the endzone again with 9:19 remaining in the second quarter from two yards out. It was the fifth rushing touchdown of the season for Ducker. He ended with 10 totes for 54 yards to go with his pair of rushing scores.
• With 7:30 to go in the second quarter, Lewis returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown and became the first Tiger to do so since Calvin Austin III returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown against Mississippi State in 2021.
• Johnson picked off the 10^th pass of his career and fourth of the season with 5:07 remaining in the first half, returning it 15 yards before being pushed out of bounds. Johnson's four interceptions is the most in a single season by a Memphis player since 2017 (TJ Carter, 5).
• Martin scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown with 3:41 to play in the first half to give the Tigers a 35-0 lead.
• Howard connected on a 26-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half to extend the Memphis lead to 38-0. With the make, Howard improved to 19-for-21 on field goal attempts this season.
• Early in the third quarter, Cullens intercepted a North Alabama pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown – his second pick-six of the season and his career.
• Martin rushed for his second touchdown of the game with 4:36 to play in the third quarter, giving Memphis a 52-0 lead after the Howard PAT. He ended with 25 yards on four carries and one reception for six yards to go with his pair of touchdowns.
• To go along with his first-career start, Smith rushed for a highlight-reel 12-yard touchdown run (the first of his career) to extend Memphis' lead to 59-0 after the Howard point after. Smith finished the game with 55 yards on seven carries and the touchdown. He also hauled in. 14-yard reception.
• Redshirt-sophomore running back An'Darius Coffey led the Memphis rushing attack with a game and career-high 84 yards on 14 carries.
• Lewis ended the game with three receptions to lead the Tigers with 73 yards and a touchdown to go along with his 60-yard punt return touchdown.
• Redshirt-junior tight end Caden Prieskorn hauled in a game-high four receptions for 68 yards. Prieskorn now ranks third amongst tight ends in program history for single-season receptions (42), yards (548) and touchdowns (6).
• Cullens had a game-high 10 tackles (including a sack), returned an interception for a touchdown and recovered a fumble to fill up the stat sheet.
• Johnson ended the game with four tackles (all solo), including a pair for a loss, and forced a fumble to go along with his interception.