NOTES: Tigers Open Season at No. RV/RV Mississippi State

Saturday, September 3

Starkville, Miss.

6:30 P.M.

University of Memphis

Mississippi State

Tickets

NOTES: Tigers Open Season at No. RV/RV Mississippi State

Sep 01, 2022 | Football

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis Tigers will open the 2022 season at No. RV/RV Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss. on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

SETTING THE SCENE
• Memphis posted a record of 6-6 last season, earning the program's eighth-straight bowl appearance.
• The Tigers were named the EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl Champions after Hawai'i was unable to participate.
• The eight-consecutive bowls streak is tied for the eighth-best in the nation and is the best among all non-Power 5 programs.
• Individually, true freshman quarterback Seth Henigan had a record-breaking season in 2021, earning FWAA Freshman All-America honors. The Denton, Texas native completed 235-of-393 passes for 3,322 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
• On the defensive side of the ball, defensive back Quindell Johnson returns after earning All-AAC Second-Team honors for the second-straight season.
• Johnson ranked 12th in the NCAA in solo tackles (5.5) and 27th in total tackles (8.8)

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
• In 2021, Mississippi State ended the season with an overall record of 7-6, earning a berth to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, losing to Texas Tech, 34-7.
• MSU was the only school in the country that faced six teams ranked in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 and was one of four teams with three wins against teams ranked in the final poll.
• Head coach Mike Leach became the first MSU head coach, at least in the modern era, to beat three teams in one season who finished ranked in a final poll.
• In 2021, quarterback Will Rogers – at only 20 years old – became the first MSU quarterback to lead the SEC in passing yards per game (364.5).
• His 4,739 passing yards are the third most in SEC single-season history.

INSIDE THE SERIES
• The meeting between Memphis and Mississippi State on Saturday will mark the 46th game between the two programs dating back to 1951.
• The Bulldogs hold a record of 34-11 over the Tigers, including a mark of 15-4 in Starkville.
• Last year, Memphis snapped MSU's 12-game winning streak in the series with a 31-29 win at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
• The Tigers came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to win the contest, thanks in part to wide receiver Calvin Austin III, who had nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
• He also returned a punt 94 yards for a score in the fourth quarter, the longest return for a Tiger since 1975.

ONE OF THE ELITE PROGRAMS IN THE NATION
• Memphis has posted 71 victories since 2014, giving the Tigers the 12th-most wins in the nation during that stretch along with Oklahoma State and San Diego State.
• The 71 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that stretch.
• The Tigers also rank 14th in the country in winning percentage dating back to 2014 with their 71-32 (.689) mark.

RARE ROAD OPENER
• Memphis will start the season on the road for the first time since the 2010 season on Saturday.
• The last time the Tigers opened a year away from Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium was on Sept. 4, 2010 - a 49-7 loss at Mississippi State.
• The road opener snaps an 11-year streak of opening seasons at home for Memphis.
• The Tigers are 43-60-3 all-time in season-opening contests.

YOUTH IS SERVED
• Nine redshirt-sophomores or younger are currently listed as starters on the Memphis offensive and defensive depth charts.
• Of the 62 players listed on the depth chart, a total of 32 (51.6%) are redshirt-sophomores or younger.
• Memphis ranks 12th in the nation in percentage of underclassmen on the roster at 70.5%.
• Of the 119 student-athletes on the team, 84 (43 freshmen, 41 sophomores) are underclassmen, which is tied for 16th-most in the country.
• In 2021, Memphis played a total of 27 redshirt or true freshmen. Of that total, 12 were true freshmen.

SIVLERFIELD'S START
• Ryan Silverfield is tied for the second most wins (14) in his first two seasons as head coach in program history.
• Silverfield is also tied for fifth nationally in most wins among coaches entering their third seasons in 2022.

STANDOUT SOPHOMORE
• Quarterback Seth Henigan posted one of the best seasons in program history in 2021 and he did it as a true freshman.
• In 2021, Henigan earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors after starting all 11 games in which he played for the Tigers.
• The Denton, Texas native completed 235-of-393 passes for 3,322 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
• His 3,322 passing yards shattered the school's freshman record previously held by Paxton Lynch in 2013 (2056) and rank sixth overall on the program's single-season list. His 25 touchdowns are tied for the seventh-most in school history.
• Henigan also became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener in school history.

EIGHT-STRAIGHT BOWLS
• Memphis' appearance in the 2021 EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl marked the eighth-straight season that the Tigers have made a bowl game.
• The 2021 EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl was canceled due to Hawai'i being unable to participate.
• The eight-straight bowl game streak is tied for the eighth-best in the nation and is the best among all non-Power 5 programs.

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.