University of Memphis
South Florida
NOTES: Tigers Return to AAC Action at South Florida
Oct 07, 2024 | Football
SETTING THE SCENE
• The Tigers got back on track with a 24-7 victory over Middle Tennessee at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Sept. 28.
• With the win, Memphis improved to 29-1 in the team's last 30 home games against non-conference opponents.
• Quarterback Seth Henigan saw his impressive streak of throwing at least one touchdown pass in 41-consecutive games come to an end in the victory over Middle Tennessee. His streak ends tied for the second-longest in FBS history with 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota (41). Henigan's streak ends just five game shy of former Marshall star Rakeem Cato's streak (46) who owns the all-time FBS mark.
• Memphis started its season 3-0 for the second-straight year after a 40-0 shutout of North Alabama, a 38-17 win over two-time defending Sun Belt champions Troy and a 20-12 win at preseason No. 10 Florida State.
• The win in Tallahassee was the first for the Tigers over a power conference opponent on the road since taking down Kansas in 2015. The defense was lights out all day, holding the Seminoles to a season-low 238 total yards with 4.0 sacks and three forced turnovers. Memphis' 12 tackles for loss in the win over Florida State were the most for the Tigers in a game since 2018 vs. SMU.
• At Navy, Mario Anderson Jr. (117 yards, 3 TD) and Brandon Thomas (125 yards, 1 TD) became the first pair of Tigers to rush for over 100 yards in the same game since 2019 vs. SMU (Gainwell, Watkins). Wide receivers Koby Drake (102 yards) and Roc Taylor (100 yards) joined them in going over the century mark to make it the first time since December 2, 2017, at UCF that Memphis had a pair of 100-yard rushers and a pair of 100-yard receivers.
• Memphis has scored 37 of its 142 points (23%) this season after taking the ball away from its opponent.
• The Tigers have scored 20 or more points in 32-consecutive games - the longest active streak in the nation - dating back to a 33-28 win over Tulane on Nov. 27, 2021.• Dating back to UAB last year, Memphis has forced at least one turnover in nine of the last 12 games. Over that stretch, they have created 21 takeaways (12 INT, 9 FR).
• Memphis is one of nine teams in FBS with 10 or more consecutive bowl-game appearances along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Iowa.
• Memphis has posted 92 victories since 2014, tied for 14th-most in the nation during that stretch. The Tigers are also 18th in the country in winning percentage dating back to 2014 with their 92-42 (.687) mark.
• The 92 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that span.
• Memphis (59) has the fifth-most home wins in FBS since 2014, trailing only Alabama (68), Clemson (68), Ohio State (65) and Michigan (60). The Tigers .831 winning percentage is No. 10 in the country over that stretch.
• The Tigers were picked to win The American in the preseason media poll (409 points), receiving 23 of 30 possible first-place votes. Picked to finish runner up was UTSA with 368 points and four first-place votes. The Tulane Green Wave were tabbed third in the preseason poll with 362 points and a pair of first-place votes. South Florida was picked to finish fourth with 339 points while AAC-newcomer Army received a first-place vote and 236 total points to round out the top five.
• Memphis capped the 2023 season off with a 36-26 win over Iowa State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl to finish the season 10-3 and complete just the fifth 10-win season in program history.
• The Tigers returned 69% of their total production from 2023 (No. 26 in FBS) including 74% of offensive production (No. 29 in FBS) and 65% of defensive production (No. 45 in FBS).
SCOUTING SOUTH FLORIDA
• South Florida enters Friday with a 2-3 record. The Bulls opened the season with a 48-3 win over Bethune Cookman before dropping a game they trailed by just a point into the fourth quarter at No. 4 Alabama, 42-16. The Bulls rebounded with a 49-24 win at Southern Miss. before dropping back-to-back games to No. 8 Miami and AAC foe Tulane, 45-10.
• The Bulls have recovered the seventh-most fumbles in the country this season (5) and rank tied for 23rd with a +4 turnover margin this season.
• The Bulls welcomed 57 new players to their 129- man roster in 2024, this one season after welcoming 56 new players in Alex Golesh's first season. Of those new Bulls for 2024, 18 are transfers from four-year colleges and 13 appear in the depth chart for Game 1.
• Quarterback Byrum Brown tied a USF record with four 300-yard passing games in 2023 and added three 100-yard rushing games as he set a USF season passing record with 3,292 yards
• Brown ranked No. 2 in AAC and No. 8 nationally in total offense (315.5) and led the AAC/8th FBS in points resp. for (17.4) in 2023.
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Friday's game between Memphis and South Florida will mark the 13th all-time meeting between the two programs.
• The Tigers lead the all-time series, 8-4, with the series beginning in 2001. Memphis leads the series 4-1 when playing in Tampa.
• Memphis has won three-straight matchups and six of the last seven, including a 59-50 win in Memphis last season.
RIDING THE MOMENTUM
• The 2023 season was a historic one for the Tigers as they became just the fifth team in program history to win 10 games (2019, 2017, 2014, 1938).
• Last year's team was just the 10th in program history to win nine or more games in a season and just the fourth in school history to win five road games in a year.
PRESEASON AAC FAVORITES
• The Tigers were picked to win The American in the preseason media poll (409 points), receiving 23 of 30 possible first-place votes. Picked to finish runner up was UTSA with 368 points and four first-place votes. The Tulane Green Wave were tabbed third in the preseason poll with 362 points and a pair of first-place votes. South Florida was picked to finish fourth with 339 points while AAC-newcomer Army received a first-place vote and 236 total points to round out the top five.
• Memphis returned 69% of their total production from a season ago (No. 26 in FBS) including 74% of offensive production (No. 29 in FBS) and 65% of defensive production (No. 45 in FBS).
AMONG THE ELITE
• Memphis has posted 92 victories since 2014, tied for 14th-most in the nation during that stretch.
• The 92 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that span.
• The Tigers are also 18th in the country in winning percentage dating back to 2014 with their 92-42 (.687) mark.
• Memphis (59) has the fifth-most home wins in FBS since 2014, trailing only Alabama (68), Clemson (68), Ohio State (65) and Michigan (60). The Tigers .831 winning percentage is No. 10 in the country over that stretch.
• Memphis' streak of 10-straight seasons with a record of .500 or better is tied for the third-longest streak among Group of 5 and independent schools and is the longest such streak in the AAC.
MEMPHIS LEADS NATION IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 20 OR MORE POINTS
• The Tigers have scored 20 or more points in 32-consecutive games - the longest active streak in the nation - dating back to a 33-28 win over Tulane on Nov. 27, 2021.
• Memphis has scored 1,170 points over that stretch for an average of 36.6 points.
• The next longest active streak belongs to North Texas (29) followed by LSU (22).
BOWL STREAK
• Memphis is one of nine teams in FBS with 10 or more consecutive bowl-game appearances along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Iowa.
• In 2023, the Tigers defeated Iowa State, 36-26, in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, improving the program's record to 8-8 in bowl games.
THE JORDON HANKINS EFFECT
• Since taking over as the defensive play caller for the Tigers before the 2023 AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State, the Memphis defense has been much improved.
• In his debut, Hankins and the Tigers held the Cyclones to zero rushing yards on 20 attempts in the victory.
• The zero rushing yards allowed by Memphis were the fewest since the Tigers held Ole Miss to -4 rushing yards in 1993.
• Memphis' 12 tackles for loss in the win over Florida State were the most for the Tigers in a game since 2018 vs. SMU.
• The Tigers are averaging 7.6 tackles for loss per game - No. 12 in the country. Memphis has also recovered six fumbles which ranks second in FBS.
• Memphis is tied for 11th in the nation in turnover margin (+6).
• Memphis ranks 29th in the country in total defense, allowing just 310.4 YPG this season.
SETH HIM-IGAN
• Now in his fourth season as the Memphis starting quarterback, Henigan is already the program's all-time leading passer with 12,103 yards and 963 completions, while his 86 touchdowns are just four shy of Brady White's career record.
• The 21-year-old is the only fourth-year starting quarterback in FBS to spend all four seasons at one institution.
• The senior quarterback had his best season yet in 2023, passing for 3,883 yards and 32 touchdowns to just nine interceptions while rushing for another five scores and setting the single-season completions (318) record for the Tigers.
• In 2023, Henigan ranked fourth in the NCAA in passing yards (3,883), fifth in passing touchdowns (32) seventh in total offense (319.8) and points responsible for (226), eighth in completions per game (24.5) and points responsible for per game (17.4), ninth in passing yards per game (298.7) and 19th in completion percentage (.668).
• The Denton, Texas, native has logged 20-career 300-yard passing games and five 400-yard efforts over his career – both good for program records.
• Henigan saw his impressive streak of throwing at least one touchdown pass in 41-consecutive games come to an end in the victory over Middle Tennessee. His streak ends tied for the second-longest in FBS history with 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota (41). Henigan's streak ends just five game shy of former Marshall star Rakeem Cato's streak (46) who owns the all-time FBS mark.
• If Henigan throws for his career average in passing touchdowns (26) in 2024, he would enter the NCAA's top 25 all-time in that stat and would become just the second QB since 2013 to post four-straight seasons with at least 25 total touchdowns.
• At Navy, Henigan went 32-of-56 passing for 371 yards with a pair of scores and an interception to add to his school record and log his 20th-career 300-yard passing game. He moved into third all time in The American in total offense (12,630), passing Cincinnatti's Desmond Ridder.
• Heading into Friday's game at South Florida, Henigan sits in second place all-time in The American in career passing yards with 12,103 - just 1,824 yards away from current all-time leader Holton Ahlers from East Carolina.
• Henigan is also creeping up in the AAC's career total offense category; his 12,871 yards are currently third-most all-time in The American, just 376 yards shy of second place (Clayton Tune, Houston).
• Henigan was named AAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15 after leading Memphis past preseason No. 10 Florida State on the road behind 25-of-38 passing for 272 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• Henigan's name was littered on national award watch lists this preseason. In total, Henigan was named to six award watch lists (Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award) in addition to the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list.
OUR FOOTBALL FUTURE: TRANSFORMATIONAL RENOVATIONS TO SIMMONS BANK LIBERTY STADIUM
• Memphis Athletics, alongside the University's Auxiliary Services Foundation, is committing to a $220 million investment in the stadium project.
• All demolition at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium has been completed for phase two from the top of the structure to the ground level.
• Phase 2 priority elements include creating a unique interior "party plaza" area for all fans and beginning initial perimeter and halo upgrades to create a hospitality space around the stadium.
• Stadium capacity during the 2024 and 2025 Memphis Football seasons is anticipated to be in the low-30,000s, and capacity after renovations are complete is estimated to be approximately 50,000.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
• Memphis (59) has the fifth-most home wins in FBS since 2014, trailing only Alabama (68), Clemson (68), Ohio State (65) and Michigan (60). The Tigers .831 winning percentage is No. 10 in the country over that stretch.
• Memphis has had a great home field advantage at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, posting a record of 49-9 (.845) since head coach Ryan Silverfield joined the staff in 2016.
• As head coach, Silverfield is 24-6 (.800) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS IN MEMPHIS
• Memphis is 29-1 in the team's last 30 home games against non-conference opponents.
• Among the games during that stretch for the Tigers include victories over Mississippi State (2021), Ole Miss (2019, 2015), UCLA (2017) and Kansas (2016).
• The lone loss during that stretch came against UTSA (now a member of The American), 31-28, on Sept. 25, 2021.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Memphis had five victories on the road in 2023, marking just the fourth time in program history a team has won five road contests.
• The Tigers also won five road games in 2019, 2015 and 1949, which is the program record.
