University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
UT Martin
Memphis Set for Youth Day Matchup Against UT Martin
Sep 16, 2026 | Football
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis (2-1) football program returns home for an in-state nonconference matchup against FCS opponent UT Martin (1-2) on Saturday, Sept. 19 inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
The game will kick off at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ with Jeff Hem on play-by-play and Doc Holliday providing analysis. The game will also be available to listen to on 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS, Memphis' Athletics flagship station for Tiger Sports Network, with Dave Woloshin (play-by-play), Jarvis Greer (analyst) and Greg Gaston (sideline) on the call.
SETTING THE SCENE
• Memphis looks to bounce back at home against FCS opponent UT Martin after suffering its first loss of the year on the road against Boise State, where the Tigers were held scoreless in the second half.
• TE Hunter Tipton was named the John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week after going off with nine catches for 229 yards and an 87-yard touchdown reception, all new career highs for the redshirt senior.
• The 2026 Memphis Tigers roster features a grand total of 81 newcomers, split between 20 true freshmen and 61 transfers, with 27 returners from last season.
• Huff brings along 17 players from his 2025 Southern Miss squad, including All-Sun Belt performers: DE J'Mond Tapp, LB Mike Montgomery and SAF Ian Foster.
o The list also includes 5 players who played for Huff at both Marshall and Southern Miss.
• QB Marcus Stokes had his highest passing output of his collegiate career, passing for 384 yards against the Broncos, including receptions of 41, 68 and 87 yards.
• Memphis returns just four players (CB Chauncey Logan Jr., DL Taylor Burton, WR Brady Kluse, OL Parker Mitchell) that started at least one game for the Tigers in 2025.
• Dating back to a win over UAB in the 2023 season, Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 28 of its last 36 games. Over that stretch, the Tigers have created 61 takeaways (36 INT, 25 FR).
• The Tigers currently have an active streak of 32 games with two or fewer turnovers, which is the second-longest streak by an American Conference team and the longest active streak in the conference.
o The streak is also the sixth-longest active streak by an FBS program.
• Memphis has scored at least 15 points in 86-consecutive home games. The streak is the second-longest active streak in the FBS and the fourth-longest streak overall since 1978.
INSIDE THE SERIES
• This week's matchup marks just the 10th time that Memphis and UT Martin, separated by just 135 miles, will face off on the field.
• The most recent three matchups, all being played at Memphis from 2009-13, had a pair of Tiger wins sandwiched around a 17-20 loss in 2012.
o The 2013 game saw the Tigers score 21 unanswered to win 21-6 in a matchup during QB Paxton Lynch's first season of action as a Tiger.
• Prior to that, the only other meetings between the Tigers and Skyhawks were six games from 1924-1932.
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
• UT Martin comes into the matchup after a 52-7 road loss at West Virginia where the Skyhawks' lone touchdown came on a 6-yard scoop-and-score by John Betts III.
• Under center, the Skyhawks have had a battle brewing between redshirt freshman Tate Surber and graduate student Julian Calvez.
o So far this season, both have split time pretty evenly, with Surber passing for 359 yards with a 68.6 completion percentage compared to Calvez's 214 yards on 51.6 percent passing.
o Through three games, UT Martin has yet to have a passing touchdown.
• The offensive strength for UT Martin so far has been the ground game, as Tommy Ansley is rushing at a clip of 5.90 yards per carry with five rushing touchdowns.
• Ansley's performance has been supplemented by Chris Franklin, who is also sitting above 5.0 yards per carry, with a pair of touchdowns and 193 yards rushing on the year.
• On defense, UT Martin has been able to bring ballcarriers down in the backfield with 14 tackles for loss on the year, but they have only been able to muster a pair of sacks.
• Sophomore safety Trey Cotton has been a bright spot. The 2026 Phil Steele Preseason All-OVC Third Team selection has cause the only player thus far this season with an interception or a forced fumble, recording one of each.
• Cotton, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, also leads the team in tackles with 24.
• Defensive end Chris Wilson is also a player to note as he sits second on the team in tackles with 17, while also having additional effects on the game with a pair of pass breakups and blocked kicks, with both blocks coming in UT Martin's season-opener against Central Arkansas.
"THREE THINGS IN LIFE THAT'S CERTAIN: DEATH, TAXES AND THAT THE TIGERS GONE' HUNT" - W, 27-21 at UNLV
• The Tigers opened the Charles Huff era with a statement win over RV/RV UNLV, a program who entered the season with higher odds than Memphis of becoming the Non-P4 representative in the College Football Playoff.
• Memphis entered the half trailing 14-7 after allowing a pair of explosive UNLV plays, only countered by the first of many connections from QB Marcus Stokes to TE Hunter Tipton on a 16-yard passing touchdown.
• In the second half, Stokes knotted the game up at 14 apiece on a 48-yard pass to WR Stonka Burnside, with RB Jaylin Carter later scoring on a 36-yard run to make it 21-21.
• The Tiger defense stood tall in the second half, limiting UNLV to just seven points in the final 30 minutes, forcing a pair of turnovers-on-downs and sacking Jackson Arnold six times, highlighted by 2.5 from DL Elijah Kinsler.
• Stokes finished his Memphis debut 15-for-26 for 223 yards and a pair of touchdown passes, also netting 45 yards on the ground.
• In a display of pure dominance at the point of attack, the Tigers recorded six sacks, with DL Elijah Kinsler (2.5), DL J'Mond Tapp (1.0), DL Taylor Burton (1.0), DL Joseph Head Jr. (1.0) and DL Jaden McKinney (0.5) all wreaking havoc in the backfield.
CHRISTENING THE STADIUM WITH A RIVALRY WIN - W, 42-24 vs. ARKANSAS STATE
• In front of a sold-out crowd of 45,632 in the newly renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, the Tigers put on a dominant display with a 42-24 win over Arkansas State in the Paint Bucket Bowl.
• RB Jaylin Carter shined for a second week in a row, this time going off for 183 rushing yards and four touchdowns, matching Mario Anderson Jr.'s TD total against North Texas in 2024 and the most rushing yards since Greg Desrosiers Jr.'s 204 last season at Florida Atlantic.
o Carter was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
• Carter wasn't the only Memphis running back to show out as Manny Covey had 15 carries for 103 yards, giving him his first career 100-yard rushing game as well.
• QB Marcus Stokes became the first Memphis Tiger with 2 or more passing TDs in his first two starts since Riley Ferguson in 2016, finding Jermane Hayes and Aidan O'Callaghan in the end zone for each's first collegiate touchdown.
• After Memphis' defensive line starred against UNLV, the Tiger secondary stole the show against the Red Wolves as SAF Dylan Smith, SAF Ahmere Foster and LB Zach Ruffin each picked off Arkansas State QB Trey Owens a total of four times.
o Smith picked off Owens twice, the first time a Tiger had multiple INTs in a game since Sylvonta Oliver in the 2022 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against Utah State.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES - L, 20-38 at BOISE STATE
• The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season in a battle of two of the frontrunners for the top Group of Six program in a matchup that saw a contrast in play style and two completely different halves of competition.
• Memphis, a program formerly known for dominating time of possession, led 20-17 at the half with two of its scores just taking 33 seconds off the clock on an 87-yard reception by TE Hunter Tipton and an 80-yard run by RB Jaylin Carter.
o Memphis' four scoring drives, all coming in the first half, took a total of 4:33 off the clock.
o Comparatively, Boise State's scoring drives took a combined 21:14 of game time.
• After carrying a 20-17 lead into the half, Boise State took a commanding lead after a pair of defensive stops and scores, including the first punt-return touchdown allowed by Memphis since 2021.
• Memphis was shutout completely in the second half, with Boise State scoring the final 21 points of the game.
• QB Marcus Stokes had a career night in the loss, passing for 384 yards and connecting on three passes of 40-plus yards.
• TE Hunter Tipton had one of the best single-game performances by a Memphis tight end in program history, finishing the game with nine catches for 229 yards and a touchdown, en route to being named the John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week.
o It was the most receiving yards by a Tiger since Calvin Austin III's 200 against Tulsa in 2021.
• SAF Dylan Smith led Memphis with 12 tackles in the loss, a new career high for the Southern Miss transfer.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
• Memphis was well represented on preseason national award watchlists by numerous student-athletes, as well as Preseason American Conference Teams put out by various publications.
• TE Hunter Tipton, DL J'Mond Tapp, LB Mike Montgomery and SAF Ian Foster were all named to the Shriners Children's East-West Bowl 1000 Watchlist.
• LB Donovan Mathena was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee Class for the second season in a row, highlighting his continued commitment to on-the-field performance and community service efforts off the field.
o Mathena also was named to the 2026 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List for the second-straight season.
• RB Manny Covey picked up a nod on the 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List, annually awarded to the best running back in the nation.
o Memphis has had 10 players be named to the watch list in nine separate seasons since 2004, including players in the past three seasons.
• SAF Ian Foster was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List, an award given to the best defensive player in all of college football.
o Memphis has had a player on the watch list now in each of the past three seasons.
• Seven Tigers garnered recognition on the 2026 Phil Steele Preseason American Conference Teams, with four first-teamers (DE J'Mond Tapp, LB Mike Montgomery, SAF Ian Foster, DL Jaden McKinney) on the defensive side and a trio of offensive linemen (Phillip Gray, Riley McGehee, Maarten Woudsma) being named to teams, with Gray as a third-team center and McGehee and Woudsma as fourth-team tackles and guards, respectively.
• 11 Tigers claimed 12 spots on the 2026 Athlon Sports Preseason American Conference Team, with DL J'Mond Tapp, LB Mike Montgomery and SAF Ian Foster on the First Team, TE Hunter Tipton and SAF Ahmere Foster on the Second Team, WR Tychaun Chapman, OL Maarten Woudsma, Ian Foster (KR), DL Jaden McKinney and CB Chauncey Logan Jr. on the Third Team, and WR Terrell Timmons Jr. and SAF Dylan Smith on the Fourth Team.
• DL J'Mond Tapp and SAF Ian Foster were both also named to the Sports Info Solutions Preseason American Conference Team, with Tapp listed as a DE and Foster as a defensive flex honoree. SIS's formula for selecting the team is based solely on data scouting and statistical analysis.
• Memphis had six honorees on the Pro Football Network Preseason American Conference Team, including DL J'Mond Tapp, SAF Ian Foster and RB Manny Covey (PR) as first-team selections. OL Riley McGehee picked up his second preseason honor on the second team, along with CB Anthony Richard Jr. ;SAF Ahmere Foster also picks up his second honor, this time on the preseason all-conference third team.
• Five Tigers were named to HERO Sports' Preseason Group of Six All-America Teams, with SAF Ian Foster and DL J'Mond Tapp on the first team, along with TE Hunter Tipton, LB Mike Montgomery and SAF Ahmere Foster all being named to the third team.
• DL J'Mond Tapp was also recognized in ESPN's Adam Rittenberg's Top 15 Non-QB Playmakers as the only member from a non-Power 4 School, along with being named to The Athletic's Freaks List.
• DL J'Mond Tapp also was named to the 2027 Panini Senior Bowl Top 300 List.
• TE Hunter Tipton also picked up a nod on the 2026 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watchlist, awarded to the most outstanding offensive player with ties to the state of Texas through high school and/or college.
• After recording six pressures, five tackles and a sack in Memphis' week zero win over UNLV, DL J'Mond Tapp was named the 2027 Shrine Bowl Defensive Player of the Week.
• Opening his Memphis tenure with a debut win on the road, head coach Charles Huff was named the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Week.
OUR FOOTBALL FUTURE NOW: THE NEW-LOOK SIMMONS BANK LIBERTY STADIUM
• Memphis Athletics, alongside the University's Auxiliary Services Foundation, has completed a $226.5 million renovation of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to redefine the college football gameday experience.
• The brand-new, four-level West Tower features 26 luxury suites, 36 loge boxes, 370 club seats and a full-service kitchen.
• With the renovations is the new Landers Plaza, providing fans an elevated experience on the west side.
• The stadium also now features 360 degree sound, fireworks around the bowl of the stadium and one of the largest ribbon boards in all of college football.
• The new stadium capacity sits at 45,632 after renovations, creating a more intimate atmosphere for all fans and adding to the stadium pulse.
HOME OPENERS
• Memphis' 2026 home opener kicked off a new era in Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium with a 42-24 win over Arkansas State in the Paint Bucket Bowl.
• The 2025 season got off to a bang with a 45-10 win over the Mocs.
• The Tigers opened the 2024 season against North Alabama and rolled to a dominant 40-0 shutout win.
• 2022's season-opening game on the road at Mississippi State snapped an 11-season streak of opening the season in Memphis.
• The Tigers are 49-61-3 all-time in season-opening contests.
• Memphis has won 12-straight home openers and have posted a record of 55-49-5 all-time in home-opening games.
NONCONFERENCE OPPONENTS IN MEMPHIS
• Memphis is 33-1 in the team's last 34 home games against nonconference opponents.
• Among the games during that stretch for the Tigers include victories over Arkansas (2025), 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.
NEW FACES ON STAFF
• Head Coach Charles Huff built up a new coaching staff across the board, also bringing his assistant head coach, Telly Lockette, from Southern Miss and Marshall prior to the duo's time with the Golden Eagles.
• Offensively, Kevin Decker and David Weeks both come in from Old Dominion to serve as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach, respectively. Rounding out the offensive staff are Andy Kwon coaching the offensive line and Aaron Dobson coaching the wide receiving corps.
• Lance Guidry joins as the program's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after spending time as a defensive analyst at LSU in 2025 and time as Miami's defensive coordinator after being Marshall's defensive coordinator under Coach Huff from 2021-2022. The defensive position groups are coached by Eric Mathies (defensive line), Dominique Bowman (safeties), Tim Duffie (cornerbacks) and Mac Goode (linebackers asst.).
WE'RE STOKED
• Marcus Stokes became the first Memphis QB since Riley Ferguson in 2016 to throw for 2-plus TDs in his first two starts with a pair against both UNLV and Arkansas State.
o Stokes also set a career high with 384 passing yards at Boise State.
• Stokes, a West Florida transfer who was once committed to Florida in high school, dominated at the Division II level in 2025, winning Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year, D2CCA Super Region 2 Offensive Player of the Year and being a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, given to the most valuable player at the NCAA Division II level.
A BEVEE OF BACKS
• After mentoring multiple first-round running backs in Saquon Barkley at Penn State and Najee Harris at Alabama, Head Coach Charles Huff has built a balanced group of tailbacks who could all go off on a given day, guided by assistant head coach and running backs coach, Telly Lockette.
• Dallan Hayden comes in as the most experienced of the group after stints at Ohio State and Colorado. The Memphis native returned home for his final season, looking to build off of a current mark of 1,185 career rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
• Manny Covey is set for his first season in the blue and gray after playing a versatile role at Cincinnati over the past two seasons. He recorded his first 100-yard rushing game against Arkansas State, while also having a 100-yard receiving performance under his belt and 156 career punt return yards from Cincinnati.
• Jaylin Carter followed Coach Huff from Southern Miss after rushing for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns and logging 137 receiving yards as a true freshman in 2025.
o He's already surpassed his total from last season, even in one game as he rushed for 183 yards and four scores against Arkansas State after scoring once and having 97 rushing yards at UNLV.
FAMILIAR FACES ON DEFENSE
• Coach Huff brings over multiple members of his 2025 Southern Miss defense that finished 1st in the nation in interceptions (23) and fifth in turnover margin (1.08).
o Current Memphis Tigers Ian Foster, Ahmere Foster, Mike Montgomery and Anthony Richard Jr. account for 10 of those 23 interceptions.
• Counting all Southern Miss to Memphis transfers, the 2026 Tigers team has the following production from Southern Miss' 2025 season -
o Tackles - 411 of 1,095 (37.5%)
o Tackles for Loss - 26.5 of 78.0 (34.0%)
o Interceptions - 10 of 23 (43.5%)
o Sacks - 12.5 of 30.0 (41.7%)
• DL J'Mond Tapp follows Huff to Memphis for his final season after finishing in the top 40 in the FBS in sacks (7.5) and being named to the All-Sun Belt First Team in 2025.
• LB Mike Montgomery also follows to lead Huff's defense yet again after finishing in the top 30 in the nation in tackles per game (8.8) and picking off a pair of passes for the Golden Eagles last season, earning a Third Team All-Sun Belt nod.
• The third piece of a key trio of Southern Miss transfers from Huff's 2025 campaign is SAF Ian Foster, who picked off three passes, returning two for touchdowns while adding 72 tackles, being named to the All-Sun Belt Third Team.
• Of the numerous pieces that Huff brings from Southern Miss are Ahmere Foster, Anthony Richard Jr. and Dylan King in the defensive backfield, who all contributed to last year's dominance in Hattiesburg.
o The three combined for 5 interceptions and 105 tackles.
• The Memphis defensive line is anchored by multiple Southern Miss transfers in addition to Tapp in Jaden McKinney and Jabari Ishmael, who combined for 48 tackles in the interior tackle spots.
o DE Elijah Kinsler also comes in from the Golden Eagles after a limited role during his freshman season in 2025.
BUILDING THE BOOTS
• Memphis brought in a pair of veteran kickers with a lower amount of in-game experience.
• Philippe Laforge doubled his field goal total in the Tigers' season opener, converting on attempts of 32 and 36 yards on what eventually became the game-winning scores.
o Laforge was also a perfect 6-for-6 on PATs in Memphis' home opener against Arkansas State, sitting at 9-for-9 on the season.
o Laforge, a Coastal Carolina transfer, had attempted just four field goals and one extra point in his time as a Chanticleer, converting on attempts of 47 and 51 yards.
• Michigan State transfer Tarik Ahmetbasic enters his fourth collegiate season with just one point-after conversion in
