Memphis Football kicked off their 2024 campaign on August 31 in their newly renovated stadium, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, now dubbed, “the Liberty Hole.” Memphis cruised to a 40-0 shutout victory against North Alabama (0-1) in front of the 25,849 faithful fans in attendance.
“You saw the 901 on the side of our helmets… I think this game is in honor of our great city,” said Head Coach Ryan Silverfield after the game. “We [are] 1-0, a lot of great things… and a lot to clean up.”
Senior Quarterback Seth Henigan was efficient and played a clean game, going 22-30 for 308 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Henigan was able to find nine different receivers in the game, showing off his trust and decision-making skills. Henigan hit Senior Tight End Anthony Landphere on the goalline for a 2-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Later, Henigan found Junior Brendan Doyle on a 32-yard deep ball for his second passing touchdown. This was Seth Henigan’s 81st passing touchdown in his career at Memphis, moving him into a tie for second place in the Memphis Football program’s history.
Senior receiver Roc Taylor added five catches on five targets for 87 yards including a 45-yard bomb from Henigan.
Henigan showed signs of his pocket awareness, only being sacked once plus finding receivers even as the pocket collapsed.
The run game left more questions than answers, however. Junior running back standout Sutton Smith went down with an apparent leg injury in the first quarter.
"He did get hurt. It doesn't look great. Our entire program will keep him in our thoughts and prayers, and hopefully he's okay more than anything. And we wish him a speedy recovery,” said Coach Ryan Silverfield.
Senior Mario Anderson Jr. got the majority of the carries the rest of the way, totaling 46 yards on 10 carries and 2 touchdowns. Junior Greg Desrosiers Jr. also tacked on a rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The Memphis offense was efficient and scored on seven of ten offensive drives. The team also recorded 17 first downs compared to North Alabama’s 10. That said, it was not a perfect performance on offense, with the Tigers only averaging 2.5 yards per carry in the game.
On the defensive side of the ball, Memphis stood strong rising to the potential that was flashed last season.
“To be honest we [were not] that good on defense last year, and I take that personally, so I tell my guys all the time ‘we gon be good on defense this year’,” said Junior linebacker Chandler Martin.
The defensive unit forced three takeaways on the night, including two interceptions by Senior linebacker Matt Hudson and Senior defensive back Davion Ross. The other was from a forced fumble by Junior defensive lineman William Whitlow Jr. recovered by Senior defensive lineman Javon Denis.
“Those takeaways turned into points,” said Coach Silverfield. “They played as one unit… as a coach you always want to see a bunch of different guys make plays.”
Chandler Martin also added 8 total tackles, 2.5 being for losses. Junior Bryce Edmondson added 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
As a whole, Memphis took care of an inferior opponent at home with what seemed to be relative ease. Even with the loss of their starting running back (whose status is still unknown) the Tigers were able to persevere with their tenacious defense and execution on both sides of the ball.
The Tigers will get a full week of rest and will take on Troy at home on Sep 7. Kickoff is set for 11 AM on the ESPNU Network.
