The Memphis Tigers took another step toward their goal of reaching the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship game with a thrilling 52-44 win over North Texas in front of 24,110 fans at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Memphis entered the game needing a victory and some help in the standings to keep their championship hopes alive.
The win made the Tigers bowl-eligible for the 11th consecutive year, a milestone that head coach Ryan Silverfield emphasized in his post-game comments.
“I don’t want to lose sight of what this means,” said Silverfield. “Two years before I got here, people were talking about the possibility of the university dropping football. To go to 11 straight bowl games is a great thing. What’s even better is that it’s now our minimum expectation, and we take a lot of pride in that.”
Fast Start for Both Offenses
The first quarter turned into an old-fashioned shootout, with Memphis and North Texas trading quick touchdowns. The Tigers scored on their first two possessions—a 4-yard run by quarterback Seth Henigan, followed by a 5-yard score from running back Mario Anderson Jr. Anderson, who finished with 183 rushing yards and four touchdowns, credited the entire team for the offensive explosion.
“We put up 52 points,” Anderson said. “Anytime you do that and you have a defense that’s holding it down, that’s complimentary football.”
North Texas needed just two plays to match Memphis’ scores, thanks to wide receiver DT Sheffield. He broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run on their first play and followed it with a 75-yard reception from Chandler Morris to tie the game at 14-14.
Silverfield admitted the defensive lapses were hard to stomach.
“That’s the worst feeling,” he said. “That’s like death to me. But the offense found a way to answer, and when it’s all said and done, we found a way to win.”
Shane Porter closed out the first-quarter scoring with a 9-yard run for North Texas, giving the Mean Green a 21-14 lead. At that point, it seemed like both teams were on pace for a 100-point game, but the defenses stiffened, and the points came at a slower pace in the remaining quarters.
Defensive Resilience
North Texas, known for its high-octane offense (ranked 13th nationally at 40.8 points per game), went for it on fourth down six times, converting three. Despite giving up 653 total yards, Memphis’ defense came up with key stops when needed. Linebacker Chandler Martin’s interception in the end zone sealed the game and preserved the Tigers’ victory. Martin finished with 10 tackles, while Greg Rubin added 9.
“It felt great to finish the game off,” said Martin. “I dropped one earlier in the game, and it hurt me bad. I had to catch that one.”
Morris threw for 445 yards and three touchdowns for North Texas, with Sheffield contributing 82 yards rushing and 122 yards receiving, including two touchdowns. Despite these impressive stats, Memphis’ defense adjusted after the first quarter, holding the Mean Green to just 24 points over the final three quarters.
Balanced Offensive Attack
The Tigers used a balanced offensive attack to wear down North Texas. Henigan passed for 319 yards and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground. Roc Taylor hauled in six receptions for 73 yards, while Koy Drake and Demeer Blankumsee combined for 178 receiving yards. Henigan praised the offense’s resilience, saying, “We have to put our team in the best position to win the game. It’s a good feeling to be bowl-eligible again. It’s hard to get conference wins.”
Looking Ahead
Memphis improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in AAC play. They moved up to fourth place in the conference standings and will host the Charlotte 49ers (3-4, 2-1 AAC) for Homecoming next Saturday, October 26, at 11 a.m.
