The University of Memphis returned to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium looking to get back on track after last week’s loss to the Navy Midshipmen. The Tigers found their rhythm with a 24-7 win over the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders in front of 25,266 fans.
The defense bounced back after a tough outing at Navy, holding the Blue Raiders scoreless in the first half and allowing only 117 total yards. MTSU caught a break after Koby Drake muffed a punt, but Memphis’s defense held strong, forcing four sacks, two fumbles, and 6.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Elijah Herring had a career-high 10 total tackles.
Chandler Martin and Kobee Minor each recorded a sack, with Minor forcing a fumble on his first career sack.
“That was the first career one, so it felt good,” Minor said, after getting emotional on the field. Herring, returning from injury, said, “It was great being back and playing with the guys. I missed them the last two weeks.”
Head coach Ryan Silverfield praised the defense, noting the improvement in tackling compared to the Navy game: “The communication was great. Every week, we have to focus more on tackling.”
Senior transfer running back Mario Anderson Jr. rushed for 118 yards and added six receptions for 43 yards. Brandon Thomas rushed for two touchdowns, bringing his career total to 31, placing him fifth all-time at Memphis.
Quarterback Seth Henigan spread the ball around, with Roc Taylor and Anderson Jr. each recording six receptions. Henigan passed for 227 yards, moving into second place in all-time passing yards in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). However, he snapped his streak of throwing at least one touchdown pass at 41 consecutive games. The Tigers have now scored 20 or more points in 32 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation.
On his performance, Henigan said, “We started the game a little slow. We did not have the right intensity. We adjusted well as the game progressed. There are some plays we left out there. You can’t hang your head after a win.”
Next up for the Tigers (4-1, 0-1 AAC) is a road conference matchup against the South Florida Bulls (2-3, 0-1 AAC) in Tampa. The game will air on ESPN on Friday, October 11, at 6 p.m. CDT.
