Tag: Memphis

North Carolina State powers past Memphis 31-7 at Gasparilla Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as North Carolina State had an efficient first half in a 31-7 victory against Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday afternoon in Tampa.

Bailey was 14-for-25 passing for 221 yards. Teammate Jayden Scott rushed for 108 yards on 19 carries to help the Wolfpack (8-5) end the season on a three-game winning streak.

Memphis (8-5), which looked like a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff through the first few months of the season, lost its final four games. The Tigers played the bowl game under interim coach Reggie Howard after coach Ryan Silverfield took the Arkansas job.

Dual-threat quarterback Brendon Lewis finished 14-for-25 for 106 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception and gained 51 rushing yards on 11 carries for Memphis.

NC State played without running back Hollywood Smothers after it was revealed late in the week that he would enter the transfer portal. All of the game’s points were scored before halftime, as the Wolfpack had the highest-scoring half for any team in Gasparilla Bowl history.

The Wolfpack began the game with a 75-yard drive that ended with Bailey’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Later in the first quarter, NC State went 67 yards on four plays, and Bailey tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Grimes.

NC State’s defense set up the next scoring opportunity. Caden Fordham returned an interception, which came off a deflected pass, 55 yards to the Memphis 3-yard line. Will Wilson scored on a 1-yard run on a direct snap.

Memphis had a chance to get on the board, but a 10-play possession ended on Gianni Spetic’s missed field goal from 56 yards out.

The Wolfpack stretched the margin to 24-0 on Kanoah Vinesett’s season-long 51-yard field goal.

The Tigers responded with a 75-yard drive, with Lewis throwing to Jamari Hawkins on a 28-yard touchdown play.

Teddy Hoffmann got free down the left sideline and Bailey hooked up with him for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:28 left in the first half.

NC State only outgained Memphis 337-303 on the day, as the Tigers threatened but turned the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) looks for a passing option against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

NC State pursues strong finish vs. Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl

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North Carolina State has momentum going into the Gasparilla Bowl, and would like to build more before the offseason.

The Wolfpack will take on a Memphis team in transition on Friday afternoon in the bowl matchup in Tampa, Fla.

“It helps in the offseason, like, we won three out of the last four, and we’d love to finish four out of five,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said. “It gives you a little momentum. And for a coach and a player, when you lose a game, you don’t get rid of that feeling until you play the next game, and that’s a long ways from now.”

The Wolfpack (7-5) won their final two games of the regular season against non-bowl teams Florida State and North Carolina.

Memphis (8-4) has a three-game losing streak following a winless November. So the Tigers went from a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff to trying to find a positive ending in a pre-Christmas bowl.

Memphis interim coach Reggie Howard, who spent this season as cornerbacks coach, has been in charge since the last day of November after Ryan Silverfield left to take the head-coaching job at Arkansas.

Meanwhile, North Carolina State quarterback CJ Bailey hasn’t committed to the team beyond this week’s game.

“I plan to go home and talk to my mom and my dad,” he said of any decisions. “Just relax and enjoy my time off.”

But before that, Bailey has a plan.

“I’ve never won a bowl game before — I need one,” he said. “I need a win, and the program needs a win. We need to try to find a way to bounce back from all those losses we had, and it’s going to start from right here.”

Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers will be among Howard’s concerns.

“The kid is a home run guy. Great speed, track speed,” Howard said. “You’ve got to worry about that guy.

Already, it’s a different lead-up to the bowl for the Wolfpack. Playing in a pre-Christmas event has created a need to juggle some logistics.

“Playing earlier is a different thing for us,” Doeren said. “So it’s really expedited. … It’s almost like a bye week and then a game getting ready.”

Then there’s the uncertainty of preparing for a team with an interim coach who’ll be in his first game directing the Tigers.

“There’s going to be wrinkles,” Doeren said. “You have to expect that, but you have to also expect that they can’t change their systems completely.”

The Wolfpack expect a heavy dose of Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis, who has 15 touchdown passes this season, with six interceptions. Lewis, who scored nine TDs on the ground, and teammate Sutton Smith both have more than 600 rushing yards.

“This guy runs the ball a lot, QB draws and zone read, avoid, keeps and things, and he’s their leading rusher,” Doeren said. “If you take his sack yardage out, he’s 860 yards rushing.”

Lewis made it through an injury-riddled season. His top target is Cortez Braham Jr., who has 889 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Reserve quarterback Arrington Maiden is heading to the transfer portal.

While Memphis and NC State meet for the first time, they have a common 2025 opponent. Both teams faced East Carolina this season, with North Carolina State defeating the Pirates in the opener and Memphis falling in a mid-November road game.

Memphis is in a bowl for the 12th consecutive season, the longest streak among non-Power 4 conference teams.

North Carolina State will look to pull even in its bowl record, which is 17-18. The other time the Wolfpack played in Raymond James Stadium, the site of Friday’s game, was as a visiting team against South Florida in a 2014 victory.

–Field Level Media

Memphis hires Charles Huff as new head coach

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Memphis officially named Charles Huff as its new head coach on Monday.

The former Southern Miss head coach replaces Ryan Silverfield, who departed on Nov. 30 to take over at Arkansas.

Huff, 42, guided the Golden Eagles to a 7-5 record this season in his first season in Hattiesburg, Miss. Before that, he was 32-20 in four seasons at Marshall from 2021-24, getting the team bowl eligible in each of his seasons there.

“Early in our search process, Coach Huff quickly rose to the top of our list as a dynamic leader with a proven track record of building strong, competitive programs,” Memphis athletic director Ed Scott said in a statement. “He brings a championship mindset, tremendous drive, and more than 20 years of experience working alongside some of the top coaches in college football.”

Huff was the architect of a dramatic turnaround in 2025, as Southern Miss went 5-3 in the Sun Belt Conference after going 0-8 in 2024 (1-11 overall). The Golden Eagles will meet Western Kentucky in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 23.

Memphis is 8-4 this season and will make its fourth consecutive bowl appearance on Dec. 19 against NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

“My family and I are so fired up about this opportunity,” Huff said. “The city of Memphis, the leadership at the University and the level of consistency the football program has had over the recent years is incredible. I would like to thank University President Dr. Bill Hardgrave, Athletics Director Dr. Ed Scott, and their entire team who has instilled their faith in me to lead this outstanding program. To the city of Memphis and Tiger Nation, it’s time to STAND UP! To the players and administration, it’s go time!”

Huff was an assistant head coach and running backs coach at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2019-20 before taking the job at Marshall. His assistant coaching stops also include Mississippi State (2018) and Penn State (2014-17).

–Field Level Media

Report: Memphis closes in on Southern Miss’ Charles Huff

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Memphis is finalizing a deal with Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff to become the next head coach of the Tigers, ESPN reported Saturday.

Huff, 42, reportedly will receive a five-year contract to replace Ryan Silverfield, who departed on Nov. 30 to take over at Arkansas.

Huff guided the Golden Eagles to a 7-5 record this season in his first season in Hattiesburg, Miss. Before that, he was 32-20 with three bowl appearances in four seasons at Marshall from 2021-24.

Huff was the architect of a dramatic turnaround in 2025, as Southern Miss went 5-3 in the Sun Belt Conference after going 0-8 in 2024 (1-11 overall).

Memphis is 8-4 this season and awaiting its fourth consecutive bowl selection.

Huff was an assistant head coach and running backs coach at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2019-20 before taking the job at Marshall. His assistant coaching stops also include Mississippi State (2018) and Penn State (2014-17).

–Field Level Media

Reports: Arkansas to hire Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield as coach

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Arkansas is expected to name Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield as its next coach, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.

Silverfield, 45, guided the Tigers to an 8-4 record this season and a 50-24 mark since replacing Mike Norvell as the team’s coach in December 2019. Norvell left for Florida State prior to the team’s game in the Cotton Bowl.

The Razorbacks need to replace Sam Pittman, who was fired on Sept. 28 — one day after the team dropped a 56-13 decision at home to Notre Dame. Bobby Petrino served as the interim head coach following Pittman’s departure.

Pittman was 32-34 overall with the Razorbacks.

Arkansas (2-10, 0-8 Southeastern Conference) dropped its 10th straight game on Saturday with a 31-17 setback to Missouri.

–Field Level Media

Memphis hopes to have Brendon Lewis for pivotal game vs. Tulane

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Memphis, left out of the first College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday night, still has a major goal ahead. Reaching it surely relies on the health of quarterback Brendon Lewis.

The journey to that achievement — winning the American Conference and competing in the College Football Playoff — continues Friday night when the Tigers (8-1, 4-1) host Tulane (6-2, 3-1) in a pivotal matchup.

Lewis, who triggers an attack that produces the 12th-best scoring offense (37.7 points per game) in FBS, was injured in the fourth quarter of Memphis’ 38-14 Halloween night road thumping of Rice in Houston.

Lewis, who previously played for Colorado and Nevada, was nicked up while the Tigers led the Owls 38-7 in the final frame and was replaced by backup Arrington Maiden for the remainder.

Lewis went 18 of 22 for 225 yards and a season-best quarterback rating of 91.6. He also carried 12 times for a game-high 87 yards and one of the offense’s five rushing scores.

“We’re still trying to figure out whether he gives us the best option to win the football game,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield told 92.9 FM. “If he can go, if he’s fully healthy, we’ll put him in the football game.”

The Green Wave need a complete rebound after a 48-26 letdown on the road at UTSA on Oct. 30, but Tulane’s 3-1 showing in the American has it still in the mix.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall has deep roots in Alabama and the Southeastern Conference — as a linebacker at Kentucky, an assistant at Troy, Ole Miss and Kentucky, and a head coach at Troy in 2022-23.

With four SEC head coaches already fired this season, that background has Sumrall’s name being mentioned as a coach ready to move up to a Power 4 program.

“You got a job to do, you got to ask that question,” Sumrall said to reporters inquiring about the rumors. “I’ve got a job to do: Coach the Tulane football team. … I get those questions because we’re having success.”

Jake Retzlaff leads Tulane in passing (1,622 yards, seven touchdowns) and rushing (513 yards, nine touchdowns). He entered last week with just one interception on the season but was forced into two picks by UTSA.

Tulane linebacker Sam Howard will be back in the lineup after a two-game absence due to a leg injury.

Memphis and Tulane have been two of the most successful programs in the 10-year history of the American, but both are seeking their first CFP berth.

“It’s a rivalry,” Silverfield said. “As much as the conference has changed in my 10th year here, it’s always one of those a lot of fans have circled on the calendar.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 31, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Rice Owls quarterback Chase Jenkins (4) is sacked by Memphis Tigers defensive lineman Pooda Walker (99) in the first quarter at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

No. 25 Memphis runs all over Rice in road rout

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Frank Peasant tallied three of Memphis’ five rushing scores, the defense held Rice to 212 yards, and the No. 25 Tigers kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive Friday with a 38-14 Halloween night rout of the Owls in Houston.

Peasant, who entered with three total touchdowns on the year, found paydirt three times in the first half as two-TD favorite Memphis (8-1, 4-1 American) led by 24 at halftime and was never challenged by the Owls (4-5, 1-4).

The second-place Tigers still have matchups against Tulane next Friday, at East Carolina and versus conference-leading Navy on Nov. 27 in their chase for the CFP, which releases its first rankings on Tuesday night.

Quarterback Brendon Lewis went 18 of 22 for 225 yards. He carried the ball 12 times for a game-high 87 yards and a score but left with an injury in the fourth quarter. Cortez Braham Jr. had three receptions for 66 yards.

Defensive back Omarion Cooper grabbed an interception, his first in three seasons.

Memphis’ defense held Rice to seven drives of three plays or less, had 11 tackles for loss and limited the Owls to 3-of-15 on third-down conversions.

Rice quarterback Chase Jenkins was 11 of 16 for 100 yards, a TD and a pick. Aaron Turner caught the lone score as part of his 29-yard showing.

After producing a three-and-out on Rice’s first series, the visitors took over, and Lewis had a big third-down conversion with a 30-yard pass to Braham. Lewis broke three tackles on an 18-yard rambling TD.

Defensive back Kamari Wilson forced and recovered a fumble on a backwards pass that was originally called incomplete but overturned on review. Memphis soon made it 14-0 on Frank Peasant’s 2-yard run at 2:34 of the first quarter.

Peasant added a second short score at 12:25 of the second quarter before notching another with 7:54 left in the half to make it 28-0.

Turner put Rice on the board with a 12-yard catch from Jenkins, but Gianni Spetic’s 37-yard field goal left Memphis with a commanding 31-7 edge at the break.

Greg Desrosiers Jr. had Memphis’ fifth score in the third, and Rice’s Tyvonn Byars (43 receiving yards) notched his first career TD on a short run with 3:28 left.

–Field Level Media

Memphis' Brendon Lewis (2) throws a pass during the game between USF and Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on October 25, 2025.

No. 25 Memphis heads to Rice in CFP driver’s seat after USF upset

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The first set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released next week, and Memphis is offering a convincing case for inclusion, especially if it can become the American Conference champion.

The 25th-ranked Tigers attempt to follow up their win over South Florida with another strong performance Friday night when they take on Rice in Houston.

Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American) trails Navy by 1 1/2 games for the conference lead, and the two schools end the regular season against each other on Nov. 27. The Tigers also trail Tulane by a half-game and visit the Green Wave next Friday.

Memphis is projected to be the 12th seed in the playoff by winning the conference title, but knows it must take care of business after overcoming a 14-point deficit in last week’s 34-31 win over South Florida, which was previously undefeated in conference play.

“Immediately on a short week, we have to turn the focus to Rice,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. “Great focus on a great opponent on the road on a Friday night.

“This game is the most important game of the season. I want our guys to sense that.”

Memphis was able to get the win thanks to Brendon Lewis, whose 307 passing yards were a career high. Lewis also tied the team lead with 35 of the Tigers’ 129 rushing yards, his stellar performance coming after he exited the 31-24 loss at UAB on Oct. 18 with a leg injury.

Rice (4-4, 1-3) snapped a three-game losing streak by outlasting UConn for a wild 37-34 double-overtime win last week. Friday begins a tough final four-game stretch in which Rice plays Memphis, North Texas and South Florida, who have a combined 20-4 record.

The Owls have the second-worst scoring offense in the conference (21.6 points), and average 103.6 passing yards (134th out of 136 FBS teams), but also can give opponents trouble with a triple option offense similar to Navy’s.

“That’s a challenge, especially when you’re playing this type of offense,” Silverfield said about Rice. “You’ve got to keep the guys in the right mindset, keeping those guys in rhythm, understanding the ebbs and flows of the game.”

Last week, Quinton Jackson ran for 168 yards, caught three passes for 80 yards and scored four touchdowns, including the game-ending 23-yard score in double overtime.

Jackson also had a 73-yard TD run and 75-yard TD catch, becoming the first player in program history with a 70-plus yard rushing and receiving score in the same game.

Rice scored its second-most points this season after being held to a combined 47 points during its three-game skid. Jackson had his third 100-yard rushing showing after being held to 6 yards in a 61-13 loss at UTSA on Oct. 11.

“It’s a great feeling,” Jackson said. “We’ve been through a lot of hardships the last two, three, four weeks, so it really feels good to see that celebration. We haven’t had that feeling in a very long time.”

Chase Jenkins also returned after getting hurt in the loss to UTSA, completing 17 of 22 passes for a season-high 191 yards to go along with 57 rushing yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Brendon Lewis (2) runs with the ball against the South Florida Bulls during the second quarter at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Memphis scores 17 in fourth to upset No. 18 South Florida

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Memphis’ game-winning touchdown with 67 seconds left capped a 17-point unanswered run in the fourth quarter to claw all the way back and knock off visiting No. 18 South Florida 34-31 on Saturday afternoon in an American Conference matchup.

Brendon Lewis found Cortez Braham Jr., who high-pointed the pass in the corner of the endzone from 10 yards out to give the Tigers their first lead since the first quarter.

Nico Gramatica missed a game-tying field goal for the Bulls from 52 yards out as time expired.

Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American) allowed just seven second-half points to high-octane South Florida (6-2, 3-1).

Lewis, whose status for the game was in question after getting injured last week, completed 27 of his 44 passes for 307 yards and two TDs. Braham caught both of his touchdowns and had seven catches for 75 yards.

South Florida’s Byrum Brown was 26-of-43 passing for 269 yards with a touchdown and an interception; he added 121 yards and two TDs on the ground.

Bulls running back Sam Franklin rushed up the middle 73 yards for South Florida’s lone second-half score to push the lead to 31-17 with two seconds left in the third after a missed field goal by Memphis.

The Tigers followed it up with a 13-yard run by Greg Desrosiers Jr. They missed the two-point conversion, so the Bulls led 31-23 with 13:13 left.

Gianni Spetic’s 28-yard field goal trimmed the lead to 31-26 with 7:08 left before the winning drive.

The Tigers came out the gates hot. After an interception by Brown on the fourth play of the game that was fumbled and then re-recovered by Memphis, Frank Peasant and the Tigers needed just three plays to open the scoring with a 19-yard run.

Brown’s first rushing touchdown was a 3-yard rush with 8:31 left in the first, and the latter was an electrifying 44-yard run. Brown shook past one defender, hurdled another and then evaded one more for the miraculous run and a 14-7 lead.

Jeremiah Koger caught Brown’s next touchdown from 5 yards out to push the lead to 21-7 with 4:21 left in the half.

Lewis and the Tigers then used a well-worked drive right before the whistle that was capped by Lewis finding Braham 5 yards out to cut the lead to 21-14 with 50 seconds left.

The Bulls squeezed out 47 yards to set up Gramatica’s 46-yard field goal with no time left for a 24-14 halftime lead.

Memphis increased its home winning streak to 11 games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Brendon Lewis (2) looks on against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

UAB stuns No. 22 Memphis in Alex Mortensen’s coaching debut

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The UAB Blazers gave interim coach Alex Mortensen an upset in his debut thanks to quarterback Ryder Burton’s impressive first collegiate start and a last-second defensive stand to beat No. 22 Memphis 31-24 Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

Burton, tabbed as the starter after the Blazers announced quarterback Jalen Kitna would miss Saturday’s game due to an upper-body injury, completed 20 of 27 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. UAB (3-4, 1-3) also got career games from Iverson Hooks (11 catches, 172 yards, 3 TDs) and Solomon Beebe (five carries, 106 yards and a TD) to snap a three-game losing streak that led to the school dismissing coach Trent Dilfer last weekend.

Memphis (6-1, 2-1) trailed 31-17 with 4:06 to go but got a 37-yard Christian Ross touchdown reception from backup quarterback AJ Hill with 2:19 left. The Tigers then got to the Blazers 1-yard line with a minute left. However, they committed three penalties to push them back 10 yards and turned it over on downs with :15 left.

Hill entered in the third quarter when starter Brendon Lewis sustained an injury after taking a sack on the first drive after halftime.

The loss snapped Memphis’ 10-game winning streak and dealt a significant blow to Memphis’ chances for a College Football Playoff berth. Entering Saturday, the Tigers were considered one of the favorites to earn the automatic bid for the highest-ranked school from a Group of 5 conference.

UAB had five drives that took at least five minutes off the clock. That helped keep the Memphis offense, which ranked 13th nationally scoring 40.5 points a game, off the field. The Tigers rushing attack, which ranked 10th nationally gaining 238.7 yards per game, got just 119 off a Blazers team that was fifth-worst nationally (213.2 ypg).

Greg Desrosiers Jr. got 41 of those on a last-minute run that was initially ruled a touchdown. However, the scoring review showed a sprinting Tariq Watson tackled the Tigers back at the UAB 1.

Hill completed 13 of 25 passes for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Desrosiers added 74 yards and a score on 11 carries.

–Field Level Media