Head Coach: Ryan Silverfield is entering his 5th year as the head coach of the Memphis Tigers with a 31-19 record. His first game as the Tigers head coach was in the Cotton Bowl against Penn State and it’s been a journey to try to make it back there since. This is going to be a huge year to see how much of a contender the Tigers can be under his watch.
Program Outlook: Football used to be a major struggle for Memphis it took a while for the Tigers program to gain traction but once it did under Justin Fuente they became consistent contenders at the top of the AAC. It’s been a few years since they won the conference but you can never count them out.
How does the 2024 Roster look?: There’s not enough talk about this Memphis roster. They return one of the most experienced QBs in the country in Seth Henigan, he is the only 4 year starter in the country to play each season with the same program. Henigan is almost the complete package, to take the next step in leading the Tigers he will need to work on avoiding turnovers when pressured and during clutch situations. He will be aided by an excellent pair of receivers in Roc Taylor, Demeer Blankumsee, and an experienced offensive line. Another key to the Tigers season will be the defense, they struggled on that side of the ball and it really got worse as the season went on. They made a change at DC prior to the bowl game and it already looked better in a win over Iowa State. The Tigers added some transfers to help as well.
Screenshot from fbschedules.com1
2024 Schedule Thoughts: Memphis challenged themselves with this non-conference slate. Troy is the back to back Sun Belt champs and Florida State should have been in the playoff last year. Those will determine early on what kind of season Memphis could have. They also have a cool in-state battle with Mid Tenn State that could potentially pose a challenge. They got a brutal draw for their conference slate, Memphis faces the other 3 conference favorites and plays them all on the road! The Tigers will not have it easy this season.
Vegas Projection: Memphis’ win total is set at 9.5 with the odds geared toward the under. It reflects the tough upside of Memphis’ schedule but is also expecting the Tigers themselves to be good.
2024 Best Case: Henigan becomes a dominant player and the defense steps up to set up a special season for the Tigers. They open 2-0 easily and then thanks to 4th quarter heroics from Henigan Memphis is able to defeat their former coach and Florida State for a massive victory. The Tigers follow it up by refusing to be tripped up by Navy or Mid Tenn State and go into a showdown with South Florida. The offense rises to the occasion again as Henigan is able to outduel Brown. Memphis keeps rolling and passes even more tough tests along the way against good UTSA and Tulane teams. Memphis gets Tulane again a week later in the AAC championship but they aren’t fazed by the rematch and win. Their strong wins including Florida State winning the ACC rewards Memphis with a higher seed although Florida State still ends up ahead of them for the bye. The lack of a bye is quickly forgiven when Memphis is rewarded with a home matchup against Tennessee. Henigan plays the game of his life to bring the Tigers to victory over the despised Volunteers, it’s a celebration that almost feels like a national title. The run ends against Oregon in the next round but Memphis made their mark.
2024 Worst Case: Henigan’s turnover issues don’t get better, they get worse and the defense still doesn’t improve. This causes Memphis to stumble to a disappointing 1-4 start, that eventually leads to a disappointing 4-8 finish. Everyone else in the state makes a bowl and so does UAB after winning the Battle of the Bones. Memphis fans are stuck wondering if they can ever get back into contention.
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