In a game displaced by Hurricane Milton, Memphis met USF at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, for a massive AAC Saturday afternoon matchup. Despite the distractions of venue and date changes, Memphis came into the USF game with a spark and dominated USF in all aspects of the game except for not finishing drives. Yet, the defense stepped up for Coach Silverfield and the Memphis Tigers, and they went into the state of Florida again and left with another massive win.

Despite the USF Bulls’ efforts to get under the Tigers’ skin with blatant cheap shots and hits after the whistle, the Tigers kept their cool mostly and shut down any hope the Bulls had early in the fourth quarter with a defensive touchdown. Memphis lost Mario Anderson early in the game due to a spitting incident with a South Florida player. Still, overall, the Tigers’ composure on Saturday was adequate and gave Memphis an advantage.

Saturday was ugly, but the Memphis defensive unit showed up and showed out, keeping the explosive South Florida at bay with three points and 24 yards on the ground. Memphis got to the quarterback, wreaking havoc and causing three turnovers, one of which resulted in a defensive turnover that pushed Memphis over the edge with a 21-3 win over the Bulls of South Florida.

On the offensive side of the ball, Memphis left a lot out on the field as they struggled to finish drives with points. Memphis had every chance to pull away and should have beaten USF by forty-plus, but costly turnovers, penalties, and a weird vibe kept the Tigers from gaining momentum on Saturday afternoon. Seth Henigen finished the day with two touchdowns, with 208 yards through the air. Brandon Thomas stepped up for the Tigers on the ground with 67 yards.

Overall, it was a win. A win matters when you’re Ryan Silverfield and the Memphis Tigers. Memphis will return home next Saturday as they welcome North Texas to the Liberty Bowl.

Photo credits – Memphis Football on X