Wednesday morning rolled around for the Tigers as the faxed machine got warm. Coach Ryan Silverfield and his program learned they would head to Texas to take on West Virginia in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl against the West Virginia Mountaineers out of the Big 12 Conference. Although a challenging destination for fans to attend, the Tuesday before Christmas, Memphis will face a six-win West Virginia team for the first time in school history as the Tigers look to close out the 2024 season with an 11th win. Although not the most attractive bowl game or the highest payout, Memphis has an opportunity to close out the 2024 season on a high note as they take advantage of the additional practice time, guys get to go home for Christmas, and the Tigers have a shot for another victory over a P4 team to build off of for the 2025 season.

From a matchup perspective, Memphis is a much better team. West Virginia has six wins and fired its Head Coach a few days ago after a disappointing season. West Virginia has an explosive offensive unit similar to what Memphis has seen in the American Athletic Conference all season. Not to mention, the Tigers have all the momentum heading into the Frisco Bowl after dominating Tulane on Thanksgiving and having a Coach in Ryan Silverfield who is working day and night to take the University Of Memphis Football program to the next level by using the bowl game as a springboard for a run at the College Football Playoff in 2025.

The Scooter’s Frisco Bowl is also the last hoorah for a living Memphis Football legend, quarterback Seth Henigan. Henigan holds just about every record for a Memphis quarterback and has the chance to ride off into the sunset, delivering another bowl win and an eleven-win season to the program he has given his all for. Seth Henigan has one more game to further etch his name into the lore of Memphis Football over the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Initially, the bowl selection needed to make more sense. Still, from a program perspective, Coach Silverfield and his Memphis Tigers have a golden opportunity to send a resounding message to the Big 12 that overlooking the Tigers in the last round of realignment was a mistake. Memphis should have gotten the nod over the likeness of UCF, Houston, and even Cincinnati out of the AAC. A resounding win over West Virginia would send that message and even position the Tigers to move soon to the P4 level.

For the 11th straight season, postseason football is there for Memphis Football fans to enjoy and embrace. The bowl itself might not be the most attractive on paper, but another bowl trip is something to celebrate if you’re a Memphis supporter.

Photo credits: Memphis Football on X