Saturday night was all about the Memphis Tigers as the Coach Charles Huff era got underway with a bang as the Tigers took down UNLV 27-21 in a massive early-season College Football Playoff game. From Coach Huff picking up his first career win at Memphis on the road, a feat that has never been done before, to the showcase of Marcus Stokes at quarterback, to the defensive line wreaking havoc all game long, Saturday night was a night of statements for the Tigers. Everything seemed to get popping early as UNLV Head Coach Dan Mullen decided it would be a good idea to troll Memphis with an Elvis impersonator leading the Rebels out onto the field before the game, a bold move to make against a program that has spent the last several months learning to love and embrace the city of Memphis. If there’s one thing that will motivate a Memphis team more, it’s cheesy trolling of the city they represent. Some might say that incident wasn’t that deep, but for the Tigers, they took it as such and the final laugh. 

So, let’s break it down with a few thoughts and observations from the 27-21 victory for the Memphis Tigers. 

First, major credit to the defensive line for the Tigers, for they stepped up in a big way and likely were the leading factor in the victory on Saturday night. All night, the Tigers’ defensive line pressured Jackson Arnold and the UNLV offense, doing what they had to do to contain the explosive UNLV attack. It might not have been perfect at times, but the bend-not-break mentality proved to be a game-changer for the Tigers last night. When UNLV scored, it was more often because of the secondary, as the defensive line recorded six sacks,s with Eli Kinsler leading the way with 2.5. Backing up the defensive line when things got past them were two linebackers, Zach Ruffin and Mike Montgomery, who combined for 23 tackles, with Ruffin leading the whole team in tackles with 13. Other than a few big plays, the secondary also did a good job, but the real factors on the side of the ball were the five defensive linemen and the two linebackers, who all played pivotal roles in beating UNLV on Saturday night. A crazy thought for some: the defense will only get better as the season goes on, and as a group, they have the potential to be one of the greatest defenses to ever play at Memphis. 

Second, despite a slowish start in the first quarter, the rest of the world had a front-row seat to the talented Marcus Stokes last night. In his first game as the quarterback for Memphis, Marcus Stokes impressed with his 15 for 26 night for 223 yards through the air, his 45 yards on the ground, along with his two touchdowns thrown through the air with no turnovers and only one sack on the night. Coach Huff and his staff chose the West Florida transfer as the starter because of his game experience; with his performance Saturday night, it’s a safe bet to imagine Marcus Stokes as the face of this offense this season. Like anyone during the first night, Marcus wasn’t perfect, but he limited the personal mistakes, which in turn kept the momentum flowing for the Tigers on Saturday night. Not only can he beat you through the air, but Stokes last night showcased his ability to turn something from nothing, further adding to the weapon cache for the Tigers quarterback. 

Third, as we’ve seen through the years, if there’s a position that Memphis will always have the talent, it’s at running back, and this year is no different. Memphis has three talented running backs who have the potential to make a huge difference for the Tigers this season, along with the mobility of quarterback Marcus Stokes. As the starter on Saturday night, Jaylin Carter led the way for the Tigers on the ground with a touchdown and 97 yards. Manny Covey finished the night with 41 yards, while Dallan Hayden finished the night with seven yards. As a unit, combined with the help from the 47 yards from Marcus Stokes, Memphis finished with 190 yards. 

Another takeaway: Memphis has another kicker on the roster with ice in his veins. After losing the starter from last season, Coach Huff and his staff turned to Philippe LaForge to be the guy this season. LaForge finished his night two for two on field goal attempts, both from under 40 yards, but points are points, and those six points were the difference-maker for the Tigers to defeat UNLV. 

Lastly, it’s a long season, but this 2026 Memphis Tigers team has a lot of intangibles the 2019 team had; with that comes excitement within the program and a frenzy for Tigers football across the city of Memphis. Memphis went into Las Vegas and showed the rest of the college football world that not only is Memphis football here to stay, but they’re a legitimate contender for the College Football Playoff. Something to keep in mind as well: we’ve already seen the talking heads discuss the possibility of Coach Charles Huff leaving Memphis after one year; that kind of conversation only comes with success. My advice is to support the program, show Coach Huff and the boys support, and then trust the process. As we’ve seen with other coaches, that P4 grass might not be what the talking heads make it out to be; Memphis is in the driver’s seat for the College Football Playoffs. Enjoy it. 

Memphis returns home on Saturday night as they welcome Arkansas State to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. 

Photo Credits- Memphis football on X