Ten Moments Of Impact In Memphis Football History
We are now ten weeks from the 2025 Memphis football season. We have analyzed national publications’ predictions and the coaching staff, and now we take a look back into history. As we continue our countdown, we take a trip back in time at ten moments of impact in Memphis football history. We want to emphasize to our readers that this is not a top ten moments, just impactful ones in chronological order.
1. First Win As Program
We have to start at the beginning, as number one on the list is the first win in program history. This occurred in the inaugural season of 1912, following a 0-0 tie against Memphis University School. In week two, Memphis blanked Bolton Agricultural School, 13-0, which was the only win of the four-game season.
The first win for Memphis against a University came in the 1917 season. The Tigers defeated Union University 14-6 on the road for what was the first of three consecutive wins to finish 3-2 in the five-game slate.
2. First Bowl Win
Next, we move forward to 1956, where Memphis finished the season 5-4. The final victory came in the Burley Bowl against East Tennessee State behind a dominating 32-12 score. This is impactful as it was the first of now 18 invitations for this program to postseason action.
Memphis again saw postseason play as the Tigers took on San Jose State in the 1971 edition of the Pasadena Bowl. In the end, Memphis won 28-9 in what became more impactful as the program grew over the next 30 seasons.
3. First Top 10 Upset
Modern age fans have become accustomed to the Tigers winning games year after year, yet this was not always the case. Our impactful moment number three is the first top ten upset. This came against the then #7 ranked Auburn Tigers, who visited Memphis.
In what was a monumental moment for Tigers fans, Memphis outlasted the Tigers from Alabama 31-20 in a stunning upset. In the end, Memphis finished with a 5-5 season.
4. The 1987 Season Made Waves Nationwide
In what was the second season under coach Charlie Bailey, the Memphis State Tigers started the season against regional rival Ole Miss. In what was a back-and-forth contest, it all came down to a goal-line stand for the Tigers. In this impactful moment, we saw the city come alive with pride as Memphis defeated the Rebels for the 5th time in program history.
The team would also make waves as they stunned then #15 ranked Alabama 15-10, as the Crimson Tide visited Memphis. This season put Memphis on the map as a program that could not be overlooked. That season, Memphis finished 5-5 under Bailey.
5. California Stunner To Start 1991
The 1991 season was the third under Chuck Stobart. To start the season was a trip to Hollywood to tangle with the #16-ranked Southern California Trojans. What would happen was magical, as this was one of the first road upsets for Memphis of impact.
The Tigers were led by quarterback Keith Benton and running back Xavier Crawford. The Tigers went cut scene as they left with a 24-10 victory as they fought on. The Tigers finished 5-6 in the 1991 season.
6. A Game Versus Peyton
If you were to ask essentially any Memphis fan what their favorite win was, they would probably mention the 1996 game versus Tennessee. Entering the game, Memphis, led by Rip Scherer, was riding a four-game losing skid. To alleviate this, Rip had Memphis in an all-blue uniform combination for the first time versus the Vols. Led by Peyton Manning and a cast of other stars, the Vols came to Memphis as the #6 team in the country.
In what will forever be remembered as a legendary night, the Memphis defense rattled Manning all night, along with a Kevin Cobb 95-yard kickoff return to stun Tennessee 21-17 in front of a raucous crowd. The win is the sole for Memphis in the teams’ history against each other.
7. Party Like It’s 2003
We now move into the 2000s as the Tigers made more impact with wins. In the 2003 season, Memphis was led by Tommy West. With this, the Tigers were running wild offensively with Danny Wimprine at quarterback and DeAngelo Williams in the backfield.
Following a 40-10 opening win over Tennessee Tech, Memphis welcomed Eli Manning and the Ole Miss Rebels. In the end, Memphis came out ahead 44-34 in what was, at the time, one of the top wins in program history and created a buzz about the season. To close the season, Memphis snapped its 29-year bowl streak with a New Orleans Bowl invite and 27-17 win over North Texas.
8. Beaching It
We are now in the” modern era” of Memphis Football. The Tigers have been to 11 consecutive bowl games, and the streak started in Miami at the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl against BYU. Led by Justin Fuente, the Tigers were powered by Paxton Lynch as signal-caller.
In what was a classic even to this day, the Tigers outlasted the Cougars 55-48 in a two-overtime thriller. The impact of this game was felt even more as the two programs came to blows with each other in post post-game. There are clips seemingly every season of this scuffle, which continues the longevity of its impact.
9. Welcome To College Gameday
The 2019 season was special. To further this, Memphis scratched a 7-1 record as the SMU game approached and was awarded a visit from ESPN College Gameday. In what was perhaps the most impactful game of the program, the nation watched as Tigers fans stuffed Beale Street to its capacity, plus some. In what was a very long day, the Tigers kicked off on ABC for a national spotlight moment.
In what was the loudest we may have ever heard Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis outlasted the Mustangs 54-48. The impact of this game is felt yearly as clips are shown on Gameday in their opening. The hosts of the show commented that Memphis was one of their favorite atmospheres in the history of the show.
10. Give Me Liberty
Memphis has competed in its home stadium bowl game, the Liberty Bowl, twice in its history. The first, in 2017, came against the Iowa State Cyclones, which ended in a 21-20 loss to Memphis. The second took place in the 2023 season, again versus the Cyclones. In what was the 10th win of the season for Memphis, a 36-26 win gave the Tigers their highest profile win in bowl games played.
We have the thought process that this is the best win of any in the Memphis Bowl history. The impact of this game is felt to this day as current and future players speak of this moment for the city, university, and program.
Can Memphis make more impactful moments in 2025? The Tigers are coming off the first-ever back-to-back 10-win seasons in program history. In addition, the roster is stacked with talent, scratching and clawing to make Memphis impactful nationally.
