In what was the first road game of the season, Memphis traveled to Atlanta and won 38-16 over Georgia State on Saturday night. The win puts head coach Ryan Silverfield into third all-time in wins at Memphis. In total, Silverfield has now won 44 games as head coach of the Tigers. While many have just learned this, we will now inform you of five additional things we learned in the Memphis win.
5 Things We Learned
Lewis Is The Right Choice
The first thing we learned was that Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis is the right choice for the starter. Many fans scoffed at the idea that the touted true freshman, AJ Hill Jr, was not named the starter. The win on Saturday proved to us at 4 Star Sports that Silverfield and staff were accurate. Not that we have the credentials to question the D1 coaches, but many fans initially may have questioned the decision.
Any road game, especially the first, is a challenge. What is a normal routine is now changed and can be a distraction. In the end, the experience of Lewis anchored Memphis in the victory. To further this, Lewis finished the game 16/20 for 196 yards through the air. He coupled this with 68 yards on nine rushing attempts. The Tigers earned the win despite not throwing a touchdown pass. This is the first time this has happened since the MTSU win, 24-7, on September 28, 2024.
Backfield Is Hungry
The second thing we learned is that the backfield for Memphis is hungry. This position room was littered with injuries last season and has made up for this through two games. In fact, the Tigers have had back-to-back games with four or more rushing touchdowns in a game. This is the first time since the 2018 season that this has happened. In that season, Memphis rushed for six touchdowns against Houston and four against UCF.
In the backfield for Memphis were two hometown players. Makari Bodiford, from Marietta, Georgia, who rushed for two touchdowns, recorded his first multi-touchdown game in his collegiate career in the win. In addition to Bodiford was Sutton Smith, the leading rusher on the day. In the end, Smith amassed 74 yards on the ground for one touchdown. In total, Smith compiled 171 all-purpose yards as he caught 4 passes on 4 targets for 43 yards, along with 54 yards in punt returns. Thus far through two games, Smith has two rushing touchdowns, which match his career highs in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Multiple QBs are always A Challenge
We at 4 Star Sports are on the weekly coaches media call for the Sun Belt. On the weekly call, on Mondays, we spoke with the Panther head coach. Dell McGee on the upcoming game. In addition, we learned on the morning of the call that TJ Finley was cleared of his legal issues at previous stops along his journey and could play for Georgia State. With the revelation, we projected that Finley would start, and this would come to fruition.
With this, the Panthers employ a plethora of options at this position. In addition to Finley, we saw Cameron Brown, who was also efficient in his play. Both were prepared for by Memphis, as Silverfield confirmed on the pregame radio interview. Finley finished the game 21/29 for 201 yards, along with Brown, who went 8/12 for 139 and one touchdown. Finley also threw an interception in the loss for the Panthers. With seconds left, Memphis defensive back DeMarco Ward intercepted a pass and returned it for a pick-six. This is the second of these on the season for Ward and is the 39th takeaway for Memphis in its last 22 games dating back to the 2023 season.
Defense Still Makes Plays
Despite some grumbles of how the defense was carved up by the passing duo, let’s not forget who calls plays for the Panthers. That coach is Hue Jackson, the former Cleveland Browns head coach. Despite his tenure of success, the Memphis defense performed well on the road. For the second consecutive game, Memphis has recorded 10 tackles for loss. Leading the way for Memphis was Jalen Bell, who had 1.5 TFL. This is the first time the team has recorded 10+ in consecutive games since the 2018 season.
Defensive Coordinator Jordan Hankins dialed up exotic pressures in the win. The Tigers allowed just under 400 yards (389) despite just 49 coming on the ground. The secondary will need to clean up the issues from this week, as another road trip is on the horizon.
Road Warriors…So Far
With the road win, Memphis is now 12-14 under Silverfied away from Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. In what has been a gripe of some, Memphis has won more consistently over the last two seasons. With the win, Memphis has now defeated Sun Belt competition in 12 consecutive games. Whether at home or on the road, consistent play is key.
In addition to consistent play, to win on the road, you must have strong special teams play. Memphis has this box checked, as we saw history on Saturday night in Georgia. As the first half was expiring. Memphis drove the field to set up a 55-yard field goal. This is when Gianni Spetic nailed the kick to give the Tigers the lead, 17-16, which they never relinquished. The kick was the longest field goal made by a Tiger since Joe Doyle hit a 51-yarder at Mississippi State in 2021. The kick from Spetic is the third-longest in Memphis program history. Plays such as this will fuel Memphis on the road this season.
What Is Next?
The suitcase will be packed again as Memphis hits the road to Troy, Alabama, to battle the Trojans. The game, set for an 11 am kickoff on ESPN+, will be against another Sun Belt opponent and is the back end of the home-and-home from last season. Historically, this is a stadium that has not been easy to win in. We at 4 Star Sports will have much more on this game as the week goes on. Stay tuned to our website and social media pages for more.
