In week ten of the college football season, we saw a battle of American Conference foes in a freaky Friday night contest. The game between the Memphis Tigers and Rice Owls, played on Halloween night in Houston, Texas, ended in a 38-14 win for the visiting Tigers. In what was a convincing win for Memphis, we saw the starting quarterback for Memphis, Brendon Lewis, exit the game with an injury. This occurred after a second down play rush for seven yards and a first down, then he limped off the field.
While we understand why fans may question why Lewis was in the game late, as Memphis led 38-14, this is something we have seen and discussed, as coming. Others seem to look at this as a reason to push their own uneducated narratives. Moreover, some are even using this to fuel their own dislike for Ryan Silverfield.
We Knew
When we say, “We Knew,” we are not referring to the injury. We are referring more to the change in style and play at the position. No longer are fans watching Seth Henigan, who was more of a pass-first, run-second player. With Lewis at under center, Memphis now has a true duel threat at the position who not only enjoys this style but also embraces it during games.
Lewis has taken this offense, led by Tim Cramsey, to new levels with the threat of his legs. Cramsey, a former longsnapper and quarterback at New Hampshire, has a history of prolific offensive units and all include a potent rushing attack. At the head of this for Memphis is Lewis, as he makes coordinators and head coaches across the nation think, “I must have missed him”, as he is making a name for himself as a Tiger.
No Injury, No Uproar
Let us not have amnesia to the fact that Lewis has gone down in games and left some this season. In the lone loss of the season, to UAB, we saw Lewis go down and exit the game. In this situation, we saw AJ Hill take the field in his place. In the most recent occurrence versus Rice, we saw Arrington Maiden trot onto the field in relief of Lewis. This may have come as a surprise to some, as Hill was given the nod against the Blazers.
Fans may remember earlier this season when Maiden entered the game against Arkansas after the helmet of Lewis came off. What happened next may be remembered as a defining moment in the season, as Maiden carried 387-pound Ian Gaffard, from Arkansas, over the first down line on a third and eight situation. In the game versus Rice, we saw his first pass attempt, which was unsuccessful.
Just An Excuse For Some
To some, this is the perfect scenario. These miseries get to watch as Ryan Silverfield had to put another player in the game for Lewis. Moreover, this was the chance to pounce on him, in an attempt to question his coaching acumen. Yes, some people have such a dislike that they are using an injury to further the narrative. While this is not the majority, the fact that this is even happening is preposterous.
The same man, in Silverfield, who just defeated USF to get Memphis back as the number one contender for the College Football Playoff. In fact, the same man is only two wins away from leading Memphis to an unprecedented three consecutive seasons of 10+ wins. Yes, the same man who gets emotional with wins because he understands what being a Memphian is all about. After all, he is the same man who has never lost a bowl game in a season he was the coach for its entirety, which includes two consecutive versus “P4” opponents.
In closing, this article is just a recap of what we have been reporting to you since the announcement of Lewis as a Tiger. We saw this change coming. With this chance comes chance, and the Tigers have taken it. Now, maybe the fans will take a chance and trust the process of a proven winning program. As of the writing of this article, Lewis was listed, per Silverfield, as day-to-day, as Memphis prepares for Tulane. These two American rivals will meet in Memphis on Friday, November 7th, with an 8 pm scheduled kickoff from Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
