2021 Memphis Tigers football | |
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Hawaii Bowl, canceled vs. Hawaii | |
Conference | American Athletic Conference |
Record | 6–6 (3–5 American) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Kevin Johns (3rd season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | Mike MacIntyre (2nd season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
Seasons← 20202022 → |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Cincinnati y$^ | 8 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Houston y | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UCF | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Carolina | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulsa | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SMU | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memphis | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Navy | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulane | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Florida | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Temple | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2021 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, and competed in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Ryan Silverfield.
The Tigers finished the regular season with a 6–6 record and were due to face the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the Hawaii Bowl. However, due to a COVID-19 outbreak, season-ending injuries, and transfers, the Rainbow Warriors were forced to withdraw the day before the game, leaving the Tigers without a bowl game.
Preseason
American Athletic Conference preseason media poll
The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021. Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.
Media poll | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Cincinnati | 262 (22) |
2 | UCF | 241 (2) |
3 | SMU | 188 |
4 | Houston | 181 |
5 | Memphis | 168 |
6 | Tulsa | 153 |
7 | Tulane | 132 |
т-8 | East Carolina | 85 |
т-8 | Navy | 85 |
10 | Temple | 46 |
11 | South Florida | 43 |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 4 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 22 (FCS) Nicholls* | ESPN+ | W 42–17 | 30,263 | |
September 11 | 6:00 p.m. | at Arkansas State* | ESPN+ | W 55–50 | 19,501 | |
September 18 | 3:00 p.m. | Mississippi State* |
| ESPN2 | W 31–29 | 43,461 |
September 25 | 2:30 p.m. | UTSA* |
| ESPNU | L 28–31 | 29,264 |
October 2 | 11:00 a.m. | at Temple | ESPNU | L 31–34 | 28,573 | |
October 9 | 8:00 p.m. | at Tulsa | ESPN2 | L 29–35 | 17,593 | |
October 14 | 6:30 p.m. | Navy |
| ESPN | W 35–17 | 30,042 |
October 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at UCF | ESPN2 | L 7–24 | 39,328 | |
November 6 | 11:00 a.m. | SMU |
| ESPNU | W 28–25 | 30,191 |
November 13 | 11:00 a.m. | East Carolina |
| ESPN+ | L 29–30 | 28,431 |
November 19 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 24 Houston | ESPN2 | L 13–31 | 28,712 | |
November 27 | 6:30 p.m. | Tulane |
| ESPNU | W 33–28 | 27,416 |
at | Canceled | _ | ||||
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- Hawaii was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 and other related issues within the team. The game was canceled shortly after.
Game summaries
Nicholls
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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MEM –22.5 | 68 |
Statistics | Nicholls | Memphis |
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First downs | 17 | 32 |
Total yards | 299 | 587 |
Rushing yards | 100 | 322 |
Passing yards | 199 | 265 |
Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
Time of possession | 28:45 | 31:15 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Nicholls | Passing | Lindsey Scott Jr. | 17/30, 194 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Julien Gums | 13 carries, 48 yards | |
Receiving | Dai'Jean Dixon | 7 receptions, 107 yards | |
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 19/32, 265 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Brandon Thomas | 16 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Javon Ivory | 5 receptions, 106 yards |
At Arkansas State
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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MEM –5.5 | 65 |
Statistics | Memphis | Arkansas State |
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First downs | 24 | 35 |
Total yards | 680 | 680 |
Rushing yards | 263 | 98 |
Passing yards | 417 | 582 |
Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
Time of possession | 24:04 | 35:56 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 22/33, 417 yards, 5 TDs |
Rushing | Brandon Thomas | 18 carries, 191 yards, 2 TDs | |
Receiving | Calvin Austin | 6 receptions, 239 yards, 3 TDs | |
Arkansas State | Passing | James Blackman | 19/28, 306 yards, 4 TDs |
Rushing | Lincoln Pare | 6 carries, 36 yards | |
Receiving | Jeff Foreman | 8 receptions, 198 yards, 1 TD |
Mississippi State
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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MSST –3.0 | 64 |
Statistics | Mississippi State | Memphis |
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First downs | 26 | 12 |
Total yards | 468 | 246 |
Rushing yards | 49 | 87 |
Passing yards | 419 | 159 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Time of possession | 37:30 | 32:13 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Mississippi State | Passing | Will Rogers | 50/67, 419 yards, 3 TDs |
Rushing | Dillon Johnson | 7 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Makai Polk | 11 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD | |
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 16/28, 159 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
Rushing | Brandon Thomas | 16 carries, 83 yards | |
Receiving | Calvin Austin | 9 receptions, 105 yards, 2 TDs |
UTSA
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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MEM –3.0 | 67 |
Statistics | UTSA | Memphis |
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First downs | 25 | 16 |
Total yards | 399 | 407 |
Rushing yards | 205 | 78 |
Passing yards | 194 | 329 |
Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
Time of possession | 35:42 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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UTSA | Passing | Frank Harris | 18/28, 186 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Sincere McCormick | 42 carries, 184 yards, 3 TD | |
Receiving | Joshua Cephus | 6 receptions, 82 yards | |
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 15/25, 329 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Brandon Thomas | 20 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Sean Dykes | 6 receptions, 167 yards |
At Temple
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Memphis | Temple |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Memphis | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Temple | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
At Tulsa
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Memphis | Tulsa |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Memphis | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Tulsa | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Navy
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Pregame line | Over/Under |
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MEMPHIS –11.0 | 56 |
Statistics | Navy | Memphis |
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First downs | 17 | 15 |
Total yards | 241 | 415 |
Rushing yards | 198 | 200 |
Passing yards | 43 | 215 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Time of possession | 39:19 | 20:41 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 3/4, 27 yards, TD |
Rushing | Isaac Ruoss | 18 carries, 75 yards | |
Receiving | Mychal Copper | 1 reception, 21 yards, TD | |
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 8/12, 215 yards, 2 TD, INT |
Rushing | Calvin Austin III | 1 carry, 69 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Eddie Lewis | 3 receptions, 92 yards, TD |
At UCF
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Memphis | UCF |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Memphis | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
UCF | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
SMU
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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SMU –3.5 | 72 |
Statistics | SMU | Memphis |
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First downs | 16 | 25 |
Total yards | 323 | 468 |
Rushing yards | 61 | 36 |
Passing yards | 262 | 432 |
Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
Time of possession | 23:05 | 36:55 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
SMU | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 19/28, 262 yards, 2 TD, INT |
Rushing | Tre Siggers | 12 rushes, 53 yards | |
Receiving | Danny Gray | 4 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD | |
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 34/53, 392 yards, 2 TD, INT |
Rushing | Marquavius Weaver | 10 rushes, 17 yards | |
Receiving | Calvin Austin | 8 receptions, 88 yards |
East Carolina
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | East Carolina | Memphis |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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East Carolina | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Memphis | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
At No. 24 Houston
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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HOU –9.5 | 59 |
Statistics | Memphis | Houston |
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First downs | 24 | 25 |
Total yards | 322 | 461 |
Rushing yards | 106 | 197 |
Passing yards | 216 | 264 |
Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
Time of possession | 25:34 | 34:26 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 21/45, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
Rushing | Rodrigues Clark | 12 rushes, 32 yards | |
Receiving | Calvin Austin | 5 receptions, 103 yards | |
Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 20/34, 264 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
Rushing | Ta'Zhawn Henry | 13 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Tank Dell | 7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD |
Tulane
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Tulane | Memphis |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Tulane | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Memphis | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Rankings
Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankingsWeek | ||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
AP | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Coaches | — | — | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
CFP | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
References
- "Hawaii has pulled out of the Hawaii Bowl game against Memphis because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers". ABC News. AP. December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- "Cincinnati Chosen as Favorite in American Preseason Media Poll". theAmerican.org. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- Adelson, Andrea (December 23, 2021). "Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors out of Hawai'i Bowl due to COVID-19 issues". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- "2021 Memphis Tigers Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.