By Uncle Tom George

MEMPHIS GAME NOTES

https://gotigersgo.com/documents/2023/12/21/Memphis_Liberty_Bowl_Guide.pdf

IOWA STATE GAME NOTES

https://gotigersgo.com/documents/2023/12/21/Gm13_Memphis_12-29-23.pdf

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis football team will face Iowa State in the 65th AutoZone Liberty Bowl at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn. on Friday, Dec. 29. The game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Tickets for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl are on sale now through the Memphis Ticket Office online at www.GoTigersGoTix.com or via phone at (901) 678-2331.

SETTING THE SCENE
• The Tigers are one of nine teams in the FBS with nine or more consecutive bowl-game appearances along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Iowa.
• Memphis has posted 87 victories since 2014, the 16th-most in the nation during that stretch.
• The 87 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that span.
• The Tigers have scored 20 or more points in 26-consecutive games – the longest active streak in the nation – dating back to a 33-28 win over Tulane on Nov. 27, 2021.
• Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 24 of their last 30 games, piling up 54 takeaways over that span.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• The Cyclones posted a record of 7-5 on the season overall and a mark of 6-3 in Big 12 play in 2023.
• Among the teams’ wins in 2023 were Oklahoma State (34-27) and then-ranked No. 19 Kansas State (42-35) in the last game of the regular season.
• As a team, Iowa State ranks fifth in the NCAA in passes intercepted (16), ninth in red zone offense (.935), ninth in sacks allowed (1.00), 10th in team passing efficiency defense (113.41), 11th in fumbles lost (3), 12th in turnovers lost (11), 14th in red zone defense (.757), 14th in fourth-down conversion percentage (.677), 16th in kickoff returns (24.21) and 17th in turnover margin (.670).
• Quarterback Rocco Becht was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year to highlight the Big 12 Conference postseason awards for the Cyclones.
• Senior cornerback T.J. Tampa and sophomore safety Jeremiah Cooper earned All-Big 12 First-Team honors, while junior wide receiver Jaylin Noel and junior tight end/fullback Stevo Klotz earned second-team accolades. Twelve other Cyclones earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades.

INSIDE THE SERIES
• The game will mark the second time the two programs have met and will be a rematch of the 2017 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, when Iowa State edged the Tigers, 21-20.
• Quarterback Riley Ferguson and defensive lineman Genard Avery were named Memphis’ Most Outstanding Offensive and Defensive Players, respectively.
• Ferguson was 21-of-33 passing for 286 yards and two scores. Avery had five total tackles (four solo), two sacks (19 yards) and 2.5 TFL (28 yards).

ONE OF THE ELITE PROGRAMS IN THE NATION
• Memphis has posted 87 victories since 2014, the 16th-most in the nation during that stretch.
• The 87 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that span.
• The Tigers are also 20th in the country in winning percentage dating back to 2014 with their 87-41 (.680) mark.
• Memphis’ streak of 10-straight seasons with a record of .500 or better is tied for the third-longest streak among Group of 5 and independent schools and is the longest such streak in the AAC.

MEMPHIS LEADS NATION IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 20 OR MORE POINTS
• The Tigers have scored 20 or more points in 26-consecutive games – the longest active streak in the nation – dating back to a 33-28 win over Tulane on Nov. 27, 2021.
• Memphis has scored 968 points over that stretch for an average of 37.2 points.
• The next longest active streak belongs to North Texas (24), followed by Georgia (17), LSU (16) and Michigan (16).
• Over the last six games, Memphis has scored 272 points – the most over a six-game stretch since the Tigers scored 330 (55 PPG) in a six-game span in 2017 (vs. Houston, Tulane, Tulsa, SMU, ECU, UCF).

FORCING TURNOVERS
• Dating back to the 2021 season, Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 24 of the last 30 games.
• Over that stretch, the Tigers have totaled 35 interceptions and 19 fumbles.
• Memphis has forced multiple turnovers in 16 of those 30 contests.

BOWL STREAK
• With the team’s berth to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Memphis has appeared in a bowl game in 10-straight seasons.
• Memphis is one of nine teams in the FBS with nine or more consecutive bowl-game appearances along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Iowa.
• In 2022, the Tigers defeated Utah State, 38-10, in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, improving the program’s record to 7-8 in bowl games.
• The 2021 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl was canceled due to COVID issues in the Hawai’i program last year and Memphis was named champions.

TIGERS’ 2023 SEASON RANKS AMONG BEST ALL-TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• The 2023 season has been a historic one for Memphis.
• This year’s team is just the 10th in program history to win nine or more games in a season and just the fourth in school history to win five road games in a year.
• With a win over Iowa State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, this season’s Tigers would be just the fifth in school history to win 10 or more games in a year (2019, 2017, 2014, 1938).

MEMPHIS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
• Entering the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the Tigers rank in the top-25 nationally in 14 statistical categories.
• As a team, the Tigers are ranked 12th in the NCAA in fewest penalties (53), 13th in fewest penalties per game (4.42) and 21st in winning percentage (.750).
• Offensively, the team is ranked seventh in scoring offense (39.7), 13th in passing offense (301.7), 19th in total offense (452.5), 19th in completion percentage (.664), 23rd in fourth down conversion percentage (.652), 25th in red zone offense (.898) and 25th in third down conversion percentage (.449).
• Defensively, Memphis is ranked fourth in the nation in fourth down conversion percentage defense (.300), 13th in defensive touchdowns (3), 17th in third down conversion percentage defense (.316) and 19th in fumbles recovered (9).

DO-IT-ALL WATSON
• Running back Blake Watson has done it all for Memphis this season, ranking 18th in the nation and third in the AAC in all-purpose yards at 125.67 per game.
• The Old Dominion transfer also ranks eighth in the NCAA in total touchdowns (17), 13th in rushing touchdowns (14), 24th in scoring (8.5) and 27th in total points scored (102).
• His 50 receptions are second-most in the country among running backs.
• Watson ranks third on the team in receptions (50) and receiving yards (463).

MARTIN MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT
• Chandler Martin has made an immediate impact after transferring from East Tennessee State.
• Martin leads Memphis with 87 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

NCAA STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• Defensive back Simeon Blair ranks 17th in the NCAA and fourth in the AAC in fumbles recovered (2).
• Running back Sutton Smith ranks 18th in the FBS and second in the conference in kickoff returns (24.7).
• Wide receiver Roc Taylor ranks 25th in the nation in receiving yards per game (81.8) and 26th in receiving yards (981).

HENIGAN AT IT AGAIN
• For the third-consecutive season, Seth Henigan ranks nationally amongst the best quarterbacks in the country.
• Henigan is ranked eighth in the NCAA in completions per game (24.5), ninth in total offense (313.8), 10th in passing touchdowns (28), 10th in passing yards per game (293.2), 11th in passing yards (3,519), 16th in points responsible for (196), 16th in points responsible for per game (16.3) and 19th in completion percentage (.665).
• Entering the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Henigan holds the program record in career completions (814) and ranks second in both passing yards (10,409) and attempts (1,280). His 75 passing touchdowns are third-best all-time.
• Henigan is 321 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns and 189 attempts shy of the school records in those categories.
• His 17 300-yard passing games and five 400-yard passing games are the most in program history.
• Henigan has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 36 games of his career.
• The junior is the youngest third year starting quarterback (20 years old) in the FBS this season.

NINE TIGERS EARN ALL-AAC HONORS
• Nine members of the University of Memphis football team earned All-AAC accolades. The nine honorees are the most for the program since 2019.
• Headlining the group were running back Blake Watson and linebacker Chandler Martin, who each earned First Team All-AAC accolades.
• Quarterback Seth Henigan, wide receiver Roc Taylor, offensive lineman Xavier Hill and defensive lineman Jaylon Allen were each named to the All-AAC Second Team, while center Jacob Likes and safety Simeon Blair received Third Team All-AAC nods. Additionally, linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku earned Honorable Mention All-AAC recognition.

MEMPHIS LANDS 34-MEMBER EARLY SIGNING DAY CLASS
• The class includes 14 high school seniors as well as 20 transfers. The group includes 16 offensive players, 15 defensive players, two specialists and one athlete.
• The transfer class is ranked No. 13 in the nation by Rivals.
• Among the signees are nine offensive linemen, five linebackers, five defensive linemen, five defensive backs, four wide receivers, two running backs, one quarterback, one kicker, one punter and one athlete.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Football, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

COURTESY MEMPHIS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS