Seth Henigan helps Memphis rout Utah State 38-10 in Dallas

Associated PressDec 27, 2022, 10:53 PM EST

Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS – The First Responder Bowl provided both a homecoming and redemption for Memphis sophomore quarterback Seth Henigan

Henigan threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns – two of them to Eddie Lewis – and Jeyvon Ducker ran for two scores to help Memphis rout Utah State 38-10 on Tuesday.

The Tigers’ regular-season finale was a 34-31 loss to SMU in the same stadium, when Henigan – from about 70 miles north of Dallas in Denton – threw an interception into the end zone on the final play.

“Seth’s going back home; is he going to have flashbacks?” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. “To see him come out and do what he did statistically today and lead our team to victory was huge.”

“I put the past in the past,” said Henigan, who was 20 for 29. “I was focused on that opponent, Utah State.”

Henigan’s touchdown passes were all thrown in the second quarter, when Memphis (7-6) outscored Utah State (6-7) 21-3. The Tigers outgained the Aggies in the period 179 yards to 39 and 137-16 in the air.

“We could not cover well. Explosive throws (by Henigan). We could not get anything going offensively at all,” Utah State coach Blake Anderson said. “It just was anemic, especially in the second quarter.”

Ducker had a 1-yard plunge and a 48-yard sprint for scores, both in the fourth quarter.

Lewis caught scoring passes of 15 and 22 yards, and Caden Prieskorn caught a 3-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds remaining in the half for Memphis. Chris Howard added a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter for the Tigers.

Bishop Davenport threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Brian Cobbs in the fourth quarter for the Aggies in relief of quarterback Cooper Legas, who left early in the third quarter with what Anderson said was an injury to either his right ankle or ACL.

Connor Coles kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal for Utah State.

The Aggies gained 261 yards, 89 in the first half, after averaging 362.3 during the season.

“They were just a better team today,” said running back Calvin Tyler Jr., who rushed for 89 yards to finish his two-year Utah State career with 2,006 yards after joining the program from Oregon State. “We knew we had to do everything right to win this game. Unfortunately, things happened, didn’t go our way.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Utah State: The Aggies rallied from a 1-4 start to play in their 10th bowl game in the last 12 seasons after participating in only six in the program’s first 119 seasons.

Memphis: The bowl victory allowed the Tigers to finish with a winning record for the eighth time in the last nine years.

MATHEMATICAL STUMPER

Memphis qualified for its ninth consecutive bowl, the longest streak among Group of Five programs, and is 3-5 during that run. What?

The 2021 Tigers were invited to play in the Hawaii Bowl, but the game was canceled less than 24 hours before kickoff because their opponent, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, were sidelined by COVID-19 issues.

Memphis to spend up to $200 million renovating Liberty Bowl

Associated PressMay 13, 2022, 12:34 AM EDT

Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The city of Memphis and the University of Memphis will be spending at least $150 million to renovate and renovate the home of the annual Liberty Bowl before the 2025 season.

The renovation announced Thursday could reach $200 million for the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

Memphis studied options of renovating the current stadium or building a new one. The renovation project also could help make Memphis more attractive to a Power Five conference looking to expand.

“It will optimize our position in the rapidly evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics in a more manageable and efficient timeframe,” Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch said. “This is the most strategically achievable option for us to pursue and make a game-changing impact at a critical time for our program.”

The project plans to change the west side with new premium seating options, a hospitality halo space around the stadium, adding family boxes in the north end zone area and party deck patios for students in the south end.

Hawaii Bowl canceled on eve of game after Hawaii pulls out

Associated PressDec 25, 2021, 11:00 AM EST

Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday after Hawaii withdrew from its game against Memphis on the eve of the contest because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers.

“We are disappointed our season has to end this way,” Hawaii coach Todd Graham said in a statement. “As competitive as we are and as much as we want to play the game, we cannot put the health and safety of our student-athletes at risk.”

The game was scheduled for Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

Hawaii athletic department spokesperson Derek Inouchi said about 30 players and staff recently tested positive for COVID-19. Cases have been surging in Honolulu for the past two weeks. Oahu’s seven-day average of new cases was 11 times higher on Thursday compared to Dec. 8

“The health and safety of our student-athletes is the most important part of this decision,” Hawaii athletic director David Matlin said in a statement. “The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has forced us to not participate in the game. We are disappointed for our players, coaches, and fans. ESPN and the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl staff did everything they could for us and we appreciate their valiant effort throughout the week. We want to thank the Memphis Tigers for making the long trip to Hawaii. We are disappointed we can’t compete on the football field.”

The Hawaii Bowl is one of several postseason games ESPN owns and operates.

“While we are disappointed that the bowl will not be played despite considerable efforts from our many stakeholders, sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this game a reality, we thank the University of Memphis and its fans for making the long trip, and we hope they were able to enjoy the unique experience that this event offers in the Aloha state,” ESPN said in a statement.

Hawaii finished the season 6-7, getting into the bowl because there were no available 6-6 teams. Memphis finished 6-6.

“We are very disappointed to hear that Hawaii will be unable to participate,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said in a statement. “We hope that Hawaii players and staff get healthy soon. I’m upset for our seniors and the rest of the team that battled this season to earn this opportunity. We’ve had terrific time here in Hawaii as a program and we are sad our trip ended this way.”