2021 Memphis Tigers football team

2021 Memphis Tigers football
Hawaii Bowl, canceled vs. Hawaii
Conference	American Athletic Conference
Record	6–6 (3–5 American)
Head coach	Ryan Silverfield (2nd season)
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 ←  2020 2022  →

2021 American Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
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
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

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. ^[1]

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. ^[2] 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)
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
September 4	6:00 p.m.	No. 22 (FCS) Nicholls *	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN+	W 42–17	30,263
September 11	6:00 p.m.	at Arkansas State *	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR (Paint Bucket Bowl)	ESPN+	W 55–50	19,501
September 18	3:00 p.m.	Mississippi State *	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN2	W 31–29	43,461
September 25	2:30 p.m.	UTSA *	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPNU	L 28–31	29,264
October 2	11:00 a.m.	at Temple	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPNU	L 31–34	28,573
October 9	8:00 p.m.	at Tulsa	H.A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK	ESPN2	L 29–35	17,593
October 14	6:30 p.m.	Navy	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN	W 35–17	30,042
October 22	6:00 p.m.	at UCF	Bounce House Orlando, FL	ESPN2	L 7–24	39,328
November 6	11:00 a.m.	SMU	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPNU	W 28–25	30,191
November 13	11:00 a.m.	East Carolina	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN+	L 29–30 OT	28,431
November 19	8:00 p.m.	at No. 24 Houston	TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN2	L 13–31	28,712
November 27	6:30 p.m.	Tulane	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPNU	W 33–28	27,416
December 24	8:00 p.m.	at Hawaii *	Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex Honolulu, HI ( Hawaii Bowl )	ESPN	Canceled A	_
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to game All times are in Central time

• ^ Hawaii was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 and other related issues within the team. The game was canceled shortly after. ^[3]

^[4]

Game summaries

Nicholls

Nicholls at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total No. 22 (FCS) Colonels 7 0 7 3 17 •Tigers 10 19 6 7 42 Date: September 4, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 6:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 13 minutes Game attendance: 30,263 Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 9 MPH Referee: Edwin Lee TV announcers (ESPN+): Richard Cross (play–by–play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 09:13 NICH K.J. Franklin 10-yard pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (11 plays, 75 yards, 5:47) NICH 7–0 06:11 MEM Joe Doyle 26-yard field goal (10 plays, 57 yards, 2:56) NICH 7–3 01:38 MEM Rodrigues Clark 13-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (12 plays, 72 yards, 3:45) MEM 7–10 2 12:29 MEM Brandon Thomas 10-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (5 plays, 69 yards, 1:32) MEM 7–17 07:19 MEM Joe Doyle 33-yard field goal (10 plays, 60 yards, 3:27) MEM 7–20 02:15 MEM Marquavius Weaver 1-yard rush (two-point conversion rush attempt failed) (8 plays, 78 yards, 2:17) MEM 7–26 00:13 MEM Joe Doyle 24-yard field goal (11 plays, 54 yards, 1:31) MEM 7–29 3 11:46 MEM Joe Doyle 38-yard field goal (8 plays, 54 yards, 3:11) MEM 7–32 06:54 NICH Lindsey Scott Jr. 5-yard rush (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:47) MEM 14–32 03:41 MEM Joe Doyle 25-yard field goal (8 plays, 61 yards, 3:05) MEM 14–35 4 12:53 MEM Calvin Austin III 11-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:20) MEM 14–42 09:20 NICH Gavin Lasseigne 35-yard field goal (9 plays, 56 yards, 3:33) MEM 17–42

See also: 2021 Nicholls Colonels football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM –22.5	68

Statistics	Nicholls	Memphis
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

Memphis at Arkansas State

1 2 3 4 Total •Tigers 20 14 7 14 55 Red Wolves 10 13 7 20 50 Date: September 11, 2021 Location: Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR Game start: 6:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 47 minutes Game attendance: 19,501 Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 10 MPH Referee: Luke Richmond TV announcers (ESPN+): Brad Bobo (play–by–play), Pete Cordelli (analyst), and Cori Keller (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 13:20 MEM Calvin Austin III 55-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:40) MEM 7–0 06:11 MEM Sean Dykes 17-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle PAT failed) (12 plays, 92 yards, 3:10) MEM 13–0 04:30 ARST Te'Vailance Hunt 53-yard pass from Layne Hatcher (Blake Grupe kick) (4 plays, 68 yards, 1:34) MEM 13–7 04:05 MEM Brandon Thomas 70-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:25) MEM 20–7 02:02 ARST Blake Grupe 48-yard field goal (4 plays, 1 yard, 1:19) MEM 20–10 2 07:48 ARST Blake Grupe 37-yard field goal (6 plays, 17 yards, 3:03) MEM 20–13 05:09 MEM Sean Dykes 40-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (1 play, 45 yards, 0:14) MEM 27–13 01:30 ARST Layne Hatcher 12-yard rush (Blake Grupe kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:39) MEM 27–20 01:20 MEM Brandon Thomas 75-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (1 play, 75 yards, 0:06) MEM 34–20 00:00 ARST Blake Grupe 34-yard field goal (10 plays, 60 yards, 1:15) MEM 34–23 3 08:43 MEM Calvin Austin III 50-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (4 plays, 63 yards, 1:19) MEM 41–23 01:09 ARST Corey Rucker 23-yard pass from James Blackman (Blake Grupe kick) (4 plays, 79 yards, 1:23) MEM 41–30 4 11:47 MEM Marquavius Weaver 4-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (11 plays, 72 yards, 4:13) MEM 48–30 10:54 ARST Jeff Foreman 89-yard pass from James Blackman (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (2 plays, 91 yards, 0:47) MEM 48–36 10:39 MEM Calvin Austin III 75-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:15) MEM 55–36 05:01 ARST Adam Jones 1-yard pass from James Blackman (Blake Grupe kick) (15 plays, 73 yards, 5:47) MEM 55–43 01:52 ARST Akeem Hayes 5-yard pass James Blackman (Blake Grupe kick) (10 plays, 87 yards, 1:56) MEM 55–50

See also: 2021 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team and Paint Bucket Bowl

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM –5.5	65

Statistics	Memphis	Arkansas State
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

Mississippi State at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total Bulldogs 3 14 0 12 29 •Tigers 7 0 7 17 31 Date: September 18, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 1:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 36 minutes Game attendance: 43,461 Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: NE 7 MPH Referee: Marc Curles TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play–by–play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), and Dawn Davenport (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 12:02 MEM Sanchez Blake Jr. 49-yard fumble returned (Joe Doyle kick) (5 plays, 21 yards, 2:58) MEM 7–0 03:20 MSST Nolan McCord 39-yard field goal (17 plays, 54 yards, 8:42) MEM 7–3 2 09:58 MSST Dillon Johnson 3-yard rush (Nolan McCord kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28) MSST 10–7 05:07 MSST Jaden Walley 6-yard pass from Will Rogers (Nolan McCord kick) (9 plays, 81 yards, 3:41) MSST 17–7 3 06:20 MEM Calvin Austin III 21-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (12 plays, 98 yards, 4:59) MSST 17–14 4 07:48 MEM Calvin Austin III 25-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (4 plays, 36 yards, 1:18) MEM 21–17 05:36 MEM Calvin Austin III 94-yard punt return (Joe Doyle kick) (5 plays, 22 yards, 2:12) MEM 28–17 03:03 MSST Malik Heath 9-yard pass from Will Rogers (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (6 plays, 57 yards, 2:33) MEM 28–23 02:02 MEM Joe Doyle 51-yard field goal (4 plays, 4 yards, 1:01) MEM 31–23 01:32 MSST Makai Polk 36-yard pass from Will Rogers (2 plays, 65 yards, 0:30) MEM 31–29

See also: 2021 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MSST –3.0	64

Statistics	Mississippi State	Memphis
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
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

UTSA at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total •Roadrunners 0 7 7 17 31 RV Tigers 21 0 7 0 28 Date: September 25, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 2:35 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 23 minutes Game attendance: 29,264 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 6 MPH Referee: Joe Lehring TV announcers (ESPNU): John Schriffen (play–by–play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 13:24 MEM Wardalis Ducksworth 0-yard fumble returned (Joe Doyle kick) (1 play, -28 yards, 0:22) MEM 7–0 09:23 MEM Rodriguez Clark 7-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (8 plays, 62 yards, 3:20) MEM 14–0 06:22 MEM Calvin Austin III 60-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (5 plays, 81 yards, 1:32) MEM 21–0 2 09:54 UTSA Sincere McCormick 12-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (12 plays, 87 yards, 4:56) MEM 21–7 3 05:25 UTSA Sincere McCormick 8-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (11 plays, 66 yards, 3:19) MEM 21–14 02:44 MEM Brandon Thomas 1-yard rush (Joe Doyle kick) (7 plays, 73 yards, 2:36) MEM 28–14 4 13:35 UTSA Zakhari Franklin 7-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:09) MEM 28–21 10:30 UTSA Sincere McCormick 1-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (4 plays, 7 yards, 1:32) TIE 28–28 00:00 UTSA Hunter Duplessis 42-yard field goal (9 plays, 47 yards, 2:46) UTSA 31–28

See also: 2021 UTSA Roadrunners football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM –3.0	67 [5]

Statistics	UTSA	Memphis
First downs	25	16
Total yards	399	407
Rushing yards	205	78
Passing yards	194	329
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	35:42	24:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
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

Memphis at Temple

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 3 14 6 8 31 •Owls 0 17 7 10 34 Date: October 2, 2021 Location: Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA Game start: 11:00 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 23 minutes Game attendance: 28,573 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 12 MPH Referee: Hank Johns TV announcers (ESPNU): Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 5:21 MEM Joe Doyle 26-yard field goal (17 plays, 84 yards, 5:09) MEM 3–0 2 14:54 MEM Rodrigues Clark 6-yard run (Joe Doyle kick) (7 plays, 72 yards, 1:35) MEM 10–0 12:38 MEM Javon Ivory 35-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (1 play, 35 yards, 0:08) MEM 17–0 5:03 TEM Jadan Blue 1-yard pass from D'Wan Mathis (Rory Bell kick) (17 plays, 75 yards, 7:35) MEM 17–7 3:37 TEM Jose Barbon 15-yard pass from D'Wan Mathis (Rory Bell kick) (3 plays, 17 yards, 0:53) MEM 17–14 0:00 TEM Rory Bell 35-yard field goal (9 plays, 46 yards, 2:07) TIED 17–17 3 7:15 MEM Sean Dykes 2-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick blocked) (11 plays, 69 yards, 4:40) MEM 23–17 1:14 TEM Tayvon Ruley 1-yard run (Rory Bell kick) (13 plays, 75 yards, 6:01) TEM 24–23 4 6:16 TEM Rory Bell 32-yard field goal (9 plays, 71 yards, 3:36) TEM 27–23 2:35 TEM Amad Anderson Jr. 53-yard pass from D'Wan Mathis (Rory Bell kick) (3 plays, 57 yards, 0:18) TEM 34–23 0:30 MEM Javon Ivory 9-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Calvin Austin III pass) (11 plays, 75 yards, 2:05) TEM 34–31

See also: 2021 Temple Owls football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM –11.0	59 [6]

Statistics	Memphis	Temple
First downs	25	23
Total yards	462	479
Rushing yards	157	157
Passing yards	305	322
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	24:33	35:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	24/40, 305 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Rodrigues Clark	18 carries, 92 yards, TD
	Receiving	Calvin Austin III	8 receptions, 104 yards
Temple	Passing	D'Wan Mathis	35/49, 322 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Edward Saydee	12 carries, 62 yards
	Receiving	Amad Anderson Jr.	3 receptions, 108 yards, TD

At Tulsa

Memphis at Tulsa

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 0 13 0 16 29 •Golden Hurricane 7 7 7 14 35 Date: October 9, 2021 Location: Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK Game start: 8:06 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 33 minutes Game attendance: 17,593 Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 11 MPH Referee: Charl Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN2): Brian Custer (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), and Lauren Sisler (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 5:32 TULSA Shamari Brooks 13-yard run (Zach Long kick) (13 plays, 80 yards, 4:30) TULSA 7–0 2 7:36 MEM Brandon Thomas 5-yard run (David Kemp kick) (12 plays, 80 yards, 5:32) TIED 7–7 0:38 MEM Brandon Thomas 2-yard run (David Kemp kick failed) (15 plays, 93 yards, 5:18) MEM 13–7 0:11 TULSA Sam Crawford Jr. 28-yard pass from Davis Brin (Zach Long kick) (3 plays, 75 yards, 0:27) TULSA 14–13 3 4:37 TULSA Shamari Brooks 3-yard run (Zack Long kick) (5 plays, 20 yards, 1:58) TULSA 21–13 4 9:55 TULSA Josh Johnson 63-yard pass from Davis Brin (Zack Long kick) (5 plays, 78 yards, 2:28) TULSA 28–13 8:12 MEM Sean Dykes 9-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Sean Dykes pass) (7 plays, 75 yards, 1:43) TULSA 28–21 4:28 TULSA Anthony Watkins 44-yard run (Zack Long kick) (7 plays, 78 yards, 3:37) TULSA 35–21 3:11 MEM Calvin Austin III 30-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Javon Ivory pass) (8 plays, 75 yards, 1:17) TULSA 35–29

See also: 2021 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

Pregame line	Over/under
TULSA –3.0	61

Statistics	Memphis	Tulsa
First downs	33	19
Total yards	614	417
Rushing yards	151	235
Passing yards	463	182
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	33:35	26:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	34/57, 463 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Brandon Thomas	18 carries, 77 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Calvin Austin III	13 receptions, 200 yards, TD
Tulsa	Passing	Davis Brin	11/21, 182 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Shamari Brooks	26 carries, 126 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Josh Johnson	8 receptions, 140 yards, TD

Navy

Navy at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total Midshipmen 7 3 7 0 17 •Tigers 14 14 7 0 35 Date: October 14, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours Game attendance: 30,042 Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 8 MPH Referee: Edwin Lee TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Harry Lyles, Jr. (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 12:10 MEM Sean Dykes 3-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 2:50) MEM 7–0 0:20 NAVY James Harris II 2-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (21 plays, 75 yards, 11:50) TIE 7–7 0:00 MEM Calvin Austin III 69-yard run (Joe Doyle kick) (1 play, 69 yards, 0:20) MEM 14–7 2 8:21 NAVY Bijan Nichols 36-yard field goal (5 plays, 6 yards, 2:11) MEM 14–10 7:30 MEM Eddie Lewis 74-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (3 plays, 86 yards, 0:51) MEM 21–10 0:40 MEM Brandon Thomas 3-yard run (Joe Doyle kick) (12 plays, 63 yards, 4:21) MEM 28–10 3 8:09 NAVY Mychal Copper 21-yard pass from Tai Lavatai (Bijan Nichols kick) (14 plays, 75 yards, 6:51) MEM 28–17 6:07 MEM Marquavius Weaver 4-yard run (Joe Doyle kick) (5 plays, 72 yards, 2:02) MEM 35–17 4 No scoring plays

See also: 2021 Navy Midshipmen football team

Pregame line	Over/Under
MEMPHIS –11.0	56

Statistics	Navy	Memphis
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

Memphis at Central Florida

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 0 7 0 0 7 •Knights 14 0 7 3 24 Date: October 22, 2021 Location: Bounce House Orlando, FL Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 14 minutes Game attendance: 39,328 Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 6 MPH Referee: Luke Richmond TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 10:12 UCF Brandon Johnson 11-yard pass from Mikey Keene (Daniel Obarski kick) (9 plays, 68 yards, 4:40) UCF 7–0 0:02 UCF Ryan O'Keefe 13-yard pass from Joey Gatewood (Daniel Obarski kick) (3 plays, 27 yards, 1:14) UCF 14–0 2 11:07 MEM Brandon Thomas 9-yard run (Joe Doyle kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 3:53) UCF 14–7 3 4:59 UCF Ryan O'Keefe 31-yard run (Daniel Obarski kick) (6 plays, 64 yards, 2:42) UCF 21–7 4 14:09 UCF Daniel Obarski 24-yard field goal (9 plays, 54 yards, 4:03) UCF 24–7

See also: 2021 UCF Knights football team

Pregame line	Over/under
UCF –1.5	63 [7]

Statistics	Memphis	UCF
First downs	25	17
Total yards	292	295
Rushing yards	77	215
Passing yards	215	80
Turnovers	4	1
Time of possession	31:48	28:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Memphis	Passing	Peter Parrish	31/48, 215 yards, 3 INT
	Rushing	Peter Parrish	22 carries, 60 yards
	Receiving	Calvin Austin III	7 receptions, 44 yards
UCF	Passing	Mikey Keene	11/19, 63 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Isaiah Bowser	26 carries, 111 yards
	Receiving	Ryan O'Keefe	6 receptions, 41 yards, TD

SMU

Southern Methodist at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total Mustangs 0 10 0 15 25 •Tigers 0 7 14 7 28 Date: November 6, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 11:00 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:14 Game attendance: 30,191 Game weather: Temperature: 54 °F (12 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 0 MPH Referee: Luke Richmond TV announcers (ESPNU): John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)

Scoring summary 2 1:57 SMU Danny Gray 48-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick) (6 plays, 80 yards, 2:25) SMU 7–0 0:16 MEM Eddie Lewis 2-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 1:41) TIE 7–7 0:00 SMU Blake Mazza 47-yard field goal (2 plays, 26 yards, 0:00) SMU 10–7 3 8:47 MEM Asa Martin 1-yard run (Joe Doyle kick) (5 plays, 41 yards, 2:33) MEM 14–10 2:41 MEM Javon Ivory 27-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (11 plays, 90 yards, 2:53) MEM 21–10 4 11:01 MEM Sean Dykes 40-yard pass from Seth Henigan (Joe Doyle kick) (9 plays, 71 yards, 5:15) MEM 28–10 8:36 SMU Danny Gray 27-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Tanner Mordecai pass to Rashee Rice) (8 plays, 66 yards, 2:18) MEM 28–18 5:53 SMU Tyler Levine 1-yard run (Blake Mazza kick) (5 plays, 32 yards, 1:19) MEM 28–25

See also: 2021 SMU Mustangs football team

Pregame line	Over/under
SMU –3.5	72

Statistics	SMU	Memphis
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

East Carolina at Memphis

1 2 3 4 OT Total •Pirates 7 9 0 7 7 30 Tigers 7 6 7 3 6 29 Date: November 13, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 11:05 CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 12 minutes Game attendance: 28,431 Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 7 MPH Referee: Charl Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Brandon Weeden (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 9:03 MEM Asa Martin 31-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (3 plays, 33 yards, 1:25) MEM 7–0 3:50 ECU Holton Ahlers 2-yard run (Owen Daffer kick) (12 plays, 75 yards, 5:13) TIED 7–7 2 13:16 ECU Owen Daffner 24-yard field goal (9 plays, 65 yards, 3:06) ECU 10–7 3:04 ECU Owen Daffner 29-yard field goal (19 plays, 65 yards, 8:09) ECU 13–7 2:48 MEM Eddie Lewis 75-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick failed) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:16) MEM 13–13 0:09 ECU Owen Daffner 21-yard field goal (13 plays, 72 yards, 2:39) ECU 16–13 3 2:48 MEM Sean Dykes 2-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 2:30) MEM 20–16 4 1:29 ECU Rahjai Harris 1-yard run (Owen Daffer kick) (16 plays, 75 yards, 6:57) ECU 23–20 0:00 MEM David Kemp 24-yard field goal (15 plays, 69 yards, 1:29) TIED 23–23 OT ECU Keaton Mitchell 24-yard run (Owen Daffer kick) (2 plays, 25 yards, 0:00) ECU 30–23 MEM Rodrigues Clark 20-yard run (Calvin Austin III pass failed) (2 plays, 25 yards, 15:00) ECU 30–23

See also: 2021 East Carolina Pirates football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM –4.0	59 [8]

Statistics	East Carolina	Memphis
First downs	32	16
Total yards	502	341
Rushing yards	185	108
Passing yards	317	233
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	42:47	32:13

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Carolina	Passing	Holton Ahlers	29/46, 317 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Keaton Mitchell	17 carries, 81 yards, TD
	Receiving	Tyler Snead	13 receptions, 113 yards
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	15/26, 233 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Seth Henigan	12 carries, 61 yards
	Receiving	Eddie Lewis	3 receptions, 93 yards, TD

At No. 24 Houston

Memphis at Houston

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 0 3 7 3 13 •No. 24 Cougars 0 21 0 10 31 Date: November 19, 2021 Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 40 minutes Game attendance: 28,712 Game weather: • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 4 MPH Referee: Hank Johns TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

Scoring summary 2 14:03 HOU Alton McCaskill 36-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 36 yards, 0:15) HOU 7–0 5:40 HOU Tank Dell 19-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 93 yards, 4:36) HOU 14–0 2:55 MEM David Kemp 28-yard field goal (9 plays, 65 yards, 2:45) HOU 14–3 0:53 HOU Clayton Tune 20-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 63 yards, 2:02) HOU 21–3 3 4:31 MEM Asa Martin 5-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (11 plays, 60 yards, 4:16) HOU 21–10 4 14:52 MEM David Kemp 22-yard field goal (8 plays, 86 yards, 2:30) HOU 21–13 3:24 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 34-yard field goal (5 plays, 29 yards, 2:15) HOU 24–13 1:43 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 4-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 18 yards, 0:52) HOU 31–13

See also: 2021 Houston Cougars football team

Pregame line	Over/under
HOU –9.5	59

Statistics	Memphis	Houston
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

Tulane at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total Green Wave 7 7 7 7 28 •Tigers 7 7 6 13 33 Date: November 27, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 6:32 CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 22 minutes Game attendance: 27,416 Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 9 MPH Referee: Tim Rich TV announcers (ESPNU): Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Jay Walker (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 8:17 TULN Michael Pratt 14-yard run (Merek Glover kick) (12 plays, 84 yards, 5:29) TULN 7–0 2:02 MEM Gabriel Rogers 13-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (16 plays, 75 yards, 6:15) TIED 7–7 2 12:34 TULN Tyjae Spears 7-yard run (Merek Glover kick) (10 plays, 52 yards, 4:23) TULN 14–7 10:52 MEM Rodrigues Clark 15-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (5 plays, 72 yards, 1:37) TIED 14–14 3 10:29 MEM David Kemp 27-yard field goal (11 plays, 44 yards, 3:49) MEM 17–14 4:38 MEM David Kemp 40-yard field goal (8 plays, 39 yards, 2:24) MEM 20–14 2:11 TULN Tyjae Spears 2-yard run (Merek Glover kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:27) TULN 21–20 4 14:57 MEM Asa Martin 1-yard run (Roc Taylor pass failed) (6 plays, 70 yards, 2:14) MEM 26–21 13:31 MEM Eddie Lewis 25-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (3 plays, 29 yards, 1:20) MEM 33–21 1:55 TULN Duece Watts 21-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Merek Glover kick) (8 plays, 64 yards, 2:22) MEM 33–28

See also: 2021 Tulane Green Wave football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM –5.5	58 [9]

Statistics	Tulane	Memphis
First downs	25	24
Total yards	452	392
Rushing yards	305	56
Passing yards	147	336
Turnovers	4	0
Time of possession	28:58	31:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tulane	Passing	Michael Pratt	15/34, 147 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Tyjae Spears	30 carries, 264 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Shae Wyatt	5 receptions, 47 yards
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	27/42, 336 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Rodrigues Clark	11 carries, 28 yards
	Receiving	Sean Dykes	7 receptions, 89 yards

Rankings

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
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

1. "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.
2. "Cincinnati Chosen as Favorite in American Preseason Media Poll". theAmerican.org. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
3. 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.
4. "2021 Memphis Tigers Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
5. "UTSA Roadrunners vs Memphis Tigers". oddsshark.com. September 25, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
6. "Memphis Tigers vs Temple Owls". oddsshark.com. October 2, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
7. "Memphis Tigers vs UCF Knights". oddsshark.com. October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
8. "East Carolina Pirates vs Memphis Tigers". oddsshark.com. November 13, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
9. "Tulane Green Wave vs Memphis Tigers". oddsshark.com. November 27, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2025.