Memphis and Utah State both entered Tuesday’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at 6-6, but the Tigers were able to get the win and finish the year with a 7-6 record. Throughout the game, Memphis dominated on both sides of the ball.
Although the Tigers started the game a bit slow, it never felt like they were in danger of losing to the Aggies. Quarterback Seth Henigan was poised throughout the contest, and he led the offense up and down the field.
Henigan finished the final game of the season with 284 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-29 passing. It was clear that the Tigers’ signal caller had control of the offense for the entire afternoon, and he had no problem picking off the Aggies defense.
Eddie Lewis led the way for the pass catches as he finished the game with 83 yards and two first half touchdowns on five catches. Utah State consistently played man-to-man coverage, and Lewis had a field day on the Aggie defensive backs. Gabriel Rogers (84 total yards) and Jeyvon Ducker (98 total yards) were also bright spots offensively.
In the second half, Ducker scored twice, including a 48-yard touchdown to put an exclamation point on the victory. The Tigers struggled running the ball early in the game, but Ducker, Asa Martin and Sutton Smith were able to find more room after halftime.
Defensively, it was a very impressive performance for Memphis. Utah State wasn’t able to get much going on the ground or through the air due to constant pressure from the defensive front. Jaylon Allen, James Stewart and Cam’Ron Jackson all had sacks, and Sylvonta Oliver (two INTs) and Joel Williams both had interceptions.
Overall, Memphis racked up 436 total yards and held Utah State to only 261 yards. It wasn’t a perfect season for Ryan Silverfield and the Tigers, but they put together a very impressive, lopsided victory to end the 2022 campaign.