How do you start an article on a game when only one team responding? Memphis would win convincingly over Utah State 38-10, in Dallas, in the First Responders Bowl. Utah State had no response to Memphis today. In a game that was never really in doubt, we will look at some impact players today from both teams and what trajectory each program is on following today’s game. We will start with the impact players. Who are they, and how did they perform?
Impact Players in Monday’s Game
Utah State
While Utah State struggled mightily in Monday’s game, some players stood out in their performance. When starter, Cooper Legas, went down with a leg injury, the next man had to step up. In would come freshman Bishop Davenport, who would play well given the circumstances of his entering the game. Let’s see how he played.
Quarterback – Bishop Davenport
Davenport would finish the game seven of nine for 100 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception. He would be as productive as the starter in this game, as the offense never seemed to get off the ground. Davenport would complete his first six passes attempted. The Aggies would finish 15 of 35 for 135 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. In a position where the Aggies played four different players during the season, Davenport provided a tiny spark for a brighter future.
Running Back – Calvin Tyler Jr
Calvin Tyler Jr came into the game only 73 yards short of rushing for 2,000 yards as an Aggie. Tyler would become the eleventh player in school history to accomplish this with 79 yards rushing on his 16 rushes. He would finish the day with a rushing touchdown and a long rush of 13 yards. Even in a loss, Tyler was humbled and thanked the Aggie football fans for supporting him. He would finish the day as the leading rusher for the Aggies. Tyler amassed a total of 2,006 yards as an Aggie.
Memphis
Quarterback – Seth Henigan
Seth Henigan was coming home to Dallas from Denton, Texas, to play this game. In the days leading up, many asked if he would have flashbacks of the last game, a loss to SMU, in Dallas. In the postgame, Seth would address this by saying, “I put the past in the past.” This was evident in his play as he would finish the day 20 of 29 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Henigan would throw all three touchdowns in the second quarter of the game, in which the Tigers outscored the Aggies 21-3. Seth said, “I was focused on that opponent, Utah State.” This entire Memphis team was Seth.
Defensive Back – Sylvonta Oliver
Under first-year coordinator Matt Barnes, this unit came to play today and showed from the first drive. The Tiger defense would hold the Aggies to 261 total yards {135 passing, 126 rushings} on the day in a smothering fashion. Memphis would apply pressure with their five sacks, creating mistakes in the form of interceptions thrown. Memphis would finish the day with three interceptions. Two of the three would come from senior Sylvonta Oliver in a bowl game-tying and Servpro First Responder bowl mark. Memphis head coach, Ryan Silverfield, would speak on this defense in postgame by saying, “I think we are seeing the growth of this defense under Coach Barnes.”
What trajectory Are These Programs On?
Utah State
Utah State had a season of comebacks, as five of their six wins were in comeback fashion. In today’s game, they couldn’t “respond” to Memphis. Head Coach, Blake Anderson, spoke of this as he said, “We didn’t play well enough ball to give ourselves a chance to win.” When you look at the program under Anderson, in his second year, they have been successful as he is now 17-10 as a coach. With Anderson being a proven winner at each previous job, we see this team continuing to battle in the MWC. This team will be back in postseason play despite the performance in today’s game.
Memphis
Today’s win gives the Tigers their eighth winning season in the last nine as a program. If we think back to where this program was in the 2010-2011season, this is a quote from the accomplishment. Under Silverfield, this team has won two bowl games and three trophies {Hawaii Bowl 2022} to show for it. This program brings in recruits at never seen levels, as Silverfield has now signed two of the three top classes in school history. The trajectory for this program continues to rise. Silverfield would speak of this in the postgame by saying, “There are bright days ahead here at Memphis.” He would also talk about the season’s grind, saying, “I think I can finally exhale.”
