Memphis Tigers Football

The Memphis Tigers and Houston Cougars have postponed their football game next Saturday, September 18, after reported COVID-19 issues with the Tigers. 

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic notes Baylor is working to host Houston in Waco, Texas, next week in place of the Memphis game. 

pic.twitter.com/jjr9GJ9zfg

— Memphis Football (@MemphisFB) September 12, 2020

Memphis made clear Friday it's game against Houston was in jeopardy following a COVID-19 outbreak that caused the Tigers to pause all football activities. 

Evan Barnes and Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal report at least 20 people within the program have tested positive and have entered isolation for 10 days. Another 20 people are in quarantine because of contact tracing. 

"These positive tests, along with contact tracing efforts, dictate that a significant number of individuals enter quarantine in accordance with CDC guidelines," a Memphis statement read Friday. "Due to these circumstances, the football team has paused all practice and group activities and will unfortunately not be able to participate in [Friday's] Unity Walk hosted by the University of Memphis. There are no serious cases at this time, but all student-athletes and staff affected are being closely monitored."

The outbreak of cases has been linked to a party bus enjoyed by Tigers players after last week's win over Arkansas State, but players have been critical about the reasoning. 

"Nobody Had A Party Nor Was On A Party Bus!!" Memphis defensive tackle O'Bryan Goodson wrote in a since-deleted tweet. "Arkansas St needs to be the ones Tested We've been doing what we’re supposed to do, all this came after we played them."

The Memphis Tigers' game against the Houston Cougars on Sept. 18 is reportedly in danger of being postponed or canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Memphis football program.

According to Evan Barnes and Mark Giannotto of the Commercial Appeal, an anonymous source said at least 20 people within the Tigers program have tested positive for the coronavirus, while at least 20 more people are in quarantine because of contact tracing.

The source noted that most of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are in quarantine are defensive players.

Memphis began its season last Saturday with a 37-24 home win over Arkansas State. Quarterback Brady White led the way for the Tigers with 280 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Two sources told Barnes and Giannotto that the positive tests could be attributed to Memphis players' being on a party bus following that victory.

Memphis defensive lineman O'Bryan Goodson disputed the claim on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/OBryanGoodson/status/1304512736563466243

The Memphis players who tested positive are reportedly in a 10-day isolation period. The Tigers don't have a game scheduled this week.

Houston and Memphis both play in the American Athletic Conference's West Division. The Cougars originally planned to face Rice on Sept. 3, but that game was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Houston's first game is now the Sept. 18 matchup against Memphis, but if that game is postponed or canceled, the Cougars would have to wait until Sept. 26 to open the season against North Texas.

While several conferences are proceeding with a 2020 fall football schedule, the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mid-American Conference and Mountain West Conference have all opted to postpone their seasons.

Memphis Tigers defensive back John Broussard Jr. was reportedly shot in the leg Sunday night.

Jeni DiPrizio of Local 24 News in Memphis, Tennessee, reported the news, noting wide receiver Damonte Coxie was listed as a witness.

"We have been made aware of an incident that occurred involving some student-athletes at an off-campus location," the Memphis athletic department said in a Friday statement, per Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "The student-athletes are safe, and the incident will not impact participation in our game against Arkansas State University tomorrow. We are unable to comment further at this time."

Barnes provided more details, noting police did not name Broussard but said a man was transported to the hospital after he was shot in the leg. Another man was shot in the lower back.

A witness said there were gunshots and "about 10 people fighting in the street."

Broussard started his collegiate career at Auburn before he transferred to Memphis. He appeared in one game for Memphis last year.

Coxie is one of the team's best offensive playmakers and finished 2019 with 76 catches for 1,276 yards and nine touchdowns.

Memphis starts its 2020 season Saturday against Arkansas State.

Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield announced earlier this week that the football team would wear "Black Lives Matters" decals on their helmets this season, and one of the program's backers reportedly said he'd help negate any financial impact the decision might create.    

On Friday, The Athletic's John Martin reported a booster said he would match and then double any donations the school may lose as a result of the decals. 

This season, for every game, our student-athletes’ helmets will have a BLM sticker. #ALLINagainstRACIALINJUSTICE pic.twitter.com/ZR749YCJLl

— Ryan Silverfield (@RSilverfield) June 30, 2020

It's unclear if the school has already lost any financial commitments because of the move.

Speaking to Martin shortly after he announced the team would wear the stickers all season, Silverfield said it was his responsibility to stand with his players:

“People are entitled to their beliefs, their rights, their thoughts, their feelings. My job here is to serve our student-athletes. It's something we discussed with the university and the players and we felt it's the right thing to do at this time. People are gonna be unhappy. They weren't happy when I sent previous tweets. They weren't happy with some of the recruits I've taken. They weren't happy with the unity march. They weren't happy with my calls during the Cotton Bowl. We're always gonna be criticized for decisions. But we've got to be there for the players, continue to grow, and make steps in the right direction.”

The coach added he felt it was necessary to continue to support social justice reform, saying it "can't just be a one-time thing where I send out a tweet or have one unity march. It's got to be ongoing."

Silverfield, 39, has been with Memphis since 2016, when he joined the Tigers as an assistant coach. He was elevated to assistant head coach in 2019 and took over the program last December following the departure of Mike Norvell to Florida State. 

University of Memphis president Dr. M. David Rudd, a veteran of the Gulf War, issued a statement of support Thursday.

"The exercise of free speech is essential to a representative republic," Rudd wrote in part. "I support our athletic department, our head coach and our football team. I am proud of our young men for demonstrating leadership, encouraging civility and for their genuine efforts to unite us so our University of Memphis family can become stronger together."

The University of Memphis football team will continue to support those protesting against systemic racism and police brutality across the country by wearing a "Black Lives Matter" decal on its helmet this season.

Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield announced the decision in a tweet that showed the placement of the stickers on the back of players' helmets. 

This season, for every game, our student-athletes’ helmets will have a BLM sticker. #ALLINagainstRACIALINJUSTICE pic.twitter.com/ZR749YCJLl

— Ryan Silverfield (@RSilverfield) June 30, 2020

Silverfield said students will wear the decals for every game, adding the hashtag #ALLINagainstRACIALINJUSTICE. 

College football programs—and players in particular—have found a strong footing in the fight against systemic racism. 

One of the most prominent voices in getting the state of Mississippi to remove Confederate imagery from its flag was Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill, who threatened to transfer from the program if the flag wasn't changed. 

That followed an announcement from the Southeastern Conference in which the league said it would consider precluding championship events from taking place in the state unless the flag was changed. 

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill Tuesday to retire the current flag after the state's House of Representatives and Senate quickly voted it through each chamber.

Elsewhere in college sports, student-athletes at Texas and Kansas State have threatened to boycott numerous team events if their schools did not take appropriate steps to address systemic racism on campus. 

The uprisings on campuses across the country show a changing power dynamic in the college sports landscape in which players are taking matters of civil justice mainstream by leveraging their platforms. 

In Memphis, the football team is apparently trying to make sure those conversations continue throughout the upcoming season and using the Black Lives Matter decals as a catalyst to help ensure the topic of systemic racism remains on the forefront after play resumes. 

The season will be the first for Silverfield as head coach after taking over for Mike Norvell in December following his predecessor's move to Florida State. 

The 18th-ranked Memphis Tigers inched one step closer to a New Year's Six bowl game with a 34-24 victory over the 19th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats on Friday.  

Chris Claybrooks got the Tigers off to a fast start by opening the game with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Quarterback Brady White led the offense with 233 yards and two touchdowns.

Ben Bryant threw for 229 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Bearcats in his first career start. He was filling in for an injured Desmond Ridder (shoulder), who started the first 11 games.

Memphis (11-1) clinched the AAC West title with the victory, while Cincinnati (10-2) previously clinched the AAC East.

Notable Performances

Cincinnati

QB Ben Bryant: 20/32, 229 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions; 11 carries, one touchdown

RB Michael Warren II: 21 carries, 122 yards, one touchdown

TE Josiah Deguara: four catches, 46 yards

Memphis

QB Brady White: 15/26, 233 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

RB Kenneth Gainwell: 15 carries, 87 yards

WR Damonte Coxie: six catches, 145 yards, one touchdown

WR Kedarian Jones: two catches, 53 yards, one touchdown

Strong Start Powers Tigers to Victory

Memphis has had little trouble putting points up on the scoreboard this season, entering Friday averaging 42.2 points per game. It had been held below 30 just once in its last 10 games.

Right out of the gates, the Tigers came out ready to play.

Claybrooks set the tone for the game by taking the opening kickoff 94 yards to the house—and the Tigers were just getting started. White proceeded to lead Memphis to scores on each of its first two offensive drives, with the Cincinnati defense allowing both a 32-yard run and a 44-yard pass in the opening quarter.

Those big plays led to a touchdown and a field goal on the Tigers' first two offensive drives, resulting in a 17-3 lead in the first.

Cincinnati managed to battle back and tie the score in the second. The Bearcats held the Tigers to a total of three points over the middle two quarters, but ultimately, White made just enough plays to get the job done.

   

Bold Gamble Proves Costly for Bearcats

Trailing 20-17 late in the third quarter, Cincinnati had a chance to even the score by way of a 34-yard field goal. Luke Fickell instead opted to roll the dice and go for it on 4th-and-1.

It did not work out, as Warren was stuffed short of the sticks. That opened the door for Memphis to put the game away.

White responded by leading an 83-yard drive that put the Tigers back up by two possessions with just more than 13 minutes to play. At that point, Cincinnati had its work cut out for itself.

The Bearcats had an opportunity to get the football back down three with less than five minutes to play. However, an unsportsmanlike penalty on defensive end Myjai Sanders following an incompletion on 3rd-and-10 extended a Memphis drive. The Tigers took advantage of the mistake, driving down the field for a game-sealing touchdown.

Touchdown Memphis. Gibson from 29 out. 34-24. #Bearcats down two scores with only 3:16 remaining.

UC looked to get off the field before a personal foul by Sanders after a 3rd down stop.

— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) November 29, 2019

Cincinnati entered Friday's showdown having lost just once this season, which came on the road against the current No. 1 team in the nation (Ohio State) on Sept. 7. The Bearcats had been far from dominant during their nine-game winning streak, though, with three of their past four victories coming by three points or less.

Facing their first ranked opponent in nearly two months, the Bearcats' luck finally ran out as the mistakes piled up.

    

What's Next

Memphis will host Cincinnati in the AAC championship game on Dec. 7.