The Memphis Tigers are one of the most consistent winners in college football. They haven’t seen a losing season since 2013. They appeared in the final AP Poll four times since 2015. They won 21 games in the latest two-year stretch. And they currently ride an 11-game streak of non-conference victories including bowl games.
Somehow, amidst the non-stop winning, Memphis is still seeking an elusive American Conference Championship Game appearance. The Tigers haven’t qualified for the conference’s main
stage since 2019 despite lurking in the picture on an annual basis. Speaking of feats Memphis hasn’t attained since 2019, a 5-0 start was another. However, that changed Saturday night in Boca Raton when the Tigers flew past Florida Atlantic in the conference opener, 55-26.
Although a 55-26 score may suggest a one-sided blowout, this one did not unfold in such fashion. Early in the fourth quarter, Florida Atlantic registered a strip sack and nearly returned the loose ball for a touchdown. The Owls still cashed with seven points, slicing Memphis’ lead to 31-26 with 10:20 remaining. However, those final 10 minutes were wholly, absolutely, and thoroughly dominated by the Tigers. Memphis won that 10-minute timeframe 24-0 and only needed two plays to recapture a multi-score lead over the Owls thanks to a 73-yard downfield connection from Brendon Lewis to Cortez Braham Jr.
Memphis entered Saturday owning the FBS’s 19th-ranked rushing attack, fresh off dropping 290 yards and three touchdowns vs. Arkansas. That run game was delicately packaged and unloaded in Boca Raton as the Tigers unleashed 291 yards and five touchdowns on the Owls. Last week Sutton Smith stole the show and won Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week with a 147-yard effort. This time, Greg Desrosiers Jr. showcased the depth in Memphis’ running back room, producing 204 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.
Desrosiers punched in two critical touchdowns during the “middle eight,” allowing the Tigers to enter halftime with a lead and subsequently add cushion in the third quarter. He was the engine behind a 75-yard two-minute drill drive in the second quarter to rewrite a 16-10 deficit into a 17-16 advantage. Then on the Tigers’ third snap of the second half, Desrosiers broke free for a 90-yard sprint to glory. It marked Memphis’ first 90+ yard touchdown run since 1966 as the senior opened up a 24-16 lead.
Adding two rushing touchdowns to Desrosiers’ three was Brendon Lewis. One week after becoming the first Tiger quarterback to log 100 rushing yards since 2005, Lewis produced 64 rushing yards (91 when excluding sacks). The quarterback briefly exited in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, thrusting Arrington Maiden into the game. However, Lewis returned later in the quarter and finished the contest, throwing for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Lewis previously established rapport with Braham at Nevada, and that chemistry was on full display on a new roster. Braham secured two fourth quarter touchdowns to stave off an FAU comeback, finishing a productive day with 127 yards on six receptions. Memphis sorely needed a new WR1 after the offseason graduation of Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee, and the Nevada transfer is suddenly filling that vacancy after consecutive 100-yard showings.
FAU’s offense enjoyed several commendable moments despite a losing effort. Entering Saturday with the most passing attempts per game in the FBS, quarterback Caden Veltkamp let it fly 50 times and completed 31 attempts for 318 yards. Both Easton Messer and Jayshon Platt finished over the century mark on nine receptions apiece, and their contributions allowed FAU to remain in striking distance with an undefeated American contender until the final 10 minutes of action.
Florida Atlantic (1-3, 0-1 American) drops its first conference matchup of the Zach Kittley era and remains in search of its first FBS victory of 2025. FAU travels to Houston next Saturday to battle Rice in an Owls vs. Owls matchup, hoping its air raid offense outlasts an option team in a stylistic clash.
Memphis (5-0, 1-0 American) is off to its best start since 2019 — the last time the Tigers won the American. Ryan Silverfield has won 27 of his last 32 games, and all five losses essentially came down to the wire, highlighting the Tigers’ tendency to never take a week off. Memphis hopes the success translates into a ranking when the new AP Poll is unveiled Sunday, and even if that doesn’t come, the Tigers can attain bowl eligibility next Saturday when Tulsa strolls into town.
