Tigers show depth at running back with Sutton Smith out
University of Memphis running back Sutton Smith (5) holds his knee after going down during an Aug. 31, 2024 game against North Alabama. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
The Memphis running backs texted each other in their group chat before the Tigers played host to Troy on Saturday.
The message was simple.
“We playing for him today,” Mario Anderson Jr. said.
Starting running back Sutton Smith is the “him” they were referencing. Smith suffered an apparent lower-body injury near the end of the first quarter of last week’s win over North Alabama. Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield confirmed the fears and speculation of several Tiger fans after Memphis beat Troy 38-17 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
“Unfortunately, Sutton is lost for the season,” Silverfield said.
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Memphis Tigers Football Sutton Smith college football Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Frank Bonner II
Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.
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