Memphis’ defense has become the Tigers’ engine
Memphis defenders Cormontae Hamilton (12) and Davion Ross (1) celebrate a successful defensive play against USF Saturday in Orlando, Fla. (Courtesy Memphis Athletics)
The Memphis football team has a new identity this season.
A 21-3 win over South Florida on Saturday is the latest example of the Tigers winning games with defense.
Memphis even scored a defensive touchdown when cornerback Kobee Minor forced a fumble that linebacker Chandler Martin recovered in the end zone. That second-half score allowed the Tigers to extend their streak to 33 straight games with at least 20 points, the longest active FBS streak.
“Our defense showed up,” fifth-year head coach Ryan Silverfield said. “The offense started off obviously clicking on all cylinders and then came to a major lull.
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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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