The Memphis Tigers were tasked with finding a new head coach this offseason as Ryan Silverfield departed for the SEC, taking the Arkansas job. Given the resources Memphis has as a program, many thought the program would excel with the right head coach, and that Silverfield leaving may be a blessing in disguise.
The Tigers nailed the decision, hiring Charles Huff as a head coach, and his resume speaks for itself. Huff was a top assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama before taking over Marshall and leading the program to a 32-20 record in 3 seasons. After Marshall failed to re-sign Huff, he took the Southern Miss job, where he instantly brought the program back to bowl eligibility.
On Saturday Night, in a matchup with another top contender for the Group of 5 bid into the College Football Playoff, Charles Huff was given a chance to instantly plant his flag over UNLV.
Memphis instantly emerges as Group of 5 front runner with win over UNLV
The UNLV Rebels looked like they were going to hold serve when they took a 14-7 lead into the locker room. Instead, Charles Huff and Dan Mullen each made adjustments, and it became clear who did the better coaching job. Jackson Arnold would score once more to score to give UNLV a 21-14 lead, and after that, Huff's defense took over.
After falling behind 21-14, UNLV used its rushing attack and defense to build a 27-21 lead, but the defense kept having to stand tall as the offense couldn't run the time off the clock. While UNLV had all the former Power 4 recruits, Memphis was the team that dominated the trenches, and made Jackson Arnold into the player we saw at Auburn.
The Tigers' defensive front was absurd, racking up 11 tackles for a loss while sacking Jackson Arnold 6 times. Over the final 6 drives, not only was UNLV kept off the scoreboard, but the Memphis defense held the Rebels to just 113 yards after moving the ball with ease in the 1st half.
The American Conference now holds a major advantage over the Mountain West with this win, and if Memphis were to win the conference, it would be tough for any other team to get into the CFP. The Tigers look like a dominant force at the Group of 5 level now, and if Marcus Stokes continues to grow at quarterback, the sky is the limit for this group.
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