Anderson Jr. leads Memphis to wild 52-44 win over North Texas

Tigers bowl-eligible for 11th straight season

From the University of Memphis

GoTigersGo.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis football team earned a wild, back-andforth conference victory over North Texas Saturday night, 52-44, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The Tigers (6-1, 2-1 AAC) withstood five lead changes after going in front with 9:23 to play on a fouryard touchdown run from Mario Anderson Jr.

With the victory, Memphis is bowl eligible for the 11thconsecutive season, the longest stretch of any non-Power 5 team in the country.

It took the Tigers only seven games to reach bowl eligibility, matching the fastest marks set in 2017 and 2019 to do so in the last decade.

Anderson Jr. was a problem for North Texas (5-2, 2-1 AAC) all night long, rushing for a season-high 183 yards on 22 carries while tying the program’s single-game mark with four touchdowns on the ground. It was his best rushing total at the Division I level. Patrick Taylor Jr. was the last Tiger to rush for four scores, which came exactly seven years to the day in a 4238 win over Houston on Oct.

19, 2017.

Senior quarterback Seth Henigan passed Brady White and became the winningest signal caller in program history, completing 24-of-38 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown. Henigan also moved into second place all-time in The American for career total offense in the win.

The Tigers got back on top late in the third quarter when Henigan aired one out to redshirt senior Demeer Blankumsee for a 62-yard touchdown reception – the longest for Henigan this season – giving Memphis a 35-31 lead.

Blankumsee hauled in a season- high six balls for 96 yards and a score for the game, while Roc Taylor added 73 yards on six catches and Koby Drake 82 yards on five catches. Taylor moved into the top 10 all-time at Memphis in receptions. His 129 career receptions moved him past former Tiger Sean Dykes. The Memphis offense snapped the ball 70 times and racked up 526 total yards for an average of 7.5 yards per play. The ground game featured 207 yards and finished with six touchdowns, just one shy of the program record.

Linebacker Chandler Martin continued his All-American campaign with 10 total tackles – six solo – a forced fumble and an interception on the game’s final play. He led a Tiger defense that recorded double-digit tackles-for-loss (10.0) for the second time this season.

In his first field goal attempt of the season, redshirt-senior kicker Tristian Vandenberg connected on a crucial 43yard field goal to give Memphis an eight-point lead with just 1:42 remaining in the game.

The Tigers have now scored 20 or more points in 34-consecutive games – the longest active streak in the nation – dating back to a 33-28 win over Tulane on Nov. 27, 2021. Memphis (60) is one of five teams with 60 or more home wins since 2014, along with Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Michigan.

Dating back to the win over UAB last year, Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 11 of its last 14 games. Over that stretch, the Tigers have created 26 takeaways (14 INT, 12 FR).

Honorable Mention

Anderson Jr. earned an Honorable Mention selection from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) for Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.

The honor marks the second time this season Anderson Jr. has landed on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll.

The Doak Walker Award candidate's 100-yard rushing effort against North Texas was

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his fourth of the season. Anderson Jr. ranks sixth nationally with 13 total touchdowns. His 639 rushing yards on the season rank 27th nationally.

Following the win over North Texas, Memphis is bowl eligible for the 11th-consecutive season, the longest stretch of any non-Power 4 team in the country. It took the Tigers only seven games to reach bowl eligibility, matching the fastest marks set in 2017 & 2019 to do so in the last decade. Memphis is one of nine teams in FBS with 10 or more consecutive bowl-game appearances along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Up Next

The Tigers will be back at home next Saturday to host Charlotte (3-4, 2-1 AAC) inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

Follow the Tigers

To catch all of the action during the 2024 Memphis Football season, fans can also purchase season tickets at GoTigersGo.com, in person at the Memphis Ticket Office or by calling the office at (901) 678-2331.

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Football, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.