Saturday, Sept. 5 • 7 p.m. • ESPN3
MISSOURI STATE
at
MEMPHIS
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (61,000/FieldTurf)
Memphis, Tenn.
Television
Joel Meyers and Chad Brown
Memphis Radio - WREC-AM 600 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between Memphis and Missouri State, but the first since 1942 … Missouri State was a 20-0 winner in 1923, while Memphis took the 1942 matchup, 6-0 … The schools are located approximately 290 miles apart … Memphis was a 63-0 winner against Austin Peay last year in its last game against an FCS opponent.
MISSOURI STATE
0-0
Head Coach
Dave Steckel (Kutztown ’82)
0-0, first season
NOTES
Missouri State returns 12 starters from a team that went 4-8 overall and was 1-7 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference last season … Dave Steckel will make his head coaching debut in the game against Memphis … Steckel had most recently been associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Missouri, where he was one of five finalists for the 2014 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant … Of Missouri State’s eight losses last season, seven were to teams that were nationally ranked in FCS, while the other came to Oklahoma State … In addition to the season-opener against Memphis, Missouri State heads to Arkansas State Sept. 19 for a second date against an FBS opponent … The Bears will be led on offense by RB Calan Crowder, who rushed for 762 yards and four touchdowns in 2014 … WR Eric Christophel and WR Malik Earl were second and third on the squad in receptions last season as Christophel had 21 catches for 208 yards and Earl had 19 receptions for 302 yards … LB Dylan Cole is the top returner on defense after he registered 92 tackles with 14.5 tackles for loss last season …CB Eric Phillips led the team with three interceptions.
MEMPHIS
0-0
Head Coach
Justin Fuente (Murray State ’99)
17-20, fourth season
NOTES
Memphis enjoyed its most successful season in decades last year as the Tigers went 10-3 overall, won a share of the American Athletic Conference title at 7-1 in league play, and rallied for an overtime win against Brigham Young in the first Miami Beach Bowl … The 10 wins tied a school record set in 1938, while the conference title was Memphis’ first since 1971 … Memphis takes a seven-game winning streak into the 2015 season … The Tigers have eight offensive starters returning from last year, but will have just three starters back on defense … QB Paxton Lynch was a second-team all-conference selection last year after he threw for 3,031 yards and 22 touchdowns and added 13 rushing TDs … The offensive line has four starters back, while TE Alan Cross returns after earning first-team all-conference honors last year … The top receiver is WR Mose Frazier, who had 47 receptions for 506 yards and three touchdowns in 2014 … The only defensive starters returning are DE Ernest Suttles, LB Jackson Dillon and S Reggis Ball … Dillon had 43 tackles with 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles … K Jake Elliott is one of the nation’s top kickers … He hit 21 field goals last season, including three from 50 yards or longer.