MONTGOMERY BOWL
MEMPHIS TIGERS vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS
Wednesday, Dec. 23• 7 p.m. ET • ESPN
Cramton Bowl (25,000/UBU Speed Series S5)
Montgomery, Alabama
Television
ESPN
Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman and Lauren Sisler
Radio
WREC-AM 600 (Memphis)
THE GAME
Wednesday’s game will be the second meeting between Memphis and Florida Atlantic … The only previous matchup was the Owls’ 44-27 victory Dec. 21, 2007, in the New Orleans Bowl … The Montgomery Bowl is on the bowl calendar this season to replace the Fenway Bowl, which was supposed to be played for the first time in 2020.
rv/- MEMPHIS
7-3, 5-3 American
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield (Hamden-Sydney ’03)
7-4, first full season at Memphis
Notes
Memphis is playing its program-record seventh consecutive bowl game after the Tigers enjoyed a 7-3 regular season … Memphis is making its 14th bowl appearance in program history … The Tigers have dropped their last four bowl games and are looking for their first postseason win since a double-overtime win against BYU in the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl … Memphis had five players named to the American Athletic Conference all-conference teams, including WR Calvin Austin III and DT O’Bryan Goodson, who were first-team choices … QB Brady White enters the game as Memphis’ career passing leader with 10,406 yards … White has thrown for 3,096 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2020 … Austin has had at least 100 receiving yards in six of his last eight games and has 1,025 yards and 10 touchdown catches … S Quindell Johnson has a team-high 870 tackles to go with three interceptions.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
5-3, 4-2 Conference USA
Head Coach
Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky ’98)
5-3, first season at Florida Atlantic
61-65, 11th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Florida Atlantic saw its first four scheduled games of the 2020 season canceled or postponed, but the Owls went on to win five of eight regular-season contests in the first year under head coach Willie Taggart … The Owls are making their fifth bowl appearance in program history and have won their four previous bowl games, including a 52-28 victory against SMU last year in the Boca Raton Bowl … Florida Atlantic won five of its first six games, but look to snap a two-game slide that closed the regular season … QB Nick Tronti has thrown for 759 yard and five touchdowns with two interceptions in 2020 … WR TJ Chase, a transfer from Clemson, has 21 receptions for 328 yards and a touchdown … RB James Charles is the leading rusher with 347 yards and four touchdowns … LB Leighton McCarthy leads the defense with 34 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks with a forced fumble.