TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Seth Henigan threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns — the fortieth straight sport he has tossed a scoring cross — as Memphis beat Florida State 20-12 on Saturday.
Henigan related with Greg Desrosiers Jr. and Anthony Landphere on landing passes as Memphis (3-0) jumped to a 20-3 lead within the third quarter. The Tigers scored touchdowns on drives of 65 and 75 yards, ending 7 of 17 on third downs and a couple of of three on fourth downs.
“Successful is tough, and I by no means need to reduce a win,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield mentioned. “However that is monumental. Let’s name it what it’s. To go on the street, whatever the report, they had been preseason No. 10 within the nation.
“It is large for our program. It is a sport that is going to be remembered for a very long time.”
Memphis gamers, coaches and followers will not quickly overlook it. And the Tigers take dwelling fairly the bonus: a $1.3 million assure in addition to a résumé-building victory on the street over a Energy 4 crew.
Memphis dominated on protection and made loads of well timed performs on offense.
“Our protection is way improved from final 12 months,” Henigan mentioned. “They’re taking part in extraordinarily effectively proper now. … I am happy with our guys. I assumed they performed laborious. We had that depth popping out, that edge about ourselves, that Memphis toughness.”
DJ Uiagalelei accomplished 16 of 30 passes for 201 yards and an interception, struggling to maneuver the Seminoles (0-3) till a pair of scoring drives within the third quarter.
Florida State moved to the Memphis 39 after which spiked the ball to arrange a last play with two seconds left. However Uiagalelei’s Hail Mary was swatted down on the purpose line by Memphis’ Julian Barnett.
Memphis’ protection pressured Uiagalelei all through the day, recording 4 sacks. Linebacker Chandler Martin had eight tackles, together with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Florida State could not run the ball, averaging 1.5 yards per carry. And the Seminoles had been consistently going through third-and-long conditions, the place they transformed on solely 2-of-12 alternatives though they had been 3 of three on fourth-down conversions.
“Extraordinarily disillusioned the best way we performed at instances,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell mentioned. “The issues that we work and emphasize all through the course of the week, you recognize, preseason, offseason, issues which might be critically necessary to being profitable are usually not displaying up as constant as we want them to be.
“Clearly, offensively, very disappointing efficiency. By no means capable of actually get a lot going. Second half we had been capable of transfer the ball however had a pair explosive performs up nonetheless had too many negatives.”
Ryan Fitzgerald made a 54-yard discipline purpose try, his third kick from 50 or extra yards in three video games, for the Seminoles.