University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
East Carolina
Oct 21, 2026 | Football
The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 with Matt Barrie on play-by-play, Chase Daniel on color and Paul Carcaterra on the sideline. The game will also be available to listen to on 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS, Memphis' Athletics flagship station for Tiger Sports Network, with Dave Woloshin (play-by-play), Jarvis Greer (analyst) and Greg Gaston, Sr. (sideline) on the call.
SETTING THE SCENE
• Memphis looks for a quick turnaround after falling 31-17 last Friday at Tulane, dropping the Tigers to fourth in the conference standings.
• RB Jaylin Carter shined in the backfield, logging a career-high 23 carries for 135 yards, his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season.
o Carter also has at least 12 carries in six of seven games this season.
• Despite a less than ideal result last week, the Tiger offense continues to be one of the most dangerous in the nation, ranking fifth in first downs (176), eighth in rushing (236.9 ypg), 25th in passing (274.9 ypg), fifth in passing efficiency (178.86) and sixth in total offense (511.7 ypg).
• The Memphis passing attack, currently the fifth-most efficient in the country, has been one of the most balanced as well, with six receivers in double figures in catches, five with at least 200 receiving yards and six with multiple receiving touchdowns.
o QB Marcus Stokes has 18 touchdowns on the year, already surpassing last year's leader (Brendon Lewis, 16 passing touchdowns).
• Memphis' defense failed to get to the quarterback as well as previous weeks, only recording one sack, but the Tigers did keep Tulane behind the line of scrimmage with seven tackles for a loss.
o DL Elijah Kinsler led that charge with 2 TFLs, following by 1.5 by each of LB JJ Clayton and CB Chauncey Logan Jr.
• The 2026 Memphis Tigers roster features a grand total of 81 newcomers, split between 20 true freshmen and 61 transfers, with 27 returners from last season.
• Huff brings along 17 players from his 2025 Southern Miss squad, including All-Sun Belt performers: DE J'Mond Tapp, LB Mike Montgomery and SAF Ian Foster.
o The list also includes 5 players who played for Huff at both Marshall and Southern Miss.
• Memphis returns just four players (CB Chauncey Logan Jr., DL Taylor Burton, WR Brady Kluse, OL Parker Mitchell) that started at least one game for the Tigers in 2025.
• The Tigers currently have 112 victories since 2014, the 10th-most in the nation during that stretch and the most among current American Conference schools.
• Dating back to a win over UAB in the 2023 season, Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 31 of its last 40 games. Over that stretch, the Tigers have created 70 takeaways (39 INT, 31 FR).
• Memphis had a streak of 35 games with two or fewer turnovers snapped against Tulane last week, the second-longest streak by an American Conference team at the time.
• Memphis has scored at least 15 points in 89-consecutive home games. The streak is the second-longest active streak in the FBS and the fourth-longest overall streak since 1978.
INSIDE THE SERIES
• The Tigers and Pirates meet for the 26th time, with East Carolina holding a substantial 17-8 lead in the all-time series.
• The last three matchups in 2021, 2022 and 2025 have all come down to the wire, with 2021 and 2022 being overtime losses by one and two points, respectively.
• Last season's matchup was a 31-27 loss in Greenville where did not trail from the 12:50 mark in the second quarter until the final 1:08 in the fourth, with ECU scoring from 31 yards out to take the win.
• Charles Huff has actually already faced East Carolina twice as a head coach, going 1-1 against the Pirates during his time at Marshall, losing 38-42 in 2021 before comfortably winning by a score of 31-13 in 2023.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
• East Carolina comes into the matchup after suffering a 30-17 overtime loss last Thursday at UAB, moving the Pirates to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
• The Pirates have deployed a multi-quarterback scheme this season between former Miami (FL) QB Emory Williams and former Wake Forest/Marshall/Texas Tech QB Mitch Griffis.
o Williams has had the slight edge in workload, completing 68-of-104 (65.4%) of his passes for 655 yards and seven touchdowns, while Griffis is 38-of-70 for 424 yards. Each have thrown a pair of interceptions this season.
• In the backfield, TJ Engleman Jr. has been the primary ballcarrier, with Ashton Gray and Michael Allen spelling him for a combined 80 carries and 305 yards.
o Engelman Jr. has 71 carries on the year (around a third of ECU's total carries) and has 490 net yards, accounting for 52.5% of the Pirates' rushing yards.
• East Carolina's pass catchers have seen mixed results, with Ray Ray Joseph Jr. sitting as the favorite target with 29 catches for 272 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterbacks have spread the ball around evenly, with eight different players catching a touchdown pass this season.
• The Pirate defense has a multitude of Memphis connections, primarily in defensive coordinator Jordon Hankins, safety Myles Pollard and linebackers Cade and Crews Law.
• On defense, former Memphis defensive coordinator Jordon Hankins has the Pirates getting in the backfield at a better rate than the Tigers, winning the TFL battle 61.0-40.0 and the sack comparison 18.0-16.0.
• The sacks have also been balanced with 15 players logging at least half a sack, including three (Kieran Davis, Kendrick DuJour and Jasiyah Robinson) with at least two sacks.
o Davis also has a strong lead of 8.0 tackles for loss, edging Kinsler for the lead among players in the matchup.
o Four other Pirates have at least 4.0 tackles for loss, including former Tiger, Crews Law.
• In the defensive backfield, Ayden Duncanson leads with a pair of interceptions while Julien Davis, Angelo Ross and former Tiger Myles Pollard.
• To note, East Carolina has blocked two kicks on the season.
"THREE THINGS IN LIFE THAT'S CERTAIN: DEATH, TAXES AND THAT THE TIGERS GONE' HUNT" - W, 27-21 at UNLV
• The Tigers opened the Charles Huff era with a statement win over RV/RV UNLV, a program who entered the season with higher odds than Memphis of becoming the Non-P4 representative in the College Football Playoff.
• Memphis entered the half trailing 14-7 after allowing a pair of explosive UNLV plays, only countered by the first of many connections from QB Marcus Stokes to TE Hunter Tipton on a 16-yard passing touchdown.
• In the second half, Stokes knotted the game up at 14 apiece on a 48-yard pass to WR Stonka Burnside, with RB Jaylin Carter later scoring on a 36-yard run to make it 21-21.
• The Tiger defense stood tall in the second half, limiting UNLV to just seven points in the final 30 minutes, forcing a pair of turnovers-on-downs and sacking Jackson Arnold six times, highlighted by 2.5 from DL Elijah Kinsler.
• Stokes finished his Memphis debut 15-for-26 for 223 yards and a pair of touchdown passes, also netting 45 yards on the ground.
• In a display of pure dominance at the point of attack, the Tigers recorded six sacks, with DL Elijah Kinsler (2.5), DL J'Mond Tapp (1.0), DL Taylor Burton (1.0), DL Joseph Head Jr. (1.0) and DL Jaden McKinney (0.5) all wreaking havoc in the backfield.
CHRISTENING THE STADIUM WITH A RIVALRY WIN - W, 42-24 vs. ARKANSAS STATE
• In front of a sold-out crowd of 45,632 in the newly renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, the Tigers put on a dominant display with a 42-24 win over Arkansas State in the Paint Bucket Bowl.
• RB Jaylin Carter shined for a second week in a row, this time going off for 183 rushing yards and four touchdowns, matching Mario Anderson Jr.'s TD total against North Texas in 2024 and the most rushing yards since Greg Desrosiers Jr.'s 204 last season at Florida Atlantic.
o Carter was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
• Carter wasn't the only Memphis running back to show out as Manny Covey had 15 carries for 103 yards, giving him his first career 100-yard rushing game as well.
• QB Marcus Stokes became the first Memphis Tiger with 2 or more passing TDs in his first two starts since Riley Ferguson in 2016, finding Jermane Hayes and Aidan O'Callaghan in the end zone for each's first collegiate touchdown.
• After Memphis' defensive line starred against UNLV, the Tiger secondary stole the show against the Red Wolves as SAF Dylan Smith, SAF Ahmere Foster and LB Zach Ruffin each picked off Arkansas State QB Trey Owens a total of four times.
o Smith picked off Owens twice, the first time a Tiger had multiple INTs in a game since Sylvonta Oliver in the 2022 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against Utah State.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES - L, 20-38 at BOISE STATE
• The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season in a battle of two of the frontrunners for the top Group of Six program in a matchup that saw a contrast in play style and two completely different halves of competition.
• Memphis, a program formerly known for dominating time of possession, led 20-17 at the half with two of its scores just taking 33 seconds off the clock on an 87-yard reception by TE Hunter Tipton and an 80-yard run by RB Jaylin Carter.
o Memphis' four scoring drives, all coming in the first half, took a total of 4:33 off the clock.
o Comparatively, Boise State's scoring drives took a combined 21:14 of game time.
• After carrying a 20-17 lead into the half, Boise State took a commanding lead after a pair of defensive stops and scores, including the first punt-return touchdown allowed by Memphis since 2021.
• Memphis was shutout completely in the second half, with Boise State scoring the final 21 points of the game.
• QB Marcus Stokes had a career night in the loss, passing for 384 yards and connecting on three passes of 40-plus yards.
• TE Hunter Tipton had one of the best single-game performances by a Memphis tight end in program history, finishing the game with nine catches for 229 yards and a touchdown, en route to being named the John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week.
o It was the most receiving yards by a Tiger since Calvin Austin III's 200 against Tulsa in 2021.
• SAF Dylan Smith led Memphis with 12 tackles in the loss, a new career high for the Southern Miss transfer.
A FULL SUPPORTING CAST PUT ON A SHOW - W, 45-21 vs. UT MARTIN
• The Tigers took care of business at home, putting up a third-straight 500-plus yard performance against UT Martin.
• QB Marcus Stokes became the first Tiger since Seth Henigan in 2024 to pass for 4 TDs in a game, also tying his own career-high of 26 completions.
o Stokes was named an American Conference Weekly Honorable Mention for his performance.
• A multitude of backs featured for the Tigers, with true freshman Jordan Thompson gaining 110 yards with one touchdown on just six carries.
• Memphis took a balanced approach passing, with 12 different players catching a pass, the most in a game since 2021.
o Included in those receivers were RB Jaylin Carter, WR Joshua Joseph and TE Jonathan Harding, who all logged their first career touchdown receptions.
• The Tiger defense was also balanced, with no player making more than five tackles, but with 22 different players recording a tackle.
A MONSOON OF SCORING - W, 59-8 at CHARLOTTE
• Memphis opened American Conference play with a 59-8 rout of Charlotte in an adjusted matchup, with kickoff moved up by four-and-a-half hours due to inclement weather in the Charlotte area.
• Before the skies opened up in the Queen City, QB Marcus Stokes went off in the first half with three passing touchdowns to Jermane Hayes, Jemyri Davis and Hunter Tipton, with his pass to Hayes going for 93 yards - the second-longest passing touchdown in program history.
• Memphis' defense also came through in the first half, forcing turnovers on back-to-back possession with an interception by Ian Foster and a fumble forced and recovered by Chauncey Logan Jr.
• The Tigers ended the first half with a 24-0 lead after Philippe Laforge connected on a 20-yarder as the clock hit zero.
• Stokes followed up with another pair of touchdowns in the second half, finding Tipton again and Stonka Burnside, with Burnside 'Mossing' a corner to come down with the catch.
o Stokes finished the game 20-for-25 for 318 yards and five touchdowns, with the touchdowns matching his career high.
• Memphis continued the scoring with three more touchdowns in the second half, one from Air Noland to Brady Kluse and a pair of rushing touchdowns by Dallan Hayden and Jordan Thompson.
• LB JJ Clayton also came up big in the second half, recovering a pair of fumbles on a botched snap and on a kickoff return, with the latter forced by Tylon Nash.
• WR Jermane Hayes logged his first career 100-yard receiving game, finishing with 123 on six catches.
• TE Hunter Tipton continued his strong campaign for being the top tight end in college football, hauling in three passes for 60 yards, including a pair of scores.
• WR Stonka Burnside had season-high marks with four catches for 58 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown catch.
BRINGING THE BONES HOME - W, 38-13 vs. UAB
• After dropping last season's matchup in Birmingham, Memphis made sure to leave no doubt when returning the Battle for the Bones Trophy to the 901, beating the Blazers by four scores.
• Memphis leaned on its rushing attack and defense in the win, with RB Jaylin Carter tallying 132 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.
o TE Hunter Tipton even got in on the ground attack, scoring on a leaping goal line rush.
• QB Marcus Stokes managed the Tiger offense well, finding Tychaun Chapman and Aidan O'Callaghan through the air from 45 and 13 yards out.
• Memphis' defense wreaked havoc on the Blazers, registering eight tackles for loss with sacks by Zach Ruffin, Elijah Kinsler and J'Mond Tapp, along with two forced fumbles by Jabari Ishmael and Tapp, and an interception by Dylan Smith.
• It was the third time this season that Memphis had at least two passing and rushing touchdowns.
WIPED OUT - L, 17-31 at TULANE
• Despite committing the most turnovers since 2006 (6), the Tigers made it a one-score game with Tulane up until the final 94 seconds.
• The Tigers' six turnover came on three interceptions and three lost fumbles, while having six total fumbles forced in the game.
o Memphis also caused two turnovers of its own on an Ahmere Foster interception and a Jaylen Lewis kickoff fumble recovery.
• WR Stonka Burnside had a career night against the Green Wave, catching seven passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, being named an American Conference Weekly Honorable Mention for his performance.
• Even with being held out of the end zone, RB Jaylin Carter had a career-high 23 carries for 135 yards, his third-career 100-plus rushing yard game.
• WR Jemyri Davis also had a solid game, hauling in four passes for 89 yards and a score.
• Memphis' defense kept Tulane at bay, only allowing just over 300 yards of total offense and recording seven TFLs, led by Elijah Kinsler's 2.0, followed by JJ Clayton and Chauncey Logan Jr. with 1.5 each.
