MEMPHIS, Tenn. (August 31, 2024) – Points and yards were hard for North Alabama to generate at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium against a Memphis squad picked to win the American Athletic Conference and considered a threat to compete for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The Lions (0-2) committed turnovers on three straight drives as the Tigers (1-0) broke open a tight game by scoring 24 points in the second quarter on their way to a 40-0 victory before an announced crowd of 25,849.
UNA’s offense was limited to just 123 total yards through three quarters but found a bit of a spark on its last two drives and finished with 185.
One late highlight came in the fourth as sophomore punter Adam Watford turned a fumbled snap into a fourth-down conversion by sprinting 33 yards to the Memphis 37. The Lions maintained possession for 19 plays, moving from their 25 to the Tigers 31 and chewing up almost 10 minutes off the clock.
The shutout loss was UNA’s second in three years to the Tigers, but just the fourth shutout overall since 2001.
Quarterbacks Ari Patu (15-of-26 with two interceptions) and TJ Smith (2-of-2) passed for a combined 118 yards. Ten different players caught at least one pass for UNA, led by Takairee Kenebrew with four receptions. Kenebrew now has over 100 career receptions with 102.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
Memphis 7, North Alabama 0: The host Tigers won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Memphis drove 70 yards in 10 plays for the game’s first points, with Doak Walker Award candidate Mario Anderson Jr. scoring on a four-yard run at the 10:05 mark.
SECOND QUARTER
Memphis 14, North Alabama 0: An interception led to the Tigers’ next score. After linebacker Matt Hudson picked off a Lions pass near midfield, Memphis went 52 yards in nine plays with Seth Henigan tossing a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Landphere on the first play of the second quarter.
Memphis 21, North Alabama 0: Another turnover gave the Tigers possession at their 46. Memphis needed just three plays to get into the end zone, with Henigan hooking up with Brendan Doyle for a 32-yard TD at the 8:11 mark.
Memphis 28, North Alabama 0: The second-quarter implosion continued as the Lions lost a fumble in their own territory and Memphis again scored quickly. Anderson had a 17-yard jaunt on the first play after UNA’s turnover and scored his second TD on a five-yard run two plays later.
Memphis 31, North Alabama 0: Caden Costa finished off the first-half scoring by kicking a 38-yard field goal after the Tigers drove 35 yards following a UNA punt.
THIRD QUARTER
Memphis 34, North Alabama 0: Another Costa field goal, this time from 25 yards, capped off a 59-yard, seven-play drive by the Tigers after UNA failed to convert on fourth-and-4 from the Memphis 38.
FOURTH QUARTER
Memphis 40, North Alabama 0: Memphis padded its lead early in the fourth quarter. With Henigan still in the game, the Tigers moved 63 yards in four plays with Greg Derosiers Jr. capping the drive with a five-yard run. The extra point attempt failed.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
“TK†Kennebrew’s four-yard reception in the second quarter was the 100 of the seventh-year senior’s career. Kennebrew, UNA’s all-time record holder in career TD catches (26) and receiving TDs in a season (10), finished with a team-high four receptions.
Redshirt senior defensive back Gregory Reddick was UNA’s leading tackler for the second week in a row. Reddick, who had 12 tackles in the season opener, made seven solo stops against Memphis, including one tackle for loss.
True freshman Fred Vili had his first career sack and finished with three tackles.
Patu’s 23-yard throw to Kobe Warden was his longest completion of the season. Patu also caught a pass from backup T.J. Smith for a 13-yard gain.
Watford punted four times for a 34.5 yard average and rushed for a first down with his 33-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
Dennis Moody, Smith, Dakota Warfield, Patu, Jalyn Daniels, K.J. Fields, Logan Collier and linebacker Jackson Bratton were all made their first receptions of the 2024 season.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, home of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, is the sixth-largest facility that a North Alabama football team has played in. The only larger venues were 80,000-seat Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, vs. Abilene Christian (2011); 79,560-seat Doak Campbell Stadium vs. No. 4 Florida State (2023); Legion Field, at different capacities, in Birmingham vs. Jacksonville State (1971), Alabama A&M (1989) and Miles College (2012, 2015); 63,470-seat Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah vs. Brigham Young (2020); and 60,492-seat Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., vs. Jackson State (2018).
UNA is the first of three opponents from the state of Alabama that Memphis plays this season, all at home. The Tigers host Troy next Saturday, Sept. 7, and will entertain AAC rival UAB on Nov. 16. Only Alabama State plays more opponents from the state – Miles, Samford, Alabama A&M and Tuskegee.
Memphis has scored 20 or more points in 28 consecutive games – the longest active streak in the nation.
Memphis is the Lions’ fifth consecutive opponent that either been ranked or received votes in a national poll. UNA’s final three opponents in 2023, Austin Peay (FCS #20), Central Arkansas (FCS #25) and Florida State (FBS #4) were ranked, respectively, while Southeast Missouri and Memphis picked up votes this year.
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions (0-2) host Illinois State (0-1) from the Missouri Valley Conference at Braly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7. The Redbirds fell to Iowa 40-0 in their season opener.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN+. The Lions are 52-20-3 all-time in home openers, including a 41-27 win over Chattanooga in 2023.
