Tiger Football Podcast

Welcome to another week of the Memphis Football Podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes break down the Tigers' gut-wrenching, quadruple overtime loss to East Carolina. The guys assess the state of the program and coach Ryan Silverfield after a second consecutive loss while leading by at least 17 points. They also go over the key moments from last week's game, including the failed two-point conversion in second overtime. Can Memphis rebound at No. 25 Tulane on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ESPN2) or should fans be worried about how the program regressing? We're also joined by this week's special guest Guerry Smith, Tulane beat writer for NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. He breaks down how the 6-1 Green Wave are off to their best start since 1998 and why Tulane's defense has become one of the nation's best in scoring and passing defense.

Welcome to another week of the Memphis Football Podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto and beat writer Evan Barnes return to discuss the aftermath of the Tigers' shocking 33-32 loss to Houston despite leading by 19 points in the fourth quarter. Fans might question decisions from Friday's loss but while Evan noted how many past issues this season flared up in the collapse, Mark takes a different view on what decisions coach Ryan Silverfield were baffling or understandable. The duo discuss how Memphis can avoid a similar situation to last season where the Tigers suffered a collapse against UTSA and it led to a three-game losing streak that derailed the 2021 campaign. The episode wraps up looking at Saturday's game at East Carolina (6:30 p.m., ESPNU). At 4-2, Memphis is right where many expected to be, including us, but can they get right against a tough ECU offense? How important will this game be given that a red-hot Tulane team is lurking next week?

Welcome back to another week of the Memphis Football Podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto and beat writer Evan Barnes break down the Tigers' win over Temple and a busy short week ahead of facing Houston on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2). Mark and Evan discuss how fans should feel about a 4-1 Tigers team, concerns about the offense and if the Tigers' defense-first identity will help ahead as the schedule gets tougher. They also discuss what to make of the team's low attendance through three home games and how things hopefully will improve in the final AAC regular season matchup with the Cougars. This week's guest is longtime Houston beat writer Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle. Duarte breaks down what's gone wrong with a Cougars team that's struggled since being a preseason Top 25 team. He also addresses how Houston views this rivalry as it extends to men's basketball as well as football.

Welcome back to another episode of the Memphis Football Podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes break down the Tigers' 44-34 win over North Texas. The guys break down how well the defense played with three takeaways but also the concerns about the offense not looking so explosive. Does it emphasize how much the Tigers (3-1, 1-0) will rise or fall on the right arm of quarterback Seth Henigan? There's no special guest this week so Mark and Evan go deeper into the Tigers' matchup with Temple (2-2, 0-0) on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPNU) to resume AAC play. How important is this game with the conference looking wide open? How should Memphis attack a Temple defense that's third nationally in sacks and fifth in passing defense?

Welcome back to this week's episode of the Memphis football podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto and beat writer Evan Barnes kick things off breaking down the Tigers' win over Arkansas State. Was the close score a worry or is the Tigers (2-1, 1-0) offense in great shape because of quarterback Seth Henigan taking steps forward in his second season? The guys also look around the AAC to see how Memphis can take advantage of how the league looks so far. With the Tigers hosting North Texas Saturday (2:30 p.m., ESPN+), this week's guest is North Texas beat writer Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle. Brett explains if the Mean Green are seeing this game as an AAC tuneup, the story behind 29-year-old starting quarterback Austin Aune, and how the North Texas run game could challenge the Tigers. Finally, the episode wraps up looking at the return of Grant Gunnell to Memphis after the quarterback transferred to North Texas. It's a minor subplot since he's the backup QB but it gives a chance to revisit the battle and

Welcome to another week with the Memphis Football Podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto and beat writer Evan Barnes are back to break down the Tigers' commanding win over Navy. The duo go over what they liked, some mild concerns and what the next four games at home mean for Memphis. Can the Tigers (1-1) build on this momentum for their home opener against Arkansas State on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+) This week's special guest is Kara Richey, host of The Workday Red Zone radio show as well as pregame radio host for Arkansas State football. She breaks down how the Red Wolves looked in their first two games and if she expects another repeat of last year's 55-50 thriller that Memphis won in Jonesboro.

Welcome to this week's Tiger Football Podcast! Columnist Mark Giannotto is back to join football beat writer Evan Barnes as they recap last week's 49-23 loss to Mississippi State. The guys break down what went wrong and what problems stood out the most. Were the problems a sign of things to come or just issues facing an SEC opponent. We're also joined by longtime Navy beat writer Bill Wagner of the Capital Gazette. Navy also lost its season opener, a 14-7 defeat to Delaware, and the Midshipmen's struggles could either give Memphis a boost or catch the Tigers napping if they're not ready Saturday. Finally, Mark and Evan preview the Navy game and what will be the keys for Memphis avoiding an 0-2 start.

Football season is back and so is the Memphis Tigers Football Podcast! Ahead of Mississippi State on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPNU), the podcast welcomes Stefan Krajisnik, who covers Mississippi State for the Clarion Ledger. Stefan breaks down what to watch from the Bulldogs and if they're seeking revenge or just want to welcome the Tigers with fans ringing cowbells. Finally, Mark and Evan give their predictions for Memphis' final record and if this will be a bounce-back year that fans can rally behind. 

Memphis is still in offseason mode but there's still things going after National Signing Day and the release of the schedulethis month. Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes break down their early expectations of the schedule. Should Tigers fans be hopeful or concerned? Is 7-8 wins a fair prediction this early? They also discuss Memphis' signing class and what it means that Memphis added more junior college players than in 2021. They also give their first impressions of new coordinators Tim Cramsey and Matt Barnes and the benefits and challenges they'll bring coming in. Finally, we wrap with some NFL Draft talk after Calvin Austin III and Dylan Parham had strong showings at the Senior Bowl. Could Memphis see multiple draft picks this year? Time will tell.

Memphis is going to the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24 (7 p.m., ESPN) and there's reason to celebrate. But there's also reason to look back at this season and not be satisfied with the journey. Tigers football beat writer Evan Barnes is joined by men's basketball beat writer Jason Munz as they revisit the highs from Memphis' 33-28 win over Tulane. They look at what going to an eighth consecutive bowl game means for the program and try to predict which Mountain West team the Tigers could face. More: Memphis football grades: Why Tigers earned straight A's in win over Tulane GIANNOTTO: Memphis football kept its bowl streak alive. It meant more to Ryan Silverfield than anyone else Finally, they evaluate the Tigers' 6-6 record and ask what changes must be done going forward. Should Memphis fans be satisfied or concerned with how the team looked getting to Hawaii.  

There's plenty at stake for Memphis hosting Tulane Saturday. If the Tigers lose, they won't be bowl eligible and coach Ryan Silverfield's seat gets much hotter. On this week's Tigers Football Podcast, columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes dive into why Memphis needs to win its regular season finale. They look at the pressure surrounding Silverfield given how inconsistent the program has been in his two seasons. Regardless what happens, Silverfield is facing many questions about where the program is headed. A win against a 2-9 Tulane team can change the tenor but a loss makes the noise even louder than things are sinking fast.

Memphis (5-5) is once again back at .500 and so this week's Tigers Football Podcast asks if the Tigers can still reach bowl eligibility? They also ask if the Tigers' inconsistent season is part of a bigger problem over the past two years. Want a weekly breakdown of all things Grizzlies, Tigers and 901 FC? Consider subscribing to our Memphis Sports newsletter. Columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes also go back to Memphis' failed two-point conversion in its loss to East Carolina. They could understand  the decision but saw other things that highlight lingering issues, starting with an offense that's struggling to score. They also look ahead to Friday's game against No. 17 Houston. Can the Tigers pull off another upset or are they running into the best team they'll face all season?

This week's Memphis Football Podcast is another victory edition. We break down the highs and concerns from the Tigers' upset win over SMU last week. Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes break down the return of quarterback Seth Henigan, Memphis' successful gambles on 4th down and the Tigers' best defensive effort of the season. They also talk about how the Tigers found another way to elevate their play in November, a trend since 2016. Finally, we look towards Memphis hosting ECU Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN+) looking to extend its November winning streak of 17 games since 2016. A win makes the Tigers bowl eligible for an eighth consecutive season but an ECU win means the Pirates will be bowl eligible for the first time since 2014.

Two years ago, Memphis hosted SMU in one of the highlights in program history. A crowd on Beale Street for ESPN's "College GameDay" and a nationally televised game where the Tigers won 54-48. On this week's Tigers Football Podcast, we discuss where Memphis stands as a program now hosting No. 24 SMU on Saturday (11 am., ESPNU). Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto returns from paternity leave and joins football beat writer Evan Barnes analyzing how the last two years have gone. The duo also discuss the quarterback situation and if they think Seth Henigan will return vs. SMU or if Memphis will have to turn to Peter Parrish again. They break down the advantages/disadvantages and what the Tigers need to do differently with the offense to keep up with SMU. Finally, they discuss the matchup. Can Memphis hang with the SMU receivers? Can the defense keep improving from the past two weeks? Or are the Tigers in danger of seeing their 16-game November streak end and facing questions about bowl eligibility.

Memphis (4-4, 1-3) enters its open week with more questions and fans worried. Will quarterback Seth Henigan (shoulder injury) be healthy to play vs. SMU? Is bowl eligibility in jeopardy? Commercial Appeal football beat writer Evan Barnes and men's basketball beat writer Jason Munz dive into those concerns on this week's Tigers Football Podcast. They recap the struggles against UCF as quarterback Peter Parrish started his first game since his senior year of high school. They also touch on an interesting topic. Memphis got eight transfers from Power Five schools but four have been hurt and only one transfer has been a regular contributor. Is that a sign of bad luck or bad evaluation at positions the Tigers need help in? Finally, the duo look ahead to the Tigers' final four games. Can the Tigers get to six wins to qualify for a bowl game and which games - if any - are winnable in November?

A rivalry is renewed as Memphis travels to Central Florida looking for its first win at the Bounce House. Commercial Appeal football beat writer Evan Barnes is joined by special guests this week with men's basketball beat writer Jason Munz and preps writer Khari Thompson. The trio recap Memphis' much-needed win over Navy and break down what the Tigers need to do to beat UCF. They also discuss if receiver Calvin Austin III deserves more national attention as one of the most productive players in the country. Finally, they also discuss AAC realignment news with reports the conference is set to add six new members.

Things are shaky for Memphis as the Tigers deal with their first three-game losing streak since 2015. Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes break down the Tulsa loss and the recurring problems such as turnovers, defensive lapses and more. They also look ahead to assess if Memphis can turn its season around or if the schedule presents too many hurdles. Finally, they dive into Thursday's night game with Navy and why Navy's struggles either present a chance for the Tigers to get right or stay wrong if they continue their mistakes.

After an unexpected week off, the Memphis Football Podcast returns to diagnose what's gone wrong during the Tigers' two-game losing streak. Are the Tigers' fumbling problems the biggest concern? Is it time for fans to panic with a 3-2 team? Columnist Mark Giannotto and beat writer Evan Barnes break down the positives of the offense but also some adjustments. They dive into the problems with a Tigers' defense ranked near the bottom nationally in almost every major category. They wrap things looking ahead to Memphis at Tulsa on Saturday (8 p.m., ESPN2) as well as changes coming to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, which will have a new name and perhaps more renovations on the way. 

Welcome back to an exciting Tigers football podcast! There was much to say after Memphis defeated Mississippi Stateand we cover it all plus more in a lengthy episode. Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes discuss all the highs from Saturday, including Calvin Austin III's insane punt-return touchdown and the reaction from the SEC. They also discuss the key moments of the Tigers' win and where things stand after a 3-0 start. The duo also look over the AAC landscape and how the Tigers stack up to their conference peers. Finally, they discuss Saturday's game with Texas-San Antonio (2:30 p.m., ESPNU) and why the Roadrunners are a classic "trap game" opponent.

Welcome back to the Memphis football podcast! This week's show looks ahead to the Tigers (2-0) hosting Mississippi State (2-0) on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN2) for the first time since 2011. Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto and football beat writer Evan Barnes recap last week's wild win over Arkansas State and if fans should be concerned about the Tigers' defense. If they couldn't slow down Arkansas State, can the Tigers contain Mississippi State's Air-Raid offense? We discuss the keys to the game and also the implications for Memphis trying to impress national observers with conference realignment in the news. The game will also honor former Tigers receiver Isaac Bruce, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.  There will also be a pregame moment of silence for former Tigers linebacker Danton Barto, who died in August from COVID-19. Both Bruce and Barto were on the 1993 Memphis State team that was the last to defeat Mississippi State.