What Memphis players said about being 'dealt a bad hand' with bowl opt-outs
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TAMPA, FL — Memphis football was never competitive against NC State on Dec. 19.
That was partly because of a rough first half by the defense, but it was also because Memphis’ offense was playing without a majority of its starters. The Tigers (8-5) were without starting left tackle Chris Adams, right tackle Travis Burke, left guard Malachi Breland, running back Greg Desrosiers, running back Sutton Smith and receiver Cortez Braham.
Some of those absences were due to injuries and some were due to opt-outs. None were announced before the game.
Memphis was never competitive and lost 31-7.
Interim coach Reggie Howard said postgame that Braham tried to play but couldn’t because of an injury.
“We put the people on the field that were ready to play today,” Howard said. “At the end of the day, the guys that were out there were ready to play. And we played them. The other guys, they showed up to practice every day. It wasn’t a situation where guys (weren’t) practicing.”
It was Memphis’ first game after the departure of Ryan Silverfield, who left for Arkansas after the regular season ended. Silverfield will be replaced by Southern Miss’ Charles Huff, but Huff was not involved with planning for the bowl game.
Silverfield took offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, receivers coach Larry Smith and offensive line coach Jeff Myers with him to Fayetteville, and they all left before the bowl game as well. That meant Memphis was down multiple coaches and multiple players on that side of the ball. Quarterback Brendon Lewis acknowledged that the Tigers were “dealt a bad hand” in their preparation.
“It is what it is,” defensive lineman William Whitlow Jr. said. “You can never really fault another man for making a better decision for himself and his family. You can never be mad at that. I’m not mad at anyone who chose to not play or anything of that nature, that chose to pursue a job elsewhere. I’m not mad at you for that either.”
Memphis ended the season on a four-game losing streak. The Tigers entered November as the highest-ranked team in the Group of Five, but faltered down the stretch and missed out on CFP and conference championship game.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis players said about bowl game opt-outs after loss to NC State
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