Memphis did not wait long to send a message in Charles Huff’s first game.
The Tigers walked into Las Vegas and came out with a 27-21 comeback win over UNLV, a nationally televised matchup between two Group of Six contenders that gave Memphis exactly what it needed: a hard-nosed start, a composed finish and an early jolt to its College Football Playoff hopes.
Memphis was down 21-14 in the third quarter, but it closed the game with the final 13 points and left no doubt about the kind of fight Huff wants his team to show. In a spot where a lot of Group of Six hopefuls can’t afford to blink, the Tigers took UNLV’s best punch and kept moving forward.
"This was a national statement," Huff said. "Not just about the score and not just about the game.
But that the Memphis Tiger community is serious about this program and the direction this program is going. This was just one game, but the momentum it created, the statement that it's making is huge."
Marcus Stokes, the former West Florida standout, looked settled in his first start at this level. He threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over, and he kept answering when UNLV put points on the board. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Stonka Burnside early in the third quarter flipped the feel of the night, and Jaylin Carter added another response with a 36-yard touchdown run.
Memphis also won the game at the line of scrimmage. The Tigers piled up six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, then turned the pressure up late with four sacks in the final seven minutes. They also forced a fourth-down stop inside the red zone, one of the key plays that helped shut the door on the Rebels.
That mattered against a UNLV team that had won 11 straight games when leading at halftime, with its last such loss coming against Syracuse on Oct. 4, 2024.
For Huff, the opener was about more than just surviving a tough road test. It was about showing that a reworked roster, a new coach and an untested quarterback could still travel, absorb a punch and finish stronger than the opponent.
The bigger picture is already easy to see. Memphis stays on the CFP selection committee’s radar with the win, but the next step looms even larger: a Sept. 12 road game at Boise State. If the Tigers get to 3-0 with victories at UNLV and Boise State, their September résumé would stack up with anyone else in the Group of Six mix.
There’s still a long road ahead. Memphis hosts Arkansas State before heading to Boise State, then gets UT Martin and an open date.
Conference play brings its own traps, including an Oct. 16 trip to Tulane. November road games at South Florida and Navy could wind up carrying elimination-game weight in what should be a crowded American race.
The path is clear enough. Beat Boise State, stay out of trouble, and win the American championship. A close loss in Boise wouldn’t end the season, but it would leave Memphis needing help.
For now, though, the Tigers have their opening statement. Boise State will tell the rest of the story.
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