Memphis Falls to NC State in Gasparilla Bowl, Closes Season at 8-5
TAMPA, Fla. - In a game that quickly got away from them, the Memphis Tigers couldn’t recover from an early NC State surge, falling 31-7 in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday night.
From the opening kickoff, NC State set the tone. The Wolfpack wasted no time putting points on the board, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and adding another 10 in the second before Memphis could mount any kind of response. The Tigers found a glimmer of life midway through the second quarter when quarterback Brendon Lewis connected with Jamari Hawkins on a 28-yard touchdown pass - their lone score of the night.
But just when it looked like Memphis might claw its way back into the game, NC State answered with a back-breaking touchdown in the final two minutes before halftime. That score didn’t just extend the Wolfpack’s lead - it erased any momentum Memphis had started to build.
The second half turned into a defensive stalemate, but the damage was already done. Neither side scored after the break, and NC State had more than enough cushion to cruise to the finish line.
With the loss, Memphis wraps up its season at 8-5. While the bowl result stings, the Tigers now turn the page toward a new chapter under incoming head coach Charles Huff. There’s talent on this roster and plenty to build on, but Friday night served as a reminder that there's work to do if Memphis wants to take the next step.