FRISCO, Texas — West Virginia’s latest game comes after the appointment of Rich Rodriguez as the head coach, mirroring a similar event from 24 years ago when he took the reins for the first time. This time, however, Rodriguez will not be on the sidelines for the Mountaineers (6-6) as they face the 25th-ranked Memphis Tigers (10-2) in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night. Instead, Offensive Coordinator Chad Scott will step in as the interim coach following the dismissal of Neal Brown, who concluded his tenure with a record of 37-35 over six seasons.
Scott expressed his admiration for the players’ resilience during this transition, stating, “These players didn’t ask to be in this position, and the resiliency they’re showing right now is phenomenal.” He has been part of the West Virginia coaching staff for six years and has served as offensive coordinator for the last two. The Mountaineers suffered a disappointing 52-15 loss to Texas Tech in their last game, a setback that occurred just before Brown’s exit. Senior quarterback Garrett Greene is among 21 players aiming to secure a winning season. Reflecting on the turbulent season, Greene remarked, “The season obviously didn’t go the way that we had hoped… For me personally, I don’t want that to be the last experience that I have playing.”
On the other side, Memphis has achieved a historic milestone by compiling back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in their 109-year history. They have also qualified for a bowl game for 11 consecutive years, currently holding the longest streak among Group of Five schools, although they missed out on the 2021 Hawaii Bowl due to a last-minute withdrawal by Hawaii caused by COVID-19 issues.
One of the standout players for Memphis is Seth Henigan, making him the only current four-year starting quarterback in FBS to have remained with the same program throughout his college career. He has set new benchmarks for the Tigers, amassing 13,972 passing yards and 102 touchdown throws, both of which surpassed Brady White’s previous records. Henigan needs just two more touchdown passes to equal the American Athletic Conference’s record. His final collegiate game takes place close to his hometown of Denton, Texas, where he reflected, “I feel like it’s happened so fast… I feel like I was just a true freshman yesterday asking Brady White for advice. And now I’m Brady White.”
Interestingly, Rodriguez did not coach his very first bowl game with West Virginia either. He took over the program in 2000 following the retirement of Don Nehlen, a College Football Hall of Famer, who led the Mountaineers to a 49-38 victory against Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl, marking West Virginia’s first bowl win since 1984 and breaking an eight-game bowl losing streak.
Under Rodriguez, the Mountaineers compiled an impressive 60-26 record over seven seasons and have had subsequent coaching stints at various programs, including Michigan and Arizona. In this bowl season, Memphis has remarkably scored at least 20 points in 39 straight games, the longest such streak in the nation, while the University of Miami follows with a 16-game run. Coach Ryan Silverfield, now in his fifth year leading Memphis, boasts an undefeated record of 3-0 in bowl games, with the most recent victory being a 36-26 win over Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl played at their home stadium last season.
In regards to team dynamics, West Virginia will be without freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter, who is considering other options after entering the transfer portal, despite his potential return to the team. Trotter, who is the son of former NFL All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, recorded 92 tackles, ranking second on the team. His debut season was hindered by a leg injury.
As for Memphis, they have demonstrated exceptional stability, losing only two fumbles all year while leading the nation with 14 fumble recoveries, four of which were credited to linebacker Chandler Martin, who also leads the team in tackles and sacks. Their impressive plus-16 turnover margin places them just one behind FBS leader James Madison, which has a plus-17 margin.