EASYPOST HAWAI’I BOWL • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 • 7 PM CT • T.C. CHING ATHLETICS COMPLEX • HONOLULU, HAWAI’I • ESPN
Memphis Tigers Notes
SERIES HISTORY: FIRST MEETING
SETTING THE SCENE
• The University of Memphis Tigers will face Hawai’i in the 2021 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl on Friday, Dec. 24. The game is scheduled for an 7:00 p.m. CT kick and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. The contest can also be heard on the radio on 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS.
• Memphis’ appearance in the 2021 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will mark the eighth-straight season that the Tigers have made a bowl game.
• The eight-straight bowl game streak is the 12th-best in the nation and is the best among all non-Power 5 programs.
• The Tigers ended the regular season with a 33-28 win over Tulane on Nov. 27 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to become bowl eligible.
• True freshman quarterback Seth Henigan was outstanding once again, completing 27-of-42 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns, while linebacker JJ Russell had a game-high 10 tackles for Memphis and defensive back Quindell Johnson had nine stops, an interception and a pass breakup.
SCOUTING HAWAI’I
• Hawai’i ended the regular season with an overall record of 6-7 and a mark of 3-5 in Mountain West play. After starting the season 1-3, the Rainbow Warriors went 5-4 in the team’s final nine games to become bowl eligible, including two-straight wins in the last two weeks.
• The most impressive win for Hawai’i this season came on Homecoming to Fresno State, 27-24, on Oct. 2. The Bulldogs earned a berth to the New Mexico Bowl to face UTEP.
• Hawai’i demolished Wyoming in the final game of the season, 38-14, in Laramie. The Cowboys earned a bid to the 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
• Nine student-athletes from Hawai’i were named to All-Mountain West teams following the season. Linebacker Darius Muasau and defensive back Khoury Bethley were named to the first team while wide receiver Calvin Turner, Jr., and cornerback Cortez Davis were picked to the second team. Offensive linemen Kohl Levao, Ilm Manning, and Micah Vanterpool, wide receiver Nick Mardner and defensive lineman Jonah Laulu were named honorable mention.
INSIDE THE SERIES
• The 2021 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will be the first meeting between Memphis and Hawai’i.
• The EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will mark the ninth time in program history that the Tigers faced a program for the first time in a bowl game.
• The EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will mark the second bowl game Memphis has faced a current Mountain West opponent. The Tigers beat San Jose State, 28-9, in the 1971 Pasdena Bowl on Dec. 18, 1971.
• All-time against teams currently in the Mountain West, Memphis is 6-4.
GAME NOTES
EIGHT-STRAIGHT BOWLS
• Memphis’ appearance in the 2021 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will mark the eighth-straight season that the Tigers have made a bowl game.
• The eight-straight bowl game streak is the 12th-best in the nation and is the best among all non-Power 5 programs.
BOWL HISTORY
• The 2021 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will be the 15th bowl game in Memphis Football history.
• Overall, the Tigers are 6-8 in bowl games.
• The 25-10 victory over FAU in the 2020 Montgomery Bowl under head coach Ryan Silverfield marked Memphis’ first win in a bowl game since a 55-48 win over BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl in 2014.
• Memphis is looking to win bowl games in back-to-back season for the first time in program history.
ONE OF THE ELITE PROGRAMS IN THE NATION
• Memphis has posted 71 victories since 2014, giving the Tigers the 10th-most wins in the nation during that stretch along with Oklahoma State and San Diego State.
• The 71 wins are the most among American Athletic Conference schools during that stretch.
• The Tigers also rank 15th in the country in winning percentage dating back to 2014 with their 71-32 (.689) mark.
SIX TIGERS EARN ALL-AAC HONORS
• Six Tigers earned All-AAC honors following the completion of the regular season.
• Wide receiver Calvin Austin III was unanimously chosen by the AAC coaches to the first team, one of just three players to be unanimously selected.
• Joining Austin III on the All-AAC First Team are tight end Sean Dykes, offensive lineman Dylan Parham and linebacker JJ Russell.
• The four first-team honorees are the most for Memphis since the program had six in 2017.
• Earning second-team all-conference accolades for the Tigers are defensive lineman John Tate IV and defensive back Quindell Johnson.
DIFFICULT SCHEDULE
• Including the EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl, the Tigers will have faced eight teams who earned bowl bids this season.
• Memphis is 2-5 in those contests this year, with victories over Mississippi State and SMU. The Tigers’ losses have come against UTSA, Tulsa, UCF, East Carolina and Houston.
DYNAMIC DYKES
• Fifth-year Sean Dykes is making his case as one of the best tight ends in the country this season, earning All-AAC first team honors.
• Dykes led all AAC tight ends with 48 receptions, 657 yards and seven touchdowns.
• Dykes is the most prolific tight end in program history with his 1,826 receiving yards.
• Prior to this season, he was named to the Mackey Award Watch List and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List.
• In 2020, Dykes earned Honorable-Mention All-American Athletic Conference honors after reeling in 47 receptions for 581 yards and seven touchdowns.
• He averaged 12.4 yards per catch and totaled two games with over 100 yards receiving, including a standout performance in the victory over USF, going for 147 yards and two scores on seven catches.
ELITE LINEMAN
• Offensive lineman Dylan Parham established himself as one of the best offensive linemen not only in the AAC, but in the nation in 2021, earning All-AAC first-team accolades.
• He started all 12 games for the Tigers at right guard, not allowing a single sack in 545 pass protection snaps.
• In total, Parham only allowed two quarterback hits on the year.
RUSSELL TACKLES IT ALL
• Linebacker JJ Russell ranks fourth in the NCAA in solo tackles (6.5) and ninth in total tackles (10.2).
• Russell led the AAC with 123 total tackles, 78 solo tackles and 10.3 tackles per game to earn first-team all-conference honors.
• Russell also led the Tigers with eight quarterback hurries on the year to go with 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble.
• Russell is the first Memphis linebacker to earn first-team honors since Genard Avery in 2017.
JOHNSON, TATE IV EARN SECOND-TEAM ALL-AAC HONORS
• Defensive back Quindell Johnson and defensive lineman John Tate IV both earned Second-Team All-AAC honors this season for the Tigers.
• Johnson was named second-team All-AAC for the second-straight season after ranking second in the conference in total tackles (104) and solo tackles (66). He also ranked third in the league in tackles per game (8.7) and sixth in pass breakups (11).
• On the season, Tate IV totaled 36 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
NON-SATURDAY SUCCESS
• Since the start of 2014, Memphis is 22-5 (.815) in non-Saturday games.
• Memphis is 14-3 (.824) in games on Friday since 2014.
• The Tigers are 6-0 in Thursday night games and 10-0 at the Liberty Bowl in non-Saturday games.
TRUE FRESHMAN HENIGAN CONTINUES TO SHINE
• True freshman Seth Henigan has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation this season.
• Henigan ranks 10th in the NCAA in passing yards per game (302.0), 13th in total offense (315.4), 14th in passing yards per completion (14.14), 16th in passing yards (3,322) and 18th in passing touchdowns (25).
• Henigan is the highest-ranked true freshman in each of the categories.
• With his 3,322 passing yards on the season, Henigan broke Paxton Lynch’s program record of 2,056 passing yards as a freshman, set during Lynch’s redshirt year in 2013.
• Henigan’s 463 passing yards at Tulsa were the fourth-most passing yards in Memphis history.
• After his 22-of-33 for 417 yards and five touchdown performance at Arkansas State on Sept. 11, Henigan was named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 and to the midseason Davey O’Brien Award Watch List.
• Against Nicholls on Sept. 4, Henigan became the first true freshman QB to start a season opener in Memphis football history.
YOUTH IS SERVED
• Memphis has played a total of 27 redshirt or true freshmen this season. Of that total, 12 are true freshmen.
• Of the true freshmen who have played, quarterback Seth Henigan and defensive back Greg Rubin have each started 11 of 12 games.
IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
• The Tigers have been lighting up the scoreboard this year, establishing the unit as one of the best in the AAC.
• The Tigers rank 17th in the NCAA in passing offense (298.8) and 37th in the nation in total offense (434.9).
TIGERS INK 15 ON EARLY SIGNING DAY
• The class includes 10 high school seniors, as well as five transfers. The group includes six offensive players and nine on the defensive side of the ball.
• “The Memphis Football program just got a lot better today,” said head coach Ryan Silverfield. “We are excited about the addition of these great student-athletes. These young men will have bright futures on the football field, in the classroom and in our community. The future here is very bright”.
• The 2021 early period signing class features three student-athletes from Tennessee, three from Alabama, two from Georgia and Mississippi and one each from Arkansas, California, Florida, Kansas and South Carolina.
• Among the signees are three defensive backs, three defensive linemen, three linebackers, three offensive linemen, one running back, one tight end and one quarterback.
AMAZING AUSTIN III
• Redshirt senior Calvin Austin III established himself as one of the best wide receivers and weapons in the NCAA, earning unanimous First-Team All-AAC accolades.
• Austin III is the first wide receiver in program history to earn first-team all-conference honors in back-to-back seasons.
• Austin III ranks 19th in the NCAA in receiving yards (1,149), 19th in receiving yards per game (95.8), 26th in receptions per game (6.2) and 37th in receiving touchdowns (8).
• He led the AAC in receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receptions per game.
• Austin III posted two of the top-five receiving games in program history this year. His 239 yards at Arkansas State rank second, while his 200 at Tulsa rank fifth.
ONE OF THE BEST RECEIVERS IN MEMPHIS HISTORY
• Wide receiver Calvin Austin III had a historic season and career for the Tigers.
• With his 1,149 receiving yards, Austin III ranks fifth all-time on the Memphis single-season list and in a tie for fourth on the receptions list (74).
• He also ranks tied for 11th on the program’s single-season receiving touchdown list (8).
• For his career, Austin III ranks in a tie for second in receiving touchdowns (22), fourth in receiving yards (2,541), and fifth in receptions (156).
NOVEMBER NUMBERS
• Memphis is 18-2 in the team’s last 20 games in November dating back to the 2016 season.
• The Tigers saw the team’s 17-game win streak in the month snapped against East Carolina in overtime, 30-29, on Nov. 13.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
• Memphis has had a great home field advantage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, posting a record of 36-5 (.878) since head coach Ryan Silverfield joined the coaching staff in 2016.
• As a head coach, Silverfield is 11-2 (.846) at the Liberty Bowl.
MADE IN MEMPHIS
• Since 2015, 11 Memphis players have been drafted by the National Football League.
• RB Kenneth Gainwell was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round (150th overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft.
• With his selection, Memphis has had at least one player selected in eight-straight NFL Drafts.
• On current NFL rosters, five former Tigers are listed at running back (Antonio Gibson, Darrell Henderson, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Gainwell Patrick Taylor Jr.).
• Currently, 12 Tigers are on NFL rosters –RB Tony Pollard (Dallas), PK Riley Patterson (Detroit Lions), RB Patrick Taylor Jr. (Green Bay), RB Darrell Henderson (Los Angeles Rams), DL Bryce Huff (New York Jets), LB Genard Avery (Philadelphia), K Jake Elliott (Philadelphia), RB Kenneth Gainwell (Philadelphia), CB Arthur Maulet (Pittsburgh), WR Anthony Miller (Pittsburgh), RB Antonio Gibson (Washington) and CB Bobby McCain (Washington).
SENIOR DAY
• A total of 17 Tigers participated in the Senior Day ceremony before the game on Saturday.
• The players that participated were Calvin Austin III, Preston Brady, Keith Brown Jr., Xavier “Zay” Cullens, Sean Dykes, Cameron Fleming, Jacobi Francis, Quindell Johnson, Tyrez Lindsey, Treysen Neal, Jeremiah Oatsvall, Rodney Owens, Dylan Parham, Thomas Pickens, JJ Russell, John Tate IV and Kylan Watkins.
• Some of the players in the Senior Day ceremony have eligibility remaining and could return next season.
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors Notes
GAME STORYLINES
UH is making its 10th appearance in the Hawai‘i Bowl and holds a 5-4 record, most recently capturing the 2019 title after a win over BYU. Hawai‘i also claimed the Hawai‘i Bowl championship in 2003, ’04, ’06, and ’16.
The EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl is UH’s 15th all-time bowl appearance. Hawai‘i is bowl bound for a program-record fourth consecutive season and fifth time in the last six years. Hawai‘i has an 8-6 all-time bowl record.
The last time UH earned a bowl invitation with a 6-7 record was 2016. The Rainbow Warriors defeated Middle Tennessee in the Hawai‘i Bowl.
UH and Memphis will meet for the first time.
UH is seeking its third straight bowl win, which would tie a program record (2003- 06), while Memphis is seeking its second straight bowl win.
Hawai‘i is 19-10 against current members of the American Athletic Conference, its last meeting a 28-14 victory over Houston in last year’s New Mexico Bowl.
UH head coach Todd Graham will coach in his 11th bowl game in his 14th season as an FBS head coach. He has directed all five of his FBS teams to bowl appearances — including back-to-back bowl berths with UH — and sports a 6-4 bowl record.
Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was an offensive analyst on Graham’s coaching staff at Arizona State during the 2015 season.
The Tigers (6-6), who finished in a tie for seventh place in the AAC, are making their eighth consecutive bowl appearance. Silverfield (14-10) is in his second full season at Memphis and will be coaching his third bowl game for the Tigers (1-1).
The game will feature two true freshman starting quarterbacks — UH’s Brayden Schager and Memphis’ Seth Henigan — who are among 13 true freshmen QBs to start in FBS this season. The Texas natives last met in the Class 5A Division I Region II final in January where Henigan’s Denton Ryan HS defeated Schager’s Highland Park HS, 17-7, en route to a state title.
All-purpose back Calvin Turner, Jr., needs 3 more return yards to reach 1,000 in his career and would join an exclusive club with 1,000 yards passing, rushing, receiving, and return yards. Turner would be the first Division I player in the last 20 years to accomplish the feat.
Placekicker Matthew Shipley has 18 field goals on the year and has a chance of breaking Richard Spelman’s single-season school record of 21 set in 1984.
TEAM NOTES
BOWLING HAWAIIAN STYLE
This year’s Hawai‘i Bowl appearance marks UH’s 12th bowl game in its home state and 10th in the Hawai‘i Bowl, which was created by ESPN in 2002 after the Warriors finished with a 9-3 record in 2001 with no bowl invitation.
The Hawai‘i Bowl is celebrating its 19th anniversary in 2021 and UH has the most appearances (10) — 2002, ’03, ’04, ’06, ’08, ’10, ’16, ’18, ’19 and ’21 and has the most championships (5) — 2003, ’04, ’06, ’16, and ’19.
UH also competed in two other bowl games in the 50th State — 1989 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl (L, Michigan St.) and 1999 Jeep O‘ahu Bowl (W, Oregon St.).
UH has a 6-5 record in bowl games in the state of Hawai‘i.
This year marks the first Hawai‘i Bowl at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex after 19 years at Aloha Stadium.
BOWL-BOUND COMPETITION
Seven of UH’s regular season opponents this season are bowl eligible — UCLA (San Diego County Credit Union Holiday), Oregon State (Jimmy Kimmel LA), Fresno State (PUBG Mobile New Mexico), Nevada (Quick Lane), Utah State (Jimmy Kimmel LA), San Diego State (Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco), and Wyoming (Famous Idaho Potato).
UH went 2-5 against those teams.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
UH will be without several key players for the bowl game who are no longer with the team for various reasons, most notably starters QB
Chevan Cordeiro, RB Dae Dae Hunter, DB Cameron Lockridge, and DB Kai Kaneshiro.
Cordeiro was a two-year starter who is the program’s only quarterback to eclipse 6,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing. As a starter this season, he led UH to a 4-6 mark and threw for 2,793 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed 342 yards and three scores.
Hunter was the team’s leading rusher with 101 carries for 651 yards and three touchdowns. He had three 100-yard rushing games including a career-high 174 yards at Nevada.
Kaneshiro and Lockridge had 20 and 13 career starts, respectively, in the defensive backfield. Kaneshiro made eight starts at safety this season and was the team’s sixth-leading tackler (48). Lockridge missed four games due to injury and finished with two interceptions and had two defensive touchdowns.
UH ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
UH has made 119 all-time appearances on national TV and owns a 29-88-2 (.252) record.
Hawai‘i is 9-15 on national television dating back to 2019 including an 1-5 mark this season.
HAWAI‘I IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Hawai‘i completed its 10th season in the Mountain West and owns a 26-54 (.325) all-time mark — 14-27 at home and 12-27 on the road.
Since the conference moved to two divisions in 2013, UH is 14-26 against the West and 7-17 versus the Mountain.
ROAD WARRIORS
In the last decade (not including COVIDshortened 2020 season), UH has played no less than six road games a year, including a program-high seven this season.
In those seven road games, UH traveled approximately 40,400 air miles, the highest total since 2016 when UH totaled 46,568 air miles, that included trips to Sydney, Australia and Ann Arbor, Mich., in back-to-back weeks.
ON THE CONTINENT
Since 2016, UH is 14-22 in road/neutral site games and 11-12 in MW road games. In the eight seasons prior, UH went 11-37 in r road/neutral site games and 9-23 in league contests.
Under head coach Todd Graham, UH is 4-7 in road/neutral site games (3-7 in true road games) including a 2-5 mark in MW road games.
OTHER TEAM NOTES
UH concluded the regular-season with a losing record for the first time since 2017. The Warriors had enjoyed three straight winning seasons.
UH retired the late Colt Brennan’s #15 jersey on the Oct. 23rd game versus New Mexico State, which commemorated the legacy of UH’s first and only Heisman Trophy finalist.
UH’s 27-21 win over No. 18 Fresno State snapped a 13-game losing streak against nationally ranked teams that stretched over a decade.
UH dropped its first season opener since 2016. UH had previously won four straight season openers and five in the last six years.
UH’s 34-point loss to UCLA was the largest margin of defeat in a season opener since 2012 at USC (49-10) and its 269 yards of offense was its least in a season opener since 2013 (231 yards vs USC).
UH’s first win at its new home, the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, was against Portland State which coincidentally was the same opponent for its first win at its old home, Aloha Stadium.
UH’s win over Portland State was its 18th consecutive over a FCS opponent dating back to the 2001 season.
UH has won seven consecutive home-openers dating back to 2015.
OFFENSE NOTES
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
After posting season-lows in points (10 vs. San Diego State) and total offense (240 vs. UNLV) to begin the month of November, UH exploded in its final two games combining for 88 points and 1,025 total yards in a pair of wins over Colorado State and Wyoming to close out the month.
UH scored a season-high 50 points and generated 535 yards of total offense in a shoot-out win over the Rams and tallied 31 first half points and 490 total yards in a dominant road win at Wyoming.
QB Chevan Cordeiro passed for a season-high 406 yards (23-of-41) and accounted for three touchdowns against CSU and totaled 409 yards of total offense (323 pass., 86 rush.) and four TDs versus Wyoming. In losses to San Diego State and UNLV, he combined for 358 passing yards and two touchdowns.
During its three-game losing streak, UH failed to crack 100 yards rushing including a season-low 12 yards against Utah State. In the two wins, Hawai‘i rushed for 129 yards rushing against CSU and 167 yards at Wyoming.
BIG PLAY BOWS
UH is tied for the nation’s lead with Army and Michigan with six offensive plays from scrimmage of 70+ yards (3-passing, 3-rushing).
RB Dae Dae Hunter and WR Nick Mardner each have two 70+ plays while WR Zion Bowens and WR Calvin Turner, Jr. each have one.
Chevan Cordeiro’s 93-yard touchdown pass to Bowens against Colorado State was the second longest pass play in school history.
UH scored on its first play from scrimmage three times — all on the road at New Mexico State (Cordeiro 75-yard pass to Mardner), at Nevada (Hunter 75-yard run), and at UNLV (Cordeiro 79-yard pass to Mardner).
UH has 74 offensive scrimmage plays of 20+ yards, which is tied for No. 7 nationally and the most in the Mountain West.
MAGIC NUMBER
Over the last two decades, when UH’s offense generates 500+ yards of total offense, it usually results in a victory.
Since 2000, UH is 73-10 when generating 500+ yards of total offense.
Under coach Todd Graham, UH has reached 500+ yards five times, all resulting in victories
DEFENSE NOTES
GOING THE OTHER WAY
UH has five defensive touchdowns this season, which is one shy of the nation’s lead of six held by Middle Tennessee, Nevada and Ohio State.
The five touchdowns also ties the school record for a season most recently accomplished in 2010.
The Warriors have three pick-sixes, including two against New Mexico State (Oct. 23). The last time UH scored two defensive TDs in a game was in 2007 at Idaho.
Khoury Bethley’s 79-yard INT return against NM State (Oct. 23) was tied for the eighth longest in school history. Darius Muasau also returned a 75-yard INT for touchdown in the same game.
Cameron Lockridge had two defensive TDs — an interception return vs. Colorado State and a fumble return at New Mexico State (Sept. 25).
Eugene Ford also returned a fumble for a touchdown at Utah State.
BALL HOGS
UH leads the Mountain West and is tied for No. 4 nationally with 27 takeaways behind Cincinnati (33), Middle Tennessee (31), and Iowa (30).
Hawai‘i is tied for the conference lead in fumbles recovered (13) and ranks second in passes intercepted (14).
UH has forced at least one turnover in 10 of 13 games this season and forced multiple turnovers in eight games.
UH’s six turnovers forced (4-INT, 2-FR) against Fresno State were the most in a game since 2011.
UH has five strip sacks — Khoury Bethley vs. NM State (Sept. 25); Bethley vs. Fresno State; Solo Turner vs. Utah State; Darius Muasau vs. San Diego State; and Muasau vs. Colorado State.
LEADER OF THE PACK
No one can question the productivity of Khoury Bethley who is having his best season as a Warrior in 2021 and earned all-MW first team honors.
The Chino, Calif., native is tied for No. 2 nationally with five interceptions and is one of just eight Mountain West defenders with 100 tackles.
In UH’s upset win over Fresno State, tallied nine tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble and earned two national player of the week awards (Nagurski and Jim Thorpe) and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Posted strip sacks in consecutive weeks against New Mexico State and Fresno State, the latter led to UH’s game-winning field goal.
Ranks second on the team with 101 tackles (73 solo) along with 8.0 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks, six pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries, and three forced fumbles.
In UH’s last two bowl wins, posted single-game highs in tackles (14), tackles-for-loss (3) and sacks (2) vs. Houston in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl and picked off two passes vs. BYU in the 2019 Hawai‘i Bowl that earned him AP All-Bowl team honors.
Scored his first career touchdown against New Mexico State with a 79-yard INT return.
A TACKLING MACHINE
Darius Muasau is having another monster year for the Warriors and earned his second All-Mountain West first team award.
The Mililani, O‘ahu native has a team-high 109 tackles (64 solo), along with 14.0 tackles-for-loss, 7.0 sacks, four pass break-ups, five forced fumbles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
His five forced fumbles is tied for No. 2 in FBS.
Became the third UH player in the last decade to reach 100 tackles in consecutive seasons (Corey Paredes, 2010-11 and Jahlani Tavai, 2016-17).
Named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after recording 13 tackles, two sacks, and three forced fumbles against Colorado State. The three forced fumbles are the most by an FBS defender this season and tied for the second-most in a single game by a MW defender.
Recorded his first interception of the season against New Mexico State (Oct. 23) and returned it 75 yards for his first career touchdown.
After leading all of FBS last season in solo tackles, has seven games with 10+ tackles this season including a season-high 16 at Utah State.
NO FLY ZONE
Shutdown corner Cortez Davis earned postseason conference honors for the third time, including his second straight all-MW second-team award.
The Decatur, Ga., native leads the nation with 18 pass break-ups and is No. 2 with 19 passes defended.
Has started 33 of 35 career games.
Intercepted his first pass of the season and the second of his career against Fresno State.
BUILT FORD TOUGH
Safety Eugene Ford, who suffered a season-ending injury in UH’s loss to Wyoming last season, is one of the team’s top defenders this year.
Playing both the SPUR and safety positions, the Venice, Calif., native is third on the team with 60 tackles (41 solo) and also has 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown at Utah State for his first career score.
Started 35 games since his freshman year and entered last season as one of four team captains.
OTHER DEFENSE NOTES
UH registered a season-high five sacks while tying its season-high with 11 tackles-for-loss against Colorado State.
UH held San Diego State to just 227 yards, a season-low for an opponent.
UH surrendered a season-high 51 points against Utah State, which are the most under Todd Graham at Hawai‘i.
UNLV’s Charles Williams’ 266 yards rushing was the most by a UH opponent since San Jose State’s Deonce Whitaker’s 278 yards in 2000.
Todd Centeio of CSU passed for 527 yards, the second-most ever by an opposing quarterback. K.J. Carter-Samuels, also of Colorado State, holds the record with 537 yards in a loss to UH in 2018.
