Saturday, November 18, 2023 – 11 a.m. CT
[RV/RV] SMU (8-2, 6-0 American) vs. [-/RV] Memphis (8-2, 5-1 American)
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – Memphis, Tenn.

TV: ESPN2
Radio: The Ticket - KTCK 96.7 FM/1310 AM | Audio Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)
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SETTING THE SCENE
• SMU takes its six-game winning streak on the road to Memphis this weekend in a national broadcast on Saturday.
• The Mustangs exploded for 552 yards of total offense in a 45-21 win over North Texas last Friday at Ford Stadium. 
• SMU's ground attack led the way, rushing for a season-best 318 yards, the most since 2021. 
• The Mustangs got two 100-yard rushing performances in Jaylan Knighton (129 yards) and LJ Johnson Jr. (106).
• The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 270-88 in six conference games this year. 
• SMU continued to receive votes in the most recent AP Top 25 poll for the second straight week and AFCA Coaches Poll for a fourth straight week. 

QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs are 8-0 this year when they have scored at least 30 points in a game. 
• SMU has had at least seven receivers catch a pass in every game in 2023. 
• Preston Stone ranks 12th in the NCAA in touchdown passes with 23 on the season. 
• Elijah Roberts has been a force getting to the quarterback this year, ranking 12th in the NCAA in sacks with 8.5, including 5.5 in his last four games.
• SMU's defense continues its supreme play this season, ranking in the top-20 in NCAA in third down pct defense (8th), defensive touchdowns (9th), first downs allowed (12th), passing yards allowed (13th), scoring defense (9th), team passing efficiency defense (17th), team sacks (6th), tackles for loss (13th) and total defense (11th).
• The Mustangs have taken it to the conference opposition, posting an average margin of victory of 30.3 points (45.0-14.7) in conference games this year, trailing only Michigan's 33.6 average for highest in the NCAA this season. 
• SMU (7th offense, 9th defense) is only one of three teams in the country this year to have a top-10 scoring offense and defense, joining Georgia (6th offense, 6th defense) and Michigan (10th offense, 1st defense). 
• This is only the third time in program history that SMU has won six straight conference games in a single season, joining the 1982 and 1935 teams. 
• SMU has won seven straight AAC games and gone 10-1 in the past 11 conference games. 

THE SERIES
• This is the 16th meeting in the series. 
• Memphis leads the series, 10-5. 
• The teams last met up on Nov. 26, 2022, a 34-31 win for the Mustangs at home. 
• SMU has taken two out of the last three against the Tigers. 

ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Memphis has a record of 8-2 on the year. 
• The Tigers have won their last four games, including a 44-38 OT victory against Charlotte on Nov. 11.
• Memphis is 4-1 at home this season. 
• The Tigers average 39.8 points per game at home in 2023 while giving up 30.2.

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his second season as the head coach at SMU and has a 15-8 career record. Lashlee, who served as offensive coordinator for the Mustangs for two seasons (2018-19), also served as the offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020 and 2021. A one-time finalist (2013) and two-time semifinalist (2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award, Lashlee has the distinction of being the only coach ever nominated for the Broyles Award four different times at four different schools (Arkansas State, Auburn, SMU, Miami).

• Ryan Silverfield is in his fourth season as head coach of Memphis. He has a career record of 29-18. Silverfield also was part of Memphis staffs that led the program to three-straight American Athletic Conference West Division crowns from 2017-19 and four-straight bowl appearances from 2016-19.