This Saturday, Memphis faces a downtrodden Boise State in a must-win game. The expectations for the Broncos were high entering the season. However, after dropping their first two games, they seem to have shown their true colors. Coach Silverfield discussed Boise State’s previous success on Tuesday.
“We know Boise State has been considered one of the powerhouses in the Group of Five.”
Luckily for Silverfield and his team, this is not the Statue of Liberty Fiesta Bowl champion Boise State Broncos. Regardless, the game is a must-win matchup for the Tigers. Here’s why.
A Loss Hinders Memphis’ Season-Long Goals
The most important aspect of being a conference champion contender is winning the games you should. The 3-1 Tigers have handled business thus far. The loss to Missouri does not change any season aspirations, especially considering it was an out-of-conference matchup.
For the fourth time this season, Memphis is a favorite to win at +3.5 points against Boise State this Saturday. The optimistic Tigers fan in me still believes in Memphis’ ability to represent the Group of 5 in a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Fans may think the upcoming non-conference matchup against Boise State is unimportant to the Tigers. This type of thinking is small-minded. If Memphis drops this game, they can technically still win the AAC. However, a second loss would mean that any chance of being in a New Year’s Six bowl game immediately goes out the window.
Silverfield’s Tenure In Jeopardy?
There’s a reason Coach Silverfield reminds fans to show up to The Liberty Bowl before every home game. He knows he’s losing the fanbase. This is due to Silverfield’s boring brand of football and a more significant issue: he hasn’t been winning games.
The Silverfield era has led many of the Memphis faithful to miss the high-scoring tenures of Justin Fuente and Mike Norvell. In college football, it is winning that cures all. And in a make-or-break season, winning is paramount.
The majority will not fault Silverfield for losing to a tough Missouri team. But he will lose all his momentum if he drops one to Boise State. Fans will stop showing up to games, making winning even more difficult. So, for the sake of Silverfield’s job, this is a must-win game.
Even though this is a non-conference matchup, the momentum (good or bad) will carry throughout the rest of the 2023 season.
