MEMPHIS (Interstat) — Memphis used a balanced passing attack and a fast start to defeat Tennessee-Martin 45-21 in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The Tigers improved to 3-1, while the Skyhawks fell to 1-3. Memphis scored in every quarter and controlled the game after taking an early lead, while Tennessee-Martin stayed within striking distance behind Tate Surber and a few big plays in the passing game. Marcus Stokes directed the Memphis offense with 258 passing yards and four touchdowns, completing 26 of 32 attempts, and added three rushes for 2 yards. Air Noland also contributed for Memphis, completing 2 of 3 passes for 15 yards and a touchdown, and rushed once for 4 yards. The Tigers finished with 45 points and kept Tennessee-Martin from mounting a sustained comeback.

Memphis entered the game after a 38-20 loss at Boise State on Sept. 12, following wins over Arkansas State and UNLV. Tennessee-Martin entered after a 52-7 loss at West Virginia on Sept. 12, following a win over Chicago State and a loss to Central Arkansas. The Skyhawks moved the ball at times but could not match Memphis’ scoring pace. Memphis opened the scoring with Philippe Laforge’s 30-yard field goal in the first quarter and quickly added to the lead when Stokes connected with Tychaun Chapman for a 26-yard touchdown. Stokes later found Jaylin Carter for a 17-yard score in the second quarter. The Tigers’ passing game repeatedly attacked the middle of the field, and Stokes spread the ball to multiple receivers.

Hunter Tipton caught two passes for 16 yards and a touchdown, Joshua Joseph had two receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown, and Jonathan Harding added a 9-yard touchdown catch. Stonka Burnside finished with two receptions for 19 yards, Terrell Timmons Jr. had one catch for 16 yards, Brady Kluse had one for 19 yards, and Alante Brown added one reception for 5 yards, two kickoff returns for 45 yards and one punt return for 7 yards. Trey McDonald led Memphis defenders with five tackles, JJ Clayton had four, and Chauncey Logan Jr. finished with three. Joseph Head Jr. recorded one quarterback hurry and Kadan Spratling added one tackle. Laforge handled the kicking duties successfully throughout.

Tennessee-Martin answered at times through Surber, who completed 17 of 29 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns and rushed four times for 14 yards. Makhia Sherrard was a reliable target with four receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown. Deuce Oliver led the Skyhawks with four catches for 69 yards. Kaleb Washington caught two passes for 4 yards and a touchdown, while Tommy Ansley rushed 10 times for 34 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions for 16 yards. Jaydon Peete contributed six rushes for 38 yards and one catch for 13 yards. Chris Franklin had seven rushes for 26 yards. Phaizon Wilson caught one pass for 8 yards, Anthony Carter ran once for 2 yards and caught one pass for 9 yards, Dawson Adams-Grenier had one reception for 3 yards, and Connie Hewitt II added one catch for 2 yards. Max Zuluaga punted four times for 187 yards.

Defensively, Tennessee-Martin received a strong effort from Trey Cotton and Joel Castleberry, who each recorded eight tackles. Castleberry also intercepted a pass. Chris Wilson added six tackles, and Brylan Jordan finished with six. Zamaryion Farmer-McCray recorded five tackles. Jamarcus Smith and Wendell Smith each had four tackles. Rasheen Duncan contributed three tackles and one sack, while Bryce Dailey had three tackles. Andre Morris Jr. and Reginald Allen Jr. each made two tackles. Duston Chavis recorded one tackle and one quarterback hurry, while Cam Robertson, LaMarion Pierce, Kennarius Chandler, Malik Brown, Christopher Damron, Hayden King, Stefan Ponder, Porter Reynolds and AJ Robinson Jr. each had one tackle. Brandon Sims handled kicking duties for the Skyhawks.

The key sequence began in the first quarter when Laforge kicked a 30-yard field goal. Stokes then hit Chapman for a 26-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Stokes found Jaylin Carter for a 17-yard touchdown. Tennessee-Martin got on the board when Surber connected with Sherrard for an 8-yard touchdown after an automatic review upheld that the runner was inbounds. Stokes responded with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Harding before halftime. In the third quarter, Stokes threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tipton. In the fourth, Surber hit Washington for a 7-yard touchdown after a review upheld the completion. Noland then threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Joseph. Ansley scored on a 1-yard run for Tennessee-Martin, and J. Thompson closed the scoring with a 1-yard run for Memphis.

Memphis finished the day with 45 points and Tennessee-Martin with 21, and the Tigers led throughout and never trailed. The Skyhawks’ defensive effort included six tackles from Chris Wilson, six from Brylan Jordan and five from Zamaryion Farmer-McCray, while Memphis scored four passing touchdowns and added a rushing score. Tennessee-Martin will next play at Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 26, while Memphis will next play at Charlotte on Saturday, Oct. 3. Memphis also received contributions on special teams and defense. Laforge converted his field-goal attempt and extra points, while Brown’s kickoff returns and punt return helped the Tigers manage field position. The Memphis defense, led by McDonald, Clayton and Logan, kept Tennessee-Martin from building sustained drives. The Skyhawks’ best defensive plays came from Cotton and Castleberry, whose eight-tackle efforts and Castleberry’s interception helped slow Memphis at times.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Memphis 38, Tennessee-Martin 17. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Memphis with a 95.9 percent probability to win. Tennessee-Martin had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +34.5. The total score of 66 went under the over/under line of 57.5.