What Ryan Silverfield said about Memphis missing conference title game

During every preseason and throughout the entire year, Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield reiterates the goal for the Tigers: Win the American Conference title.

For the sixth straight year, Memphis (8-3, 4-3 American Conference) won't get there.

"Ultimately, yes, the goal was 100% to win the conference championship," Silverfield said Nov. 22. "And I've said it all along. Unfortunately we fell short of that goal. And that burns. That stinks. But these guys still have something to play for. That's the one thing I've said all along about this group, that I appreciate about them. Because their mindset and approach has been great. They come to work every single day with a mentality to find ways to get better."

Memphis entered November in position to reach Silverfield's first conference title game as head coach, but the Tigers lost back-to-back games against Tulane and ECU. The Tigers haven't reached a conference title game since 2019, when Mike Norvell left for Florida State and Silverfield was promoted to replace him.

The story in 2025 has been similar to the past two seasons. Memphis won 10 games in 2023, then won 11 in 2024. But neither of those seasons included a conference title game appearance.

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The Tigers still have a shot to reach 10 wins this season. To do that, they'll have to beat Navy (8-2, 6-1) on Thanksgiving Day (6:30 p.m., ESPN) and then win their bowl game. Silverfield said he's been happy with the response from his team after the ECU loss.

"They've been great," he said. "I don't worry about them at all. The guys continue to have a great focus. To me, that's a huge accomplishment and a credit to the culture that they've built. But look, it's also a results business. We've got to go out there and find a way to win on Thursday."

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While Memphis won't go to the conference title game, the Midshipmen are still in the mix and could get there if they win against the Tigers. The game will also be a chance for Memphis to get some revenge after the Tigers lost in Annapolis in 2024.

"More than anything, they play for pride," Silverfield said. "They play for each other. And this is another opportunity to go out there and compete at the highest level. National TV game, we know we're the only college football game on Thanksgiving. And so for me and for them, that's motivation enough."

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Ryan Silverfield said about Memphis missing conference title game