Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield is doing everything he can to prepare the Tigers against Georgia State.
That includes reaching out to members of Vanderbilt’s coaching staff for advice on playing a game at Center Parc Stadium against the Panthers on Sept. 6 (6 p.m., ESPN+). The Commodores lost in upset fashion there in 2024.
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“They just said it’s very unique,” Silverfield said Sept. 1.
Georgia State plays at Center Parc Stadium, a converted baseball stadium previously known as Turner Field. That creates an atmosphere that teams don’t often see in college football, and “unique” is the word Silverfield came back to multiple times when talking about it ahead of the game.
Silverfield said he attended camps at Georgia State under previous coach Shawn Elliott, and he also said he’s been there for a baseball game.
“I’ve been there as a baseball fan a long time ago,” he said. “But it’s unique. (The Vanderbilt coaches) just said even the locker rooms are a little bit different. And they said it’s got it’s challenges. I think any time you go on the road, it’s going to have its challenges, and a unique atmosphere like that, a unique stadium. But they just said, ‘Hey, be aware, because it got us. You’ve got to have your guys prepared for everything that could come along with it.’ “
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The Tigers (1-0) beat Chattanooga in the season opener on Aug. 30 and now go on the road for back-to-back games, starting with the Panthers and ending on Sept. 13 against Troy.
Georgia State (0-1) lost 63-7 at Ole Miss in its season opener. The Panthers played two quarterbacks in that game, and then they added another on Sept. 1 — TJ Finley, who was with Tulane for spring practices, is now on the Georgia State roster.
The Panthers will be Finley’s sixth team. He started his career at LSU in 2020 and later played for Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky. He had his most productive season in 2023 with the Bobcats, leading them to an 8-5 record and starting all 13 games. He’s made 27 starts and has thrown for over 6,000 yards in his career.
Silverfield said he found out as he was walking to the press conference.
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“Probably have to go back and watch some film,” Silverfield said. “Will he play this week? I don’t know. I know they played two quarterbacks, so that wouldn’t be unusual if we had to prepare for a third. We had to do that vs. UAB a couple years ago. If that’s the case, if he’s ready to be, so be it. So much of it will be preparing ourselves to make sure we’re in the right situation.”
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis learned from Vanderbilt’s loss to Georgia State last season
