The Memphis Tigers football team and interim head coach Reggie Howard will face off against NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Dec.19.
The Gasparilla Bowl marks the 12th straight bowl game for the Tigers, and the first time Memphis has matched up against NC State. For NC State, this is their sixth consecutive bowl game and their 36th bowl game in the team’s history.
On Wednesday, the University of Memphis introduced new head coach Charles Huff at a press conference, but Huff will not be a part of the bowl game plans for the Tigers.
"I am truly a believer in respect of people and time, so I won't get involved with the team until after their bowl game," Huff said. "I want them to be able to finish what they started."
Despite the uncertainty as to what's next for many players on the Memphis roster, interim coach Howard told the media Thursday that he does not anticipate any players opting out of the bowl.
In the last game of the year for Memphis, the Tigers will be tasked with containing NC State’s steady offense, which has averaged 30.2 points per game this season. The NC State offense has been especially proficient in the redzone, holding a top-10 ranking in the country in redzone efficiency.
While the season did not go as planned for Memphis, and the bowl game is in a conference foe's home stadium, the Gasparilla Bowl is a new bowl game for the Tigers. The term Gasparilla comes from the legend of a Spanish pirate who prowled along Florida's coast. The Gasparilla festival has been a constant in Tampa since 1904.
For Memphis' seniors, the meaning of the bowl doesn't matter. It's a last chance to don the blue and gray and play football.
