Bo's Bits: The Ties of Texas Are Upon Us
By Bo Carter
Remember the famed movie “Six Degrees of Separation?”
That definitely is the case when Memphis and Utah State tangle in the 12th annual SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Dec. 27 at Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.
First, there are the obvious geographical connections for both teams with the state of Texas.
Current Memphis QB Seth Henigan has starred for the Tigers for two years after a stellar career at suburban Dallas-Fort Worth powerhouse Denton Ryan HS where he was a three-year regular and netted statewide honors for his father and DRHS head coach Dave Henigan.
The two-season starter for the Tigers has amassed 6,609 net passing yards in 25 starts for the Tigers on 501-of-810 passing with 44 touchdown tosses and 16 interceptions. He also has rushed for 462 net yards on 215 attempts with four infantry scores.
The Denton standout is no stranger to Ford Stadium partisans after throwing for 287 yards on 27-of-44 passes and rushing for another score in the Tigers 34-31 loss to home-standing SMU on Nov. 26. Henigan engineered a last-minute drive that came up just short in the squeaker against the Mustangs.
Utah State QB Logan Bonner also starred at nearby Rowlett has had the rare opportunity to play six seasons in the COVID-19 expanded eligibility realm.
He used that time to his advantage with staggering career numbers of 596-of-1,008 passing for a 59.1 percent completion rate, 7,531 career yards and 72 TD passes before his 2022 campaign ended in late September with an injury. Still, he will be returning to the Dallas area for the holidays and cheering on new starting QB Cooper Legas from Orem, Utah, after Legas stepped in and was 128-of-209 passing for 1,495 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022.
The other obvious Lone Star State tie-ins with these first-time bowl opponents playing their eighth all-time series clash are such performers as Memphis DL Jaylon Allen of Humble, DL Dedrick Smith of Houston, OL Austin Myers of Houston, and OL Michael Henson of Rockwall.
Ample talent from Texas dots the Aggies roster as well with Bonner, RB Calvin Tyler Jr. of Beaumont, QB Bishop Davenport of Spring, DE Byron Vaughns of Fort Worth, CB Ajani Carter of Houston, QB Levi Williams of Canyon Lake, RB Robert Briggs of Bellville, RB Bailee Davenport of Spring, LB Josh Williams of Mesquite, CB Jaden Smith of Richmond, DT Tavian Coleman of Humble, and DT Poukesi Vakauta of Euless.
And incidentally, Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield, a Jacksonville, Fla., native coached his first college game in the Dec. 28, 2019, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas, as Penn State outlasted Memphis 53-39.
Utah State head coach Blake Anderson also maintains numerous Texas ties as a native of Hubbard, Texas (famed for its fellow favorite son and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Tris Speaker who starred in football and baseball at Texas Wesleyan) and as an assistant coach at Trinity Valley College and Howard Payne.
No, they won’t play “The Eyes of Texas” before the 21 student-athletes from both teams race onto the Ford Stadium turf, but fans can be certain that numerous friends and family will be in the audience cheering on their favorites when the Aggies and Tigers tangle.
-Firstresponderbowl.com-