Under the bright lights of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Tulane Green Wave beat Memphis, keeping their playoff hopes alive in G5. Despite entering as a 3.5-point favorite, they came in short with a 38-32 score. What hurts the most is that the number one team in this week’s HERO Sports G5 Top 25 Media Poll is now standing with empty hands after losing their only chance to make it to the playoffs. And Ryan Silverfield is left with nothing but regret as he sends a tough locker room message to his team!

The Tigers were 8-2 and 4-2 in the American Conference coming into the game. Despite trailing by 21 points, they pulled off a remarkable comeback. However, they couldn’t overcome their first-half mistakes, which allowed Tulane to score 35 points. It was the first time they allowed that many points this season. After a disappointing loss, Ryan Silverfield ensured his team would never forget it and would never let it happen again. Despite feeling “pissed, frustrated, and angry.”

After the game, talking about his locker room speech, Siverfield said, “I want you to feel this way. I want us to never feel this way again. Nobody should respond. No one should have any type of emotion, of joy.”  But he even made sure the entire world knows how his team went 15-3 in the second half.

“I believe that the group of 118 guys that we have, they’re special. They’re men that love this program, they’re men that love each other, and they’re men that care. They’ve worked so hard. I wish that the whole country had to see how much this place means to them,” he added.

Now, what hurts the most is that before this game, Memphis was the lone player in the conference that appeared in the top 25, with Tulane standing in their way, but now, after the loss, their playoff hopes went straight down the drain. Both teams started strong, tying 14-14 entering the second quarter, but then Tulane seized control in the first half, all thanks to Jake Retzlaff, who ran for 33 yards for a TD to make it 21-14. Then later, he connected with Anthony Brown-Stephens on a 54-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-14. Lastly, the third TD came in just before halftime, giving Tulane a 35-17 lead.

A field goal extended their advantage even more. Sure, Memphis made a comeback in the fourth quarter when Frank Peasant scored on a 1-yard run to push them to a 38-25 score. But with a few minutes remaining in the game, QB Brendon Lewis recorded a TD but then struggled under pressure with mobility and ended up throwing an interception. Even backup Arrington Maiden got in but couldn’t convert on fourth down after a false start.

Ryan Silverfield praised his team’s fourth-quarter efforts but also hit them with tough reality. “There’s no moral victories by any stretch of the imagination,” Silverfield said. “I’m disappointed. I’m frustrated, and so is the entire locker room. But they know that belief that they had, that fight that showed up in the second half—we just need to see more of it. We need to see it every single day, and we’ve got to find ways to execute at a higher level.”

But with the loss, even Ryan Silverfield’s coaching moves are raising concerns for Memphis.

Is Ryan Silverfield going to Arkansas?

This season, college football shocked the entire nation with so many firings, from Billy Napier and Hugh Freeze to James Franklin and Sam Pittman. And now all these schools are looking out for a possible change. And Ryan Silverfield’s name leads the list of favorites to replace Sam Pittman at Arkansas. After seven losses and being the only SEC team with no conference game, the Razorbacks need a game-changer. And predictive odds on Kalshi give Silverfield a 24% chance to take over the job.

Now, looking at his resume at Memphis, he seems like a perfect fit, as he holds a record of 50-22 overall and a 27-18 record in the ACC with the Tigers. He guided them to six consecutive bowl wins, winning the last four.

Even this season, they have been competitive and even defeated Arkansas just weeks before Pittman’s firing. Now here’s the deal: Silverfield has signed a five-year contract extension with Arkansas after the 2023 season, which is $12.2 million through 2028 with incentives for a 10-win season and championship appearance. So if he takes the Arkansas job, the Razorbacks have to pay the $1 million buyout.

It will be interesting to see if Silverfield goes for a coaching change or stays with his team after a tough playoff elimination game.