Memphis Head Coach Ryan Silverfield Talks Relationship With Mike Norvell, FSU Matchup

There are plenty of storylines to follow leading up to kickoff between Florida State and Memphis.

Robert Malcom | Sep 10, 2024

Memphis football head coach Ryan Silverfield speaks during the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Groundbreaking Ceremony in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 22, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Florida State Seminoles

After a much-needed bye week for the Florida State Seminoles following two consecutive losses to conference opponents, Mike Norvell hopes to lead his team to their first victory of the season against the Memphis Tigers.

Although the two teams have a storied history with 18 total matchups since 1959, this will be the first time the Seminoles and Tigers face off since 1990 when Bobby Bowden guided Florida State to its tenth overall and fourth straight victory against the Tigers.

This matchup is particularly unique for another reason as it will be the first time Norvell will face Memphis since departing the program, where he was the head coach for four seasons from 2016-2019. Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield spoke to the media Monday afternoon and gave his thoughts on facing a program as big and talented as Florida State, but also what it will be like to face his predecessor on the field for the first time.

"We're not going to treat this game any different than we did our first two opponents. Obviously, there's a great relationship with Mike Norvell and everything he meant to this university, and I know quite a few people on that staff, but this game will not be a Silverfield vs Norvell. Look, he and I are very close friends, we sat within arm's length of each other for four years, we know everything about one another and the way each other think, and move, and breathe, but we've both grown as people and as coaches."

"I'm excited for this matchup, it's good for our university. Florida State, obviously, was a preseason top 10 in the country, they're loaded with talent, they returned 79 players from their ACC championship team, and they also return nine All-ACC players, and they also boast the country's longest-tenured offensive line with a group that's got the most career starts and college games up front. Their defensive front was also considered in the preseason one of the best in college football. They're very very talented, we're going to have to go on the road and play them in front of a great atmosphere, but we're excited about the challenges ahead, and the focus will be on us this week to find new ways to improve, and looking forward to playing another early game and ready to rock and roll."

Going into week three, Memphis is 2-0, while FSU is 0-2. Although the team has struggled as a whole, many fans and analysts were surprised to see the struggles that stemmed at the quarterback position with DJ Uiagalelei. In the home opener against Boston College, fans were begging for a quarterback change from FSU before halftime. Despite the well-known struggles Uiagalelei has had this season, Silverfield was quick to praise the veteran signal-caller, citing his successful past and athletic ability.

"I have no idea what's said about anything, which you can call me a moron for not reading the newspapers or paying attention to social media, but I have no idea what's said about him. I know he's a freaking phenomenal quarterback, one of the highest-rated quarterbacks to come out of high school in a long time," Silverfield said. "He was a starter at Clemson, starter and won a lot of football games at Oregon State, he is big, he is athletic, and he's got a rocket of an arm so he can do a lot of good things. Mike's going to put him in the right position to have success, and you see when he's on he's on. So it's our job to make sure we're effecting, and when I say effecting that doesn't mean we're blitzing every play, maybe that means we're dropping eight every play. So, he's really really talented, and they've got some guys that can run, you put on that phone and say 'Huh! Oh wow,' they've got a bunch of five-stars and a bunch of guys that can go play ball."

On paper, this is a very lopsided matchup in favor of the Seminoles. With the talent and experience across the board between coaches and players, FSU should win this game. However, upsets happen, it's already happened to this team twice this season, and this past weekend there were numerous games where an unranked team beat their ranked opponent, most notably Northern Illinois' 16-14 win over No. 5 Notre Dame. Silverfield is going into this game with the intent of winning, and he made that very clear on Monday.

"This team we're facing is very very talented. Look, Mike Norvell won national coach of the year last year, they've got all the bells and whistles, they've got it all. But guess what, we're hungry and we're going to come out swinging," Silverfield said.

Despite not operating at full capacity due to ongoing renovations, Doak Campbell Stadium is still home to one of the nations most sought after game day experiances. The tradition and history that lies on Bobby Bowden Field is unlike any other, and unlike other coaches in the country, Silverfield is trying to approach this as if it were any other game as he believes the environment shouldn't be a factor on the field.

"I'm a Florida native myself, so I know the chop and the fight song and the noise that'll be coming from Doak Campbell. Our guys will be prepared, obviously, we'll play some crowd noise, but like a lot of things we've just got to block it out and focus," Silverfield said. "I always tell them it doesn't matter if we're playing on Getwell, or we're playing Doak Campbell, or we're playing out in Hawaii, the environment shouldn't affect us. It will be a tremendous crowd, I also suspect there will be a lot of Memphis Tiger fans making the trek and I'm excited to see them up in the stands."

Silverfield joined the Memphis staff in 2016 as the offensive line coach under Mike Norvell in his first year as head coach of the program. In 2017 he was named run game coordinator, and in 2019 he was named associate head coach. Silverfield admitted that he wouldn't be standing at that podium for that press conference if it wasn't for Norvell, who after leaving Memphis for FSU, was succeeded by Silverfield. There will undoubtedly be many emotions for both coaches throughout the week leading up to Saturday, but at the end of the day, it is a football game both teams are trying to win, and both coaches will put their teams first.

"I can't hide the fact that I wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for Mike Norvell, I do laugh, I was supposed to be on that plane with him to be at his introductory press conference, and I sometimes say it's crazy how things work, and how him and I even came into each others lives," Silverfield said. "I think there's not only a mutual friendship but a great deal of respect for one another."

"The way he's built his program, obviously he's done a phenomenal job down there, and look, it's just like any football game, did I show some emotions in the third quarter of the Troy game, absolutely I did, most people watch me during the games and I try to stay neutral with my thinking, that way I can be at the best of my ability for our team, whether it comes to situational football, helping out with playcalling, whatever that may look like," Silverfield continued. "Probably in reality of it, I won't give two thoughts other than shaking the hand of the guy that I consider a brother pregame, and seeing some people I call family down there and then lining up and playing football."

The Tigers and Seminoles will face off on Saturday, September 14, in Doak Cambell Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon EST and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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