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    • Mario Anderson bounces back with 4-touchdown performance win at Memphis
    Alabama

    Mario Anderson bounces back with 4-touchdown performance win at Memphis

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Mario Anderson left the field after Memphis football’s win against North Texas on Sunday and was greeted by a fan.

    More than a fan, actually. An alum. More than one alum, too — someone who carries a label around these parts: College Football Hall of Famer DeAngelo Williams.

    The greatest Memphis football player of all time wanted to talk to Anderson.

    “I looked up to DeAngelo growing up,” Anderson said. “Guys like him, Adrian Peterson, other guys in the league. But just getting into his brain a little bit, just talking to him and hearing him say I’m doing a good job, that really motivates me,” a young running back trying to make it in Memphis.

    It was a remarkable turnaround from Anderson’s performance last weekend against South Florida, when he was ejected in the second quarter for spitting on a Bulls player. Coach Ryan Silverfield called it “completely despicable.” Fans wondered if he would be suspended. Some hoped he would be kicked off the team.

    Silverfield spoke to Anderson and told him – and the rest of the team – that Anderson’s behavior in that game was unacceptable. He didn’t have much time to think about it before Saturday’s game against North Texas, but whatever he did, it worked.

    Anderson rushed 22 times for 183 yards and four touchdowns, leading a rejuvenated Memphis offense that matched the Mean Green’s high-octane offense in a 52-44 win at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

    “Man, I feel like his intensity and the way he prepares every single week allows him to have success,” quarterback Seth Henigan said. “He just closed his gaps and trusted where the run was going. Our offensive line did a great job opening up some holes for him and he just played great.”

    More: How Mario Anderson ended up at Memphis football after stints in NCAA Division II and the SEC

    Perhaps taking a cue from Blake Watson, last year’s 1,000-yard rusher, Anderson acknowledged his offensive line after the game. Another similarity between the two? He could join Watson in the 1,000-yard club by the end of this season.

    That would help add his name to Memphis’ storied list of running backs, which includes Williams, Tony Pollard and Kenny Gainwell, among others. Silverfield said Saturday that he tries not to look at the video board during the game. But sometimes he catches a glimpse of the segment that shows highlights of Tigers players in the NFL.

    “I always listen to the highlights,” he said. “And most of the highlights of our NFL players are running backs.”

    Memphis’ offense struggled for most of the first half of the season, partly because of an inconsistent passing game and partly because the running game went through so many changes due to injuries. Anderson was expected to split time with Sutton Smith, but Smith suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the season opener and was out for the season. Greg Desrosiers took over Smith’s role, but suffered a collarbone injury in the win over Florida State on Sept. 14 and has been sidelined since.

    So it was a strong dose of Anderson for the opposing defense. That meant the Tigers struggled when he was out for most of the game against South Florida, but it worked perfectly on Saturday. He also caught five passes for 27 yards and had some critical blitzes.

    “I always feel like I have something to prove,” Anderson said. “That’s just my game. I run angry. I play angry.”

    Reach sportswriter Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.

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    Idris Bevan
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