Memphis football’s game against South Florida scheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST is still on, Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said Thursday.
Silverfield, appearing on “Sports 56 Mornings with Greg and Eli,” with hosts Greg Gaston and Eli Savoie, said it was still “full steam ahead” for the game in Tampa even after Hurricane Milton brought significant rainfall and flooding to the area on Wednesday night.
“First and foremost, thinking about those that were affected and are affected by the hurricane,” Silverfield said. “Natural disasters are scary things. I’ve got family, actually, that lives four miles from the stadium. They’re OK. Actually, probably going to go drive and check on the stadium for me in a few hours.”
Milton made landfall south of Tampa and did not bring the major storm surge that officials had warned could be in store for the area. The region was still battered by rain and wind, and there was major damage in the city. Tropicana Field, where the Tampa Bay Rays play, had its roof blown off by the wind.
The Memphis-South Florida game was originally scheduled for Friday night but was rescheduled for Saturday on Tuesday. That gave officials from both schools and the American Athletic Conference more time to assess the viability of playing the game, and they were expected to meet on Thursday now that Milton has passed and officials in Tampa can survey the damage.
South Florida relocated to Orlando on Tuesday and has been preparing for the game there.
“All that being said, the plan is to still play the game, 2:30 on Saturday in Tampa, assuming that everything is still safe,” Silverfield said. “Full steam ahead as far as we know, and got to prepare and make sure we’re on the right track to go out there and do what we’re capable of.”
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis-South Florida game still planned for Saturday despite Milton
