Upon further review, 'thank goodness' Memphis football beat Navy | Giannotto

During those chaotic final seconds, when Memphis football almost fumbled away its 28-24 win over Navy on Thursday night, coach Ryan Silverfield did something he wasn’t supposed to do.

Defensive coordinator Matt Barnes had been screaming for him to call timeout and Silverfield had been screaming at the officials that he was going to call a timeout.

Silverfield knew Navy was short of the first down. Barnes knew Navy was short of the first down. Everybody inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium knew he was short of the first down. Everybody except the line judge who marked the ball.

So Silverfield asked for the referee to measure if Navy had actually converted on fourth-and-6 inside the 10-yard-line with nine seconds to go. Then he threatened to burn a timeout if the officials didn’t review the spot, just so they’d have more time to think about reviewing the spot. That, according to Silverfield, did the trick.

This conference opener would come down to a replay. Either Navy had first-and-goal or the game was over but for one kneel-down.

And there was Silverfield, trying to peer over the referee’s shoulder to find out this cliffhanger of an ending before everyone else.

“I’m probably going to get a reprimand letter,” he said. “I looked in the camera and he was definitely short. I just didn’t want to celebrate it. Thank goodness he was short.”

Thank goodness.

What a deflating loss this would have been for a program trying desperately to regain the momentum it lost the past couple years. That it instead became an underwhelming win was declared progress, despite being the kind of win that cast some doubt on how this team will hold up during the defining three-game stretch that awaits.

Memphis, after going 0-4 in one-score games last season, was finally on the right side of one again. Barely. Defensive back DJ Bell had tackled Navy's Jayden Umbarger one yard short.

“A couple people said if that was last year,” Silverfield said, “it would have been a different story.”

There was no getting around it, though. This felt a little too much like last year, complete with grumbling about Silverfield, an announced crowd that was smaller than the season opener (25,551), and as many disheartening miscues as encouraging developments.

Memphis got away with it on national television against Navy. It’s hard to believe Missouri, Boise State or Tulane will be so kind.

The Tigers' defense, so sturdy the first two games, tackled terribly in the first half facing Navy’s triple-option. But it rose up with two forced fumbles and two fourth-down stops, particularly on the game's final two possessions.

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The offense punted four straight times and got booed in the first half. Then Memphis turned the ball over on the final two possessions – an inexplicable fumble by running back Blake Watson at the goal line when the Tigers were about to put the game out of reach and a Seth Henigan interception with 2:18 to go.

But Watson also finished with 237 yards from scrimmage and nearly broke open the game with two spectacular 69-yard runs in the second half. He ran over, past and through Navy defenders in the second half and had Silverfield comparing the Old Dominion transfer to the cavalry of NFL-bound running backs that passed through campus when he was Mike Norvell's offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Asked for an area in which Memphis must improve before next week’s showdown with Missouri, Silverfield was vague but honest: “I can’t say one.”

Silverfield is now 10-2 in the month of September and 14-13 otherwise. But he can still say Memphis is undefeated. That matters. That's the easiest way to get people back in the stands. No matter how dicey this one got.

So the players came pouring out from the sideline when Memphis survived, squirting their water bottles into the air in celebration once the replay confirmed what they already knew.

"I seen him get tackled and I knew he was definitely short,” Allen declared. “But, you know, weirder stuff has happened.”

Weirder stuff happened last season. Thank goodness it's not last season.

You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on X: @mgiannotto

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Thank goodness Memphis Tigers football avoided deflating loss vs. Navy