Birmingham Bowl 2018, Wake Forest vs. Memphis: Where, when, and team info
The game in Birmingham now has its matchup.
Who’s playing in the 2018 Birmingham Bowl?
Wake Forest (6-6, 3-5 in ACC)
The Demon Deacons are a sturdy program now under Dave Clawson. They clinched bowl eligibility by putting a 52-point whomping on Duke in the last week of the regular season, but they could’ve pretty easily been a seven-win team. (The simplest game that could’ve flipped was a 17-point loss to Syracuse in Week 10, in which Wake got done in by losing the turnover margin 0-3. They’re playing without freshman starting QB Sam Hartman, who also missed almost all of November. Replacement Jamie Newman, a sophomore, isn’t downfield throwing threat but can toss it somewhat efficiently.
Memphis (8-5, 5-3 in AAC)
The Tigers are onto something under Mike Norvell, who’s continued to build on momentum that started under Justin Fuente. They still can’t beat UCF, despite threatening three times in the last calendar year. And that’s a significant shortcoming, because it’s kept them from becoming the team in the AAC. But they’re still good, and they still put out a tremendous offense just about every week. Running back Darrell Henderson is tremendous and could make this game worth watching all on his own.
Where is the Birmingham Bowl?
Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., which has hosted it each year since 2006.
When is the Birmingham Bowl, and how can I watch it?
Noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 22, on ESPN and WatchESPN
