Memphis Tigers 2018 Football Preview

Memphis Tigers 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Once upon a time, there was a football program in Memphis that could simply not get out of its own way at times, and seemed doomed to an eternal hell of losing, where the ceiling was mediocrity. Some years later, a wizard named Justin Fuente came along and waved his wand, and the Tigers became ferocious. He moved along to Blacksburg, but in came Mike Norvell, and the days of darkness and losing seem to be far behind this program. For the first time in my considerable life, the Tigers are a program that people fear, and that is the stuff of miracles.

Breakdown Offense: The Tigers took some hits after last season, and one of the bigger hits is the loss of Riley Ferguson at QB. The Tigers are starting over, and will be rather young at the position this time around. David Moore is a RS sophomore, and has all of 10 pass attempts to his name (he completed 7 of them). Brady White is a grad transfer from Arizona State, but has about as much experience as Moore does at this point. He last played in a college game in 2016, when he attempted 49 passes that season. This battle rages into the fall.

The Tigers will have depth at RB, and that is a good thing with a developing QB situation. Darrell Henderson rushed for 1154 yards and 8 scores last fall, averaging a whopping 8.88 yards per carry. Patrick Taylor also returns, and is a beast in his own right, as he rushed for 13 scores on 866 yards last fall. He averaged 5.52 yards per carry. Tony Pollard is the 3rd head of the beast, as he rushed for 7.67 yards per carry with 2 scores in more limited work.

Anthony Miller is gone, and that is a big hit. That said, there is still plenty of talent around. Antonio Gibson is a bigger target than Miller was, and should become a go to guy this season. Damonte Coxie could start as well after catching 21 passes last season. John Williams caught 12 passes last fall, and returns, as does Kedarian Jones, who caught 8 passes for 152 yards. Mechane Slade is also back to add depth, and every member of the RB group can catch the football as well.

Joey Magnifico and Sean Dykes are back at TE, and combined for 36 receptions last fall, and should provide a nice combo punch once again. Scottie Dill provides work as the TE3 or as a 3rd tackle off the line.

The line should be talented and deep this fall, as 4 starters return in Trevon Tate (LT), Dustin Woodard (LG), Drew Kyser (C), and Roger Joseph (RT). Dylan Parham, a freshman, could be in line for the RG job that is open. Obine Eze provides depth at the Tackle spots, while Tauvaga Ho Ching provides depth at the OG spots.

Breakdown Defense: Improvements can and must be made on this side of the football for the Tigers, especially when they have questions on offense with the developing QB and WR spots. Memphis ranked 102nd in scoring defense last fall, allowing 32.5 points per game. They ranked 121st against the pass (282.1 yards per game allowed), and 116th in total defense (466.2 yards allowed).

The Tigers are set with returning starters in the interior line this fall, as both NT O'Bryan Goodson and DT Jonathon Wilson return. They combined for 9 TFLs last season out of the 3-4 set. John Tate and Emmanuel Cooper will add some depth inside. Jospeh Dorceus is penciled in at DE heading into the fall, as he finished with 5 TFLs as a freshman last season.

Losing Genard Avery at LB is huge for the Tigers. He was good for 22 TFLs last fall and finished with 80 tackles. Three starters do return, however, in Curtis Akins, Tim Hart, and Austin Hall. Akins led the team with 88 tackles, while Hall added 84. Hall finished with 8 TFLs, while Akins added 4.5. Hart finished with 49 tackles on the season. Bryce Huff steps into Avery's spot. He totaled 30 tackles last season, and finished with 5 TFLs. JJ Russell and Thomas Pickens add some depth.

TJ Carter and Tito Windham are both back at CB. Carter finished with 11 PBUs, as did Windham. Carter led the team with 5 INTs last fall and totaled 69 tackles. Windham finished the season with 36 tackles. La'Andre Thomas is the 3rd corner when needed.

Both Safeties must be replaced. Josh Perry and Carlito Gonzalez, both sophomores, head into fall with the jobs. Tyrez Lindsay is also in the mix, but looks like the 3rd Safety as of now.

Breakdown Special Teams: Riley Patterson had an up and down season in 2017, as he connected on 11/16 FG attempts on the year for a success rate of just 68.8%. He returns, seeking improvement in 2018.

The Punter job is open and will be decided in camp. Aidan Daily, a junior, has the insdie track as of now. Adam Williams will battle him in camp.

Pollard is one of the most explosive KR men in the nation, as he averaged 40.05 yards per return with 4 scores last fall. Williams handles PR duties once again.

Final Analysis: The losses were big, there is no doubt of that. The good news is that the staff has recruited amazingly well, and there is plentiful talent to go around everywhere, especially on offense. The QB and WR positions must get ironed out early in camp to keep the good times rolling. If there is a struggle there, the Tigers may be stepping back a bit this season. If they get dealt with early on, the Tigers are competing in the AAC West once again. Defensively, the offense has to score a ton, or else the defense may fold on itself once again. Improvement must be found, and there is enough talent on hand to make that happen. This is going to be a wild ride for this football team, especially with a trip to Navy coming early in the season in weak 2. Navy should be the toughest team they face in the West this season. They do not play another team that could beat them until October 13, when UCF comes to town.