Tag: Memphis Tigers football

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Sports Tiger Blue

Ryan Silverfield Named Football Coach at U of M

It took University of Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch all of five days to make the hire most of the Tiger football community wanted, expected, and all but insisted upon. On Friday afternoon at the Murphy Athletic Complex, Veatch introduced Ryan Silverfield as the new (and 25th) head football coach for the U of M. Silverfield succeeds Mike Norvell, who won 38 games in four seasons at the helm and departed last Sunday for Florida State, the day after leading the Tigers to a victory in the American Athletic Conference championship game at the Liberty Bowl. Silverfield served all four seasons on Norvell’s staff, most recently as deputy head coach/run game coordinator/offensive line.

Ryan Silverfield

“I’m very proud of the process we went through,” said Veatch. “We were very diligent. We met with all the players and I handed out notecards, asking them what they would look for in a head coach. They wanted someone that’s real, a winner, a competitor, high energy, someone that truly loves and cares for players. They wanted a Memphian, someone who could continue to provide the discipline and accountability that have become a hallmark of this program. What I wanted was a great leader. Ryan won this job. We went through a process that was fairly grueling, and he won it outright.”

Immediately prior to his arrival in Memphis, Silverfield spent the 2015 season as assistant offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions. His longest-tenured position to date came with the Minnesota Vikings (2008-13) where he spent his last three years as an assistant offensive line coach. Silverfield graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

“To stand in front of our players a few minutes ago and be named the head football coach at the University of Memphis is a dream come true,” said Silverfield after taking a few moments to clear his throat. “This is my dream job. I’m honored, humbled, grateful, appreciative. I can’t wait to get started. So excited. We’re going to do it the right way. Every day is just as important as the last. We will make the city of Memphis proud. I’m excited about this journey, for many years to come.”

The 39-year-old Silverfield will make his head-coaching debut on the lofty stage of the Cotton Bowl, to be played in Dallas on December 28th between the 15th-ranked Tigers and 13th-ranked Penn State. In other words, the first game he calls the shots for the Memphis program will be the biggest game in Tiger history.

Silverfield emphasized the positive environment he will require and promote as leader of the Tiger football program. “Everything matters,” he emphasized, from academics to “the way we respect women.” He saluted his predecessor, noting that he wouldn’t be in Memphis — could not have fallen in love with the city as he has — had he not been hired by Norvell.

“If current and former players believe in me,” said Silverfield, “then maybe I’ve been doing it the right way. This is the job I always wanted. If you love Memphis, the city loves you back. We wear 901 on our sleeves and on our hearts.”

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Letter From The Editor Opinion

One Magic Night

It was just perfect — the drinks, the lights, the long, exquisite night under the stars, the back and forth, the tension, the fireworks, the climax, the deep, adoring looks in the afterglow. Just. Perfect.

Surely, they could be forgiven for thinking that that one glorious Saturday night was a reward for all the hard work they’d put in together, getting over the little bumps in the road, struggling through the rough times, smoothing out their differences, striving toward the perfect relationship. And now, suddenly, it was here, the culmination of their time together — one magical night in Memphis. The future beckoned, bright with promise. The world was theirs.

“Thank you, darling,” he said, gazing deeply into her eyes and lifting a cup in celebration. “This is truly the greatest moment of my life.”

“I feel the same,” she cooed. “All those long nights and afternoons — all those times when it seemed things were in doubt — we hung in there, supporting each other through the years. Now, we’re here, together. It just seems like it was meant to be. I love you so much.”

“And I love you, too, sweetheart, with all my heart. It’s like I’ve always said: If I give my all to you, you’ll repay me in kind. And that’s just what’s happened! It’s amazing. And I’m so incredibly grateful to you.”

They sat for a moment, savoring the magic, wanting it to last.

“Oh, I’m leaving you, tomorrow, by the way,” he said.

“WHAT?”

“No hard feelings. I’ve met someone else.”

“Someone else? But we have that special honeymoon trip to Dallas planned in two weeks.”

“Sorry, I’m moving to Florida tomorrow. It’s over.”

“But, how could you? I’ve supported you for years! I’ve given you my all!”

“I just got a better offer. It’s nothing personal. It’s not you. It’s me.”

“But, Mike … I … I love you.”

“And I’ll always love you, too, darling, but I’ve got a plane to Tallahassee to catch.”

“But, but …”

“Don’t cry, dear. We’ll always have Cincinnati.”

And just like that, University of Memphis football coach Mike Norvell was out of here — less than 24 hours after the greatest victory in Tiger history, a win over rival Cincinnati that meant the AAC conference championship and a trip to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl. Now, it’s a game the team will play without the coach who helped get them there, the man who coined the phrase, “Stripe ’em up!” He’ll be busy recruiting for his new love, er, school, Florida State.

This stuff happens all the time. Coaching changes are inevitable. I get it. Memphis isn’t in the “Power 5,” the elite level of the NCAA’s multi-billion dollar “student-athlete” pyramid scheme, where teams get picked to compete for national championships — and where coaches like Alabama’s Nick Saban can make more than $10 million a year. Norvell has joined the club, and no one really blames him, I suppose. It’s the way the system works.

And, truth to tell, by the time it happened, the secret was out. The deal had been struck before the Tigers’ game on Saturday, and Florida State was leaking details to Tallahassee media about the press conference to announce Norvell’s hire before the game was even over. By Sunday, Norvell had donned a sport coat and a garnet-and-gold tie and was pledging his devotion to all things Seminole (“a hero, not a mascot,” according to the school’s website). Okay, then.

The timing for these things is tacky and unseemly and grossly unfair to the fans and players of the team that’s losing its coach. Consider the Memphis situation: After winning 12 games (the most in its history) and earning the school’s first-ever trip to a major bowl, the coach who spent four years building the program to this level leaves before the bowl game? That’s all kinds of screwed up.

Poaching another team’s coach during the season should be outlawed by the NCAA. If it means pushing the early signing period for recruits back a month, so be it. Those being recruited deserve to know if a coaching change is happening before they commit to a school. There’s no reason why coaching changes can’t happen until after the season, unless we just want to stop pretending any of this is about anything but money.

Which it is not.

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Sports Tiger Blue

17 Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Has the University of Memphis ever hosted a bigger Senior Day at the Liberty Bowl? A quick summary of what’s at stake for the home team in Friday’s nationally televised contest between the 17th-ranked Tigers (10-1) and the 18th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats (10-1):

1) The American Athletic Conference’s West Division title, which would mean . . .
2) The AAC Championship game at the Liberty Bowl on December 7th, which could mean . . .
3) A Cotton Bowl berth for Memphis should the Tigers win the AAC title (by beating the Bearcats twice in two weeks).

It’s a time for deep breaths. Especially for 17 seniors who will be honored before Friday’s kickoff. Unless they redshirted for the 2015 season, this class has only known coach Mike Norvell’s way, which has been good enough (so far) for 36 wins in four years.

Make sure you’re standing when these eight players are introduced. Whether it’s special teams or the scout squad, these Tigers made their impact without fanfare or regular game starts. But their sweat in the weight room and their commitment in the film room was every bit as genuine as those of a four-year starter: Keith Brigham (DL), Joey Bryant (DB), Chris Claybrooks (DB), Colton Cochran (DB, St. Benedict), Desmond Hawkins (DL, Craigmont High), Ladarius Jordan (DB, St. Benedict), Jeremiah Maclin (DL, Southaven), Traveon Samuel (WR/RB).

Kedarian Jones has caught a touchdown pass in each of his four seasons as a Tiger. He’s averaged 14.5 yards per catch this season with 465 yards on 32 receptions.

Jonathan Wilson has started at least eight games on the Tiger defensive line all four years. He’s accumulated 12 sacks and earned All-Academic recognition after the 2017 season.
Larry Kuzniewski

Antonio Gibson on ‘Antonio Gibson Day’ at the Liberty Bowl.


Antonio Gibson had the game of his life on precisely the right night. With ABC broadcasting the Tigers’ November 2nd showdown with SMU to a national audience, Gibson set a Tiger record with 386 all-purpose yards to help Memphis earn the win. He scored touchdowns on a 50-yard pass reception, a 97-yard kickoff return, and a 78-yard run from scrimmage. Gibson played only two seasons in blue and gray, but left a mark that will be celebrated for generations.

Much of his senior season has been compromised by injury, but Patrick Taylor will go into the books as an all-time Tiger great. Playing a supporting role to All-American Darrell Henderson in 2018, Taylor rushed for 1,122 yards and scored 18 touchdowns (two of them on receptions). His 2,778 career rushing yards are second only to DeAngelo Williams and his 38 touchdowns are fourth in Memphis history.

Joey Magnifico (St. Benedict) will leave the U of M as the most accomplished tight end in the program’s history. He enters the Cincinnati game with 70 career receptions for 1,060 yards and 12 touchdowns. Blessed with NFL size (6’4″, 240 lbs.), Magnifico may be catching passes on Sundays a year from now.

Austin Hall (Collierville High School) has been an anchor for the Tiger defense since his redshirt-freshman season when he started 11 games for Mike Norvell’s first team. Playing a hybrid linebacker/safety position, Hall has been a disruptor and one of the heaviest tacklers in recent Memphis history. A member of multiple All-Academic teams during his college career, Hall will leave the U of M with a degree in criminal justice.

Bryce Huff didn’t become a regular starter (at linebacker) until his junior season, but has impacted games — often in the opponent’s backfield — ever since. He moved to defensive end this season and leads Memphis in both sacks (4) and tackles-for-loss (10.5). Like Hall, Huff has earned All-Academic honors from the AAC.

You don’t set scoring records without a strong offensive line. And center Dustin Woodard has anchored this year’s blocking unit for quarterback Brady White and friends. Woodard started 24 games, primarily at left guard, his first two seasons; moved to right guard (14 starts) as a junior, then took over snapping duties this fall. A two-time AAC All-Academic honoree, Woodard earned all-conference recognition in 2018 and is a candidate this season. Scottie Dill (Briarcrest) took over right-tackle duties this season after three years in a reserve roll. He’s seen action in 51 games as a Tiger.

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• The Liberty Bowl has become a Tiger cage for visiting teams. Since the start of the 2014 season, Memphis has accumulated a 30-5 record at home. You have to go back 11 previous seasons (2003-13) to count 30 Tiger wins at the Liberty Bowl. Only once over the last five years has Memphis lost as many as two home games in a season (Tulsa and USF beat the Tigers in 2016). It’s a remarkable run of home-field dominance that shouldn’t be taken for granted as the Memphis program aims for national recognition, both from those who vote in polls and from long-distance recruits interested in making large-scale impact.
Larry Kuzniewski

Thursday night’s tilt with Navy will be a test, the Midshipmen leaning on that vexing triple-option attack that causes fits wherever they play. Quarterback Malcolm Perry passed for two touchdowns and ran for four more in Navy’s evisceration of East Carolina in the teams’ American Athletic Conference opener. The Tigers lost a crusher (22-21) in Annapolis last season and have won only one of four meetings since Navy joined the AAC for the 2015 season. And yes, the Midshipmen are one of the five teams to beat the Tigers in Memphis since 2014. To make this week’s game all the more meaningful, Navy and Memphis occupy the same division in the AAC. It’s as close to a must-win for the Tigers as you’ll see in September.


• The Tiger offense is averaging 37.3 points per game. What’s wrong? I kid. The 15 points scored in the season-opening win over Ole Miss will hurt this average for a few weeks, but the  Memphis attack doesn’t appear to be suffering for the losses of Patrick Taylor or Pop Williams (the latter will miss the rest of the season). Freshman tailback (and Taylor fill-in) Kenneth Gainwell leads the AAC with 102.3 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Brady White has completed more than 70 percent of his passes.

New offensive coordinator Kevin Johns isn’t surprised. When I met Johns during the preseason, he was effusive in his praise of Tiger head coach Mike Norvell. “Any offensive coach in this country would love to work at the University of Memphis,” he said. “For me, it’s a chance to learn from a great offensive mind. This is his show. I’m trying to learn it, and teach it to the quarterbacks. As he and I spend more time together, there’s a chance for me to bring concepts from other places [I’ve been]. My philosophy is very similar to Coach Norvell’s: you keep a tight end on the field at all times and you find a way to run the football. That takes care of everything else.”


• The Tigers need to retire three more jerseys, and soon. It took some time, but the names (and numbers) of six honored Tiger football players are now proudly displayed at the Liberty Bowl: John Bramlett, Isaac Bruce, Dave Casinelli, Charles Greenhill, Harry Schuh, and DeAngelo Williams. It’s been six years since a Tiger has received this ultimate salute (both Bramlett and Schuh were honored in 2013). Thanks in large part to the amount of success the Memphis program has enjoyed since the turn of the century, three names need to be added to this pantheon.

First and foremost, Anthony Miller: the greatest receiver in Tiger history and a first-team AP All-America in 2017. Darrell Henderson belongs in the group, having rushed for more than 3,500 yards (in three seasons) and also earning first-team AP All-America recognition (in 2018). The third name isn’t mentioned as often: Danny Wimprine. Memphis has suited up some talented quarterbacks over the last decade, but none has approached the career passing records (10,215 yards, 81 touchdowns) Wimprine has held now for 15 years. Imagine what his numbers would be had he not spent much of three seasons (2002-04) handing the ball to Williams. Danny Wimprine is an all-time Tiger great. Period.

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From My Seat Sports

Memphis Tigers Football: Lessons Learned (So Far)

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

When the Memphis Tigers take the field at East Carolina this Saturday, they will have gone 27 days without tasting a victory. That’s a long time in the course of a college football season, merely three months to separate programs with Top 25 aspirations from those happy with a mid-December bowl berth. Having lost two straight games — a heartbreaker to UCF and a thorough teeth-cleaning at Missouri — Memphis (4-4) will start its final third of the season knowing the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl may be this season’s pinnacle, in which case we’ll toss out the word “pinnacle.” What lessons can we take from the Tigers’ first eight games? Here are four.
Larry Kuzniewski

Darrell Henderson

• A soft September did this team no favors. I sat in the Liberty Bowl press box on October 6th as the Tigers wiped the field with UConn Huskies and had a rather uncomfortable conversation with another reporter, one who’s been covering the Tigers even longer than I have. “Who is this team? What’s their strength? Can Brady White beat a team with premium recruits? Is the defense as bad as it looked at Tulane?”

To be asking such questions in October is scary. Those of us who watch every snap of every Tiger game felt unfamiliar with a team almost halfway through its regular season. The Missouri spanking would have been better — big picture — had it taken place in early September. Coaches need to learn what they have, too. Whatever adjustments (to scheme or personnel) defensive coordinator Chris Ball might make will come too late to impact much of the season, and way too late to impact the Tigers’ chances for reaching the American Athletic Conference title game.

• The Tigers have dropped a notch in speed. This is the easiest team-wide component to measure on a football team. Strength and “football IQ” get lost in the mass of bodies on every play. But as one team outruns another — be it on offense or defense — games are won and lost. And the Memphis defense is surrendering big plays as though it’s down a man. After pulling within four points (21-17) at Mizzou, the Tigers gave up four touchdowns in less than nine minutes. A turnover played a role, but three of the Missouri scores covered at least 44 yards. Stare at the film as long as you’d like, but I’ll summarize: Missouri players outran Memphis players, all the way to the end zone. (Let’s acknowledge the SEC-AAC gap while we’re here. However much the Memphis program has grown in recent years, a mid-level SEC program is of a different talent stripe.)

• Memphis is not a bad football team. I’ll point you to the Tiger record book and circle recent records: 2-10 (2006), 2-10 (2009), 1-11 (2010), 2-10 (2011), 3-9 (2013). Memphis has fielded some boot-licking football teams since the turn of the century, but the 2018 bunch is not among them. With merely seven points against East Carolina, the Tigers will move into the top 10 teams in the program’s history as measured by points scored, and with at least three more full games to play. But as of today, the Tigers’ biggest win this season came over a Connecticut team that’s 1-7 and staring up from the AAC’s East Division cellar. This must change. A win over East Carolina (2-5) would do it, but barely. Memphis needs to circle the Houston game (November 23rd) in thick, red ink. The regular-season finale at the Liberty Bowl (the day after Thanksgiving) is the last chance the U of M will have to beat a team with real claws.

• Darrell Henderson is mortal. Proof came with a hamstring injury in the Missouri game, one that sidelined the Tigers’ star tailback after only four carries and 15 yards. Henderson’s in a virtual dead heat with Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor for the national lead in rushing, trailing in total yards (1,155 to 1,148) and yards per game (144.4 to 143.5). But Henderson’s yards per carry (10.1) dwarfs Taylor’s (6.4). Needless to say, Henderson faces a lighter schedule in November than does Taylor, so this will be a fun race to follow, particularly if Henderson is fully recovered from the hamstring tweak. (Coach Mike Norvell has indicated Henderson will play at East Carolina.)

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• The Tigers couldn’t have scripted a better opponent for this Saturday’s game at the Liberty Bowl. It’s both a recovery game (after the disaster at Tulane) and a tune-up (with UCF on the way) for Memphis, and the Tigers need to hit a reset button on their season. UConn (1-4) has allowed the most points (267) in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), and by some distance (SMU has surrendered 190).

The Huskies have been outscored by an average of 53.4 to 21.6. (The lone game UConn won: a 56-49 shootout with Rhode Island.) Connecticut’s defense has allowed a staggering 663 yards per game, dead last among the 130 FBS teams. (At 129 is Oregon State, and they’ve only allowed 543.6 per game.)

But here’s the catch from the other sideline: Memphis now looks like a soft spot on the Husky schedule. Their losses have been to UCF, Boise State, Syracuse, and Cincinnati. Tiger coach Mike Norvell has emphasized all week how his team can overlook no one. They better not this week, because an undermanned (on paper) foe will be stoked for this clash.

• To his credit, Norvell has owned his team’s performance at Tulane. He’s come across, honestly, as the most disappointed “fan” in Memphis . . . and that’s precisely as it should be. From Monday’s press conference: “Part of the reason we are in this situation are things we have allowed to take place and allowed to happen, and it’s hurt us in playing to the top level of our ability. We’re going to continue to work. We had a good practice [Sunday]. Everyone is owning where we are and what we’ve done to this point.”
Larry Kuzniewski

Mike Norvell


With any painful loss, it’s not so much the what, but the why that a coaching staff must address. The defense was significantly short-handed by injuries, particularly the line. (The secondary, minus two starters, looked significantly slower than it has in recent years.)  Tulane’s defense managed to bottle up the country’s top rusher, Darrell Henderson. Tiger quarterback Brady White was unable to stretch the Green Wave defense by connecting with receivers downfield. These and other factors made for the ugliest outing in Norvell’s three seasons as a head coach. Time for that age-old cliche: It’s not how hard you fall, but how quickly you get up.

• What has happened to Mid-South football? Memphis fans are pouting over an 0-2 start in the AAC. Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Arkansas are all 0-2 in the SEC. Tennessee is 0-2 in league play and Vanderbilt 0-1. Six regional programs with a combined league record of 0-11. There’s Alabama, of course. (Always Alabama.) LSU, Georgia, and Auburn are also Top-10 teams. But I’ve bumped into some slump-shouldered football fans as October has arrived. Better days are surely ahead. If nothing else, I know five SEC programs Memphis athletic director Tom Bowen should consider scheduling.

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• Brady White likes playing in the Liberty Bowl. The rookie quarterback’s numbers through three home games this season: 63 completions in 83 attempts (76 percent) for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns, with no interceptions. Those are the kind of figures we see on Sundays from the likes of Tom Brady and Drew Brees, not from a young man establishing his place in what looked to be a distinctly run-first offense this season.
Larry Kuzniewski

Brady White

White struggled, of course, in the Tigers’ lone road game to date (at Navy), that outing complicated by the rainy conditions in Annapolis. Which makes Friday’s tilt at Tulane somewhat of a turning point for White (and the Tiger offense) this season. Memphis will be favored (unlike at Navy) and facing a team that’s struggled to score this season (only East Carolina has scored fewer points among American Athletic Conference teams).

White needs to show that his Navy performance was an aberration, and that the numbers he’s posted at home aren’t merely the product of inferior competition. Two home games follow the trip to New Orleans. White can further establish his credentials as the big-picture leader of the Memphis offense with a strong performance Friday night.

• The Tigers have a player with All-America credentials (as a kick-returner). His name is Tony Pollard, and he wears number 1 on his uniform. The Tigers also have a sophomore defensive lineman who has made more than a dozen starts. His name is O’Bryan Goodson and he wears number 1 on his uniform.

Huh?!? How can two players on the Tigers’ two-deep roster — let alone a star like Pollard and a defensive starter — wear the same number? With 85 scholarships and a few walk-ons, I can see numbers growing scarce, with perhaps the need for players sharing numbers (one on offense, the other on defense). But this particular case makes absolutely no sense. College football should have a rule — or if not, the University of Memphis should have a rule — that the 50 players who make up a two-deep (including special-teamers) wear uniform numbers distinctly their own. Those familiar with the Tigers know the difference between Pollard and Goodson with a quick glance. A fan watching a nationally televised game in Phoenix has be confused when he sees what he thinks is a star kick returner sacking the opposing quarterback.

• Speaking of Goodson, and Emmanuel Cooper, and Jonathan Wilson, and Joseph Dorceus . . . the Tigers’ defensive line is making an impact in what remains a sport of trench warfare. Stop the opponent’s running game and you generally leave the field a winner. Memphis is 14-1 under coach Mike Norvell when holding opposing teams to less than 150 yards rushing. (The Tigers are 7-8 since 2016 when allowing 150 yards or more on the ground.) It’s the easiest measuring stick to chart as you’re watching a game. Who’s controlling the line of scrimmage when the Tiger defense is on the field? Tulane has averaged 174.5 rushing yards per game thus far, with Corey Dauphine putting up a cool 11.6-yard average on 25 carries.

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Memphis Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• The Tigers earned the scrutiny they’ve received this week. Navy was utterly beatable last Saturday in Annapolis. And a win would have solidified the Tigers’ status as favorites in the American Athletic Conference’s West Division. But dreary rain, four turnovers, and 43 minutes of Navy possession time were enough to tame, if not ruin, big Memphis expectations for 2018. (Honestly, remember that possession time. Despite having the ball for merely 17 minutes, Memphis outgained Navy, 378 yards to 316. Navy was so beatable, but you generally need to have the ball to score.)
Larry Kuzniewski

Mike Norvell

The Tigers’ final turnover — a Patrick Taylor fumble early in the fourth quarter — will be the hardest to forget as the season unfolds. Leading by 12 points at the time, Memphis coach Mike Norvell chose to hand the ball to Taylor, his gifted second option at tailback. Instead of giving the ball to Darrell Henderson, a man who’d scored three touchdowns and averaged 16.3 yards on 13 carries. This is what we call an embarrassment of riches. Memphis has not one, not two, but three talented players capable of breaking free at the line of scrimmage (don’t forget Tony Pollard). But it can confuse what should be simple late-game play-calling. Pardon me for second-guessing a rather sharp coach, but let me first-guess Norvell for the 10 games left on the Tiger schedule. Close game, late . . . give the ball to Darrell Henderson. If you’re gonna lose, lose with Option A.

• The Tigers must sweep their next four games. Memphis players get to wear their Sun Belt gear the next two weeks, with Georgia State (41-7 losers to North Carolina State) and South Alabama (55-13 losers to Oklahoma State) on their way to the Liberty Bowl. With Tulane (in New Orleans) and UConn to follow, this is an early-season lull in the Tiger schedule, but one in which a Memphis slip could prove ruinous. Two league losses would all but eliminate the chance for a return trip to the AAC championship game. If Memphis can hold serve and enter its tilt with UCF on October 13th at 5-1, we’ll have a huge game on our hands at the Liberty Bowl. A stumble over the next four weeks and that game is merely an underdog hosting a team with New Years Six bowl aspirations.

At his weekly press conference Monday, Norvell seemed to recognize the importance of a return to form. “I can tell you these guys will respond in the right way,” he said. “This has not been foreign to us. Unfortunately, we have been here before. We know what it takes to move forward.”

• Mike Norvell aims to win his 20th game as Memphis coach Friday night, and this is significant. You have to go back to the Carter presidency to find a Memphis coach who reached 20 wins in merely his third season. Richard Williamson went 7-4, 7-4, and 6-5 from 1975 through 1977, giving him exactly 20 wins over his first three seasons on the Tiger sideline. (The legendary Spook Murphy merely won 18 games over his first three seasons, though teams played 10 games per season in the Fifties and Sixties.) Norvell has continued to build what Justin Fuente started in 2012, and we’ve reached the point where a one-point loss at Navy in early September feels like a sloppy face-plant. Retain perspective. In a region of SEC behemoths, Memphis Tiger faithful are acting like 25 to 30 wins over three years is the norm. Let’s at least acknowledge it’s a new normal.

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• Something is rotten in the state of defense, at least the version played by the Memphis Tigers. Four games into the 2017 season, Memphis ranks 126th nationally (out of 130 teams) in total defense, allowing 513.5 yards per game. Last weekend’s debacle at UCF was the second time the Tigers have allowed at least 40 points this season, and the eighth such game since the start of the 2016 season. Injuries have compromised defensive coordinator Chris Ball’s unit (perhaps most significantly the loss of pass rusher Jackson Dillon for the season). But games must still be played. Four teams on the Tigers’ remaining schedule are averaging more than 450 yards of offense, including the next two (UConn and Navy). We’ve reached the point where an old cliche applies: The Tigers’ best defense is a strong offense. The irony, though, is that Memphis has a quick-strike attack, one capable of scoring in less than three minutes of possession time. Short drives mean only more time on the field for that 126th-ranked defense. Head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey face an uncomfortable challenge: score lots of points . . . but do it slowly.

Jay McCoy

• With his third touchdown catch of the season (against Southern Illinois), Tiger receiver Anthony Miller became just the fourth Memphis player to score 25 career touchdowns. You’ve surely heard of DeAngelo Williams (60 TDs from 2002 to 2005). And Dave Casinelli (36, 1960-63). Each of them has had his jersey number retired by the U of M. But what can you tell me about Jay McCoy, who scored 27 touchdowns as a Tiger? I had to call on the preeminent Tiger historian of them all — sideline reporter Matt Dillon — to learn about this unsung star, who did his damage at the Liberty Bowl from 1968 to 1970. “Coach [Billy] Murphy used him generally to run outside as a tailback,” says Dillon, “but he was strong enough to get tough yards between the tackles if needed. Jay was one of the most versatile players in that era when it was basically three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. He was also called on to be the backup kicker on field goals and PATs [as a senior]. Skeeter Gowen got most of the publicity McCoy’s last two years, but Jay was one of those multipurpose guys who held everything together. One of the very underrated players in Tiger history.” McCoy is one of only six non-kickers to lead the Tigers in scoring twice (1968 and 1970). He scored 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, eight as a junior, and nine as a senior.

• New England is lovely in the fall. This trip to Connecticut comes at a perfect time for the Tigers. You see, the Huskies rank 127th in total defense, allowing 541.8 yards per game. Their only win this season came against Holy Cross in the opener. Memphis and UConn haven’t played since the 2014 season, when the Tigers won handily (41-10) at the Liberty Bowl. The U of M, though, lost (handily) its only game in East Hartford, the 2013 season finale (Justin Fuente’s second on the sidelines for Memphis). Norvell didn’t pull any verbal punches at his press conference Monday: “I’m embarrassed as a head coach for how we had them prepared to play [at UCF]. We’re going to respond. Talk is cheap; what you see is who you are.” Friday night will indeed be a time for the Memphis football program to respond, and reset its direction for a season not so young any more.

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

• A nationally televised college football game is a recruiting tool. The significance of the Tigers’ upset of UCLA in front of the ABC cameras last weekend should only grow with coach Mike Norvell’s next recruiting class. The two biggest plays in the Memphis win were interceptions of Bruin quarterback Josh Rosen. The first was by redshirt-freshman Tim Hart, who returned his third-quarter pick 60 yards to extend the Tigers’ lead to 41-31. The second was by true freshman T.J. Carter, a snag that ended a UCLA threat with the Tigers clinging to a 48-45 lead. Since the day he arrived at the U of M, Norvell has said the best players on his roster will be on the field come game day. High school players seeing freshmen star on national television are that much more inclined to consider wearing the same uniform when it comes to their own commitment.

Isaac Bruce (1992-93)

• This has become an annual gripe (apologies), but will remain so until we see the right kind of action. There is no visible tribute at the Liberty Bowl for the six Tiger greats who have had their jerseys retired. It mystifies me. We’re not talking about statues or engraved numbers under the sky boxes. How about a single banner? One that reminds Tiger fans of the names (and numbers) of those to have received the program’s ultimate honor: John Bramlett (64), Isaac Bruce (83), Dave Casinelli (30), Charles Greenhill (8), Harry Schuh (79), and DeAngelo Williams (20). If this isn’t a priority for Norvell or U of M athletic director Tom Bowen, I’m surprised it hasn’t become one for alumni and boosters of the program. Such a banner could be created with what amounts to pocket change in a football budget. And it would lift hearts and spirits during every home game. Simply has to happen.

• I can’t see Southern Illinois being a trap game for the Tigers. Not this early in the season. Sandwiched between the “statement game” against UCLA and the rescheduled conference opener against UCF (September 30th), the contest won’t stand out in any season wrap-ups . . . unless the Salukis pull off an upset. There was a time (as recently as 2013) when an FCS opponent would be welcomed as a nice break on the Tiger schedule, a game Memphis might, you know, win. (Memphis handled UT-Martin four years ago, one of three wins that season.) Today, it’s a chance for Norvell and offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey to work out kinks in their scheme, for reserves to get off the bench for a few snaps, and for a little stat-padding among the Tiger skill-position players. (Anthony Miller needs only 30 yards receiving to move into second place on the Memphis career chart.) With three of the Tigers’ following four games on the road, Saturday night should be a football party at the Liberty Bowl. And no injuries, please.