Memphis football prepare to fight off SMU and rust after long break from play
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BVM) – Following an unexpected three week layoff, the Memphis Tigers football will be returning to the field. The No. 24 Tigers are facing the Southern Methodist University Mustangs on Saturday in the first American Athletic Conference game of the season for both teams.
The last time these teams faced each other was last year under the bright lights of ESPN, as the subject of the Nov. 2 edition of College Gameday. The high-powered matchup ended with the Tigers earning a 54-48 victory in front of their home fans.
This time around, both teams are trying to navigate through these tough times while fighting for the AAC crown.
However, Memphis finds themselves at a bit of a disadvantage as they have one game under their belt, while SMU has played, and won, all three of their games this season.
Memphis’ lone game was against Arkansas State on Sept. 5, where they beat the Red Wolves 37-24. What made the game so difficult to predict, were the circumstances surrounding Tigers running back Kenneth Gainwell and his unexpected opt out of the season.
Gainwell decided to opt out following the deaths of four of his family members who passed away due to the coronavirus. Last season, Gainwell had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage for the Tigers and was named the AAC Rookie of the Year.
In his absence, the Tigers relied upon sophomore rushing back Rodrigues Clark. The Starkville native led the team in rushing with 105 yards on 20 carries during the season opener. Quarterback Brady White had a fine game himself where he threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
Tight end Sean Dykes led the team with 10 catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns, his best game of his career. Wide receiver Damonte Coxie also had a nice game in which he had eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the team was active rushing the passer and had three sacks. That pressure did not stop at rushing the passer as the Tigers forced two interceptions, one leading to a Tigers field goal.
Though the game was a nice win for the Tigers, all that joy was halted by the announcement that some players had been exposed to COVID-19. This led to their games against Houston on Sept. 18 and UTSA on Sept. 25 to be pushed back. As of today, the game against Houston has been rescheduled to Dec. 5.
Now that the Tigers can finally return to play, there is a guarded optimism surrounding this weekend’s game.
In Tuesday’s press conference, Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield told the media that he knows that his team is at a bit of a disadvantage.
“We feel like we are getting back where we need to be,” Silverfield said. “Still not at full strength, nor will we be at kickoff. But we are getting to where we need to be to where we feel comfortable having normal practices.”
There is no word yet on who will or who will not be playing, but they will need the best that they can get to compete with the Mustangs. In each of their last three games, SMU has scored at least 31 points, including a combined 115 points in their last two games.
For a team that has not played in several weeks, it will be a tall task for them to hold back the nation’s sixth team in terms of points scored per game. If they cannot do that, then Memphis is in for a rough season.
