The University of Memphis football team’s final scrimmage before the end of spring practices took place April 1, and Memphians rushed to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to see what their Tigers would do.
Though it was a mix of good and bad for the team, coaches and players came away mostly pleased with their performances.
Still, the Tigers have shown they have areas that could be improved and areas that seem completely fine. With just one more practice left, this scrimmage highlighted what they need to work on before the fall.
Offensive line still needs some work
The changes to the Tigers’ offensive line have been a well-publicized subject that has brought quite a bit of controversy. Prior to the showcase Friday night, the unit and its coaches seemed ready to show what they could do. Instead, their performance left spectators with more questions.
During the scrimmage, the offensive line committed four penalties and allowed four sacks. They also couldn’t prevent defenders from getting through their blocks and allowed 11 tackles for loss.
Head coach Mike Norvell told the media this scrimmage was necessary for the offensive line to see that they’re still a work in progress.
“I thought there were some bright moments,” Norvell said. “I thought we handled movements well at times, but then there were critical mistakes that we have to get cleaned up.”
Running back Kenneth Gainwell has an explosive showing
With starter Patrick Taylor seeing limited action, Gainwell was thrust into a more expansive role. Not only did he play well, but he was a force when running and catching the ball. There were multiple instances where he broke off for big runs and made defenders miss with relative ease.
Throughout camp, he was routinely one of the more praised players and is the favorite to be the number two back behind Taylor. With his performance of four rushes for 69 yards and one touchdown as well as two receptions for 43 yards, he made his case even stronger.
Gainwell told the media his performance could have been better.
“I think that I did really good,” Gainwell said. “I came out focused and ready to play. I think that I could have done a little bit better than what I did, but I’m grateful to be out here.”
Team TV wins the battle of the media
The main event of Friday Night Stripes was “Memphis Media Madness,” where the two of Memphis’ top radio and television sports journalists went head-to-head to determine the superior sports medium.
Geoff Calkins, the host of the Geoff Calkins Show on ESPN 92.9, and Dave Woloshin, an announcer for Tiger Radio News, represented the radio as offensive and defensive coordinators. Doc Holliday, the sports director for WMC Action News 5, and Jarvis Greer, a sports caster at WMC Action News 5, represented television as their offensive and defensive coordinators.
Each team got three series with an opportunity to score while starting at the 50-yard line. Though both offenses were fairly quiet, the defenses made big plays.
On Team Radio’s second drive, quarterback Markevion Quinn threw a pick-six to linebacker Thomas Pickens, giving Team TV the 7-0 lead. Neither team scored again, and the game ended 7-0.
Pickens was asked about his game-winning play by the media and said he and his unit spoke it into existence in the huddle prior.
“A teammate and I were talking about how we needed a pick-six,” Pickens said. “They joked with me that I couldn’t keep my nickname if I couldn’t get one. So, when he threw it, I was in the right place at the right time, and I caught it.”
