The Memphis Tigers (5-4, 2-3 American Athletic Conference) will face off against the Southern Methodist Mustangs (5-5, 4-2 AAC) in what will be a battle of the divisional conference picture. The Daily Helmsman sports reporters Ryan Brown, Frank Ramirez, Zach Thompson and editor Joshua A. Vinson gave their thoughts on what will happen.
SMU will host Memphis in Dallas on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. The game will be shown on ESPN2.
Ryan Brown
The Tigers defeated Tulsa 47-21 to become bowl-eligible. Memphis and SMU enter the game after winning both of their previous two matchups. SMU currently leads the AAC West division — a spot the Tigers are eager to take.
Memphis should continue to rely on running back Darrell Henderson and his explosiveness in the ground game to open up lanes in the passing game for quarterback Brady White. White will have another solid performance against a Mustang secondary that has given up an average of 229.8 passing yards per game.
White will look for wide receiver Damonte Coxie in the passing game. Coxie has had three consecutive games of 100-plus yards and should snag his fourth against the Mustangs’ secondary.
Memphis averages 44.6 points per game, compared to SMU averaging 32.3. The Tigers’ average of 141.9 more yards offensively will push them over the top and give Memphis a 4-3 conference record.
Final score prediction: Memphis 49, SMU 34
Frank Ramirez
The team has a tough final part of the season with SMU in Dallas. The Mustangs, while at 5-5, have more motive to win since they are first place in the AAC West division, and their win against Houston helped them earn a chance at the title game if they win their last two games.
Meanwhile, Memphis wants to end on a high note to have a better résumé and play in a higher-rated bowl game. They have to establish their run game early against a Mustang defense that allows more than 200 yards per game.
Running backs Patrick Taylor and Henderson, a semifinalist for the Doak Walker award, the national collegiate running back award, should be ready to give another stellar performance.
If the run game happens for the Tigers, they’ll win, even if it’s a high-scoring game.
Final score prediction: Memphis 32, SMU 27
Zach Thompson
After a sluggish start that saw them drop three tough non-conference games, the SMU Mustangs have hit their stride under first-year head coach Sonny Dykes. As current leaders of the AAC West division, the Mustangs are looking to continue their winning ways with hopes of securing a spot in the conference championship game.
Two weeks ago, it appeared that all hope for the Memphis Tigers once again competing for a conference title was lost. However, after an SMU upset against Houston and two straight convincing wins, the Tigers head into this week with an opportunity to atone for their early-season blunders. With a win at SMU and a Houston victory against Tulane, next week’s contest against the Cougars would be for the division crown.
In their last game against Tulsa, star running back Henderson had another impressive day, posting 166 yards and two touchdowns. For the Tigers to remain competitive in this one, Henderson will need to have a similar outing. SMU features an explosive offense that hung 62 points on UConn and 45 on Houston. The Mustangs’ potent offensive attack is almost certain to cause some trouble, especially in front of their own home crowd.
A key to this game will be whether the Tigers can get off to a good start on the road. This game has all the makings of a high-scoring affair that may just come down to who has the ball last.
Final score prediction: SMU 45, Memphis 41
Joshua A. Vinson
Earlier in the season, Memphis was a team that would pile up stats but did not win the big games against Central Florida, Navy and Missouri.
Now facing SMU with so much on the line, like potentially winning the AAC West division, the Memphis Tigers will not fail as they’ve done before; instead, they will be victorious.
This is Henderson’s moment to continue to elevate his draft stock on national television. He is expected to exploit SMU’s defense. Additionally, White needs to have a near-perfect game and not make any errors.
All of the positives are on SMU’s side, but Memphis has enough heart to make a complete turnaround of this season and win in Dallas.
Final score prediction: Memphis 42, SMU 35
