The University of Memphis Tigers (5-4, 2-3 American Athletic Conference) return home to face off against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-7, 1-4 AAC). After winning a shootout against East Carolina last weekend on the road, the Tigers are looking to extend their winning record at home to 5-1 and hopefully salvage what is left of this lackluster season.
The Helmsman sports staff came together for the weekly roundtable breaking down the conference match up that will air on ESPNU at 11 a.m. from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Ryan Brown
The Tigers had an explosion of offense against ECU last week and will be primed to duplicate that level of production against the Golden Hurricane.
The rushing attack dominated ECU’s front seven for a total of five touchdowns and 277 yards. Memphis should have their way on the ground, as Tulsa has given up an average of 227.8 rushing yards per game. Junior running back Darrell Henderson and the rest of the Tigers’ backfield should be used heavily against Tulsa’s weak run defense.
Quarterback Brady White was at his best against ECU, completing 21-30 passing attempts for 362 yards and three scores. White will need to be cautious of Tulsa’s defensive backs, as they have totaled seven interceptions so far this season.
Sophomore receiver Damonte Coxie was a force for Memphis against ECU with 176 yards receiving and two scores. White will need Coxie’s production against Tulsa’s defense, which has surrendered an average 173.2 yards to opposing quarterbacks this season.
The Tigers’ defense will get back on track this weekend, as Tulsa is averaging 23.6 points per game. Memphis can take advantage of Tulsa’s weak passing attack, which is averaging 167.6 yards through the air against opponents.
Final score prediction: Memphis 59, Tulsa 31
Frank Ramirez
With excitement buzzing around U of M soccer and basketball, the football team is looking to be bowl-eligible for a fourth-straight season. Lucky for them, the Golden Hurricane are having a down season with a 2-7 record and haven’t won an away game since November 2016.
Tulsa is coming off a dominant 49-19 win against UConn, but UConn is just 1-8 this season. Tulsa quarterback Seth Boomer has 781 yards, seven touchdowns, two picks and a 41 percent completion rate. Their run game is decent with 221.3 yards per game with running backShamari Brooks leading the team with 774 yards and six touchdowns.
While Memphis is the better team on paper, the Tigers have struggled in vital points so far this season, and this is a trap game for the Tigers. They have to take the initiative to come out of the gate roaring. Again, Henderson will have to somewhat mirror his 204 total yardage and three total touchdown performance last week. Memphis should win if they don’t struggle early on.
Final score prediction: Memphis 52, Tulsa 21
Zach Thompson
Although the Golden Hurricane currently sit at 2-7 and last in the west division, one of those losses was only by a touchdown to nationally ranked Texas, and their loss to South Florida was only by a margin of one point. Offensively, Tulsa is a team that picks up a lot of yards and prefers to speed up the pace of their games.
Memphis certainly has played more up-tempo for stretches of games, but any type of shootout must be at least some cause for concern for the Tigers due to the lack of big plays through the air this season.
While Henderson once again racked up huge numbers over the weekend and has put together an All-American caliber campaign thus far, the rest of the offense has been inconsistent.
Despite a fast-paced attack from Tulsa that will keep the contest competitive, Henderson and the Tigers will prove to be too much for the Golden Hurricane to handle for four quarters.
Final score prediction: Memphis 45, Tulsa 27
Joshua A. Vinson
This team could still be bowl-eligible, despite the way the season has been going. Memphis should win for the rest of this season, and it will start against Tulsa.
This should be a game where White and Henderson pad their stats and light up Tulsa. As with any struggling opponent, Memphis should not take the Golden Hurricane lightly.
Teams like Tulsa are playing for pride this late in the season and would love to beat Memphis at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Nevertheless, that should not happen.
Final score prediction: Memphis 42, Tulsa 21.
Brady White throws the ball deep to his target. White had 208 passing yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions.
