The Memphis Tigers (1-1) will be battling the Georgia State Panthers (1-1) on Friday in the hopes of getting the sour taste of the 22-21 loss against Navy out of their mouths. They’ll be looking for their offense to not have a slow start and maintain possession of the ball. The Panthers are coming off a 41-7 loss against North Carolina State, where their offense was rendered ineffective throughout much of the matchup. They need a win this week to stay in contention to be the leaders of the Sun Belt Conference’s Eastern divison.
Memphis Tigers
The Tigers’ offensive performance against Navy was the epitome of hit-or-miss. Despite outperforming Navy’s offense 378 yards to 316 yards, they had four turnovers that game (three fumbles and one interception), and quarterback Brady White was only able to gain 145 passing yards after a masterful performance against Mercer in week one. The Tigers remained competitive in the game due to the talent of running back Darrell Henderson, who rushed for 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries.
When it came to turnovers, head coach Mike Norvell wasn’t as upset as one would think.
“We spend more time on ball security and tackling as a program than any place I have ever been,” Norvell said. “That is a big-time emphasis for us, but if it’s not showing up on game day, then it doesn’t really matter.”
Although the defensive unit managed to stifle Navy’s sparse passing offense, their play regressed when it came to stopping Navy’s run, having spent a whopping 42 minutes and 47 seconds on the field. Of the three fumbles the defense forced, only one was recovered by Memphis.
Georgia State Panthers
The Panthers’ offense was upended by a stout NC State defense, who stymied them to only seven points and 349 total offensive yards. The team heavily relied upon quarterbacks Dan Ellington and Aaron Winchester, both of whom combined for 242 passing yards, and their leading rusher, freshman Destin Coates, was held to 43 yards.
Georgia State’s head coach Shawn Elliott acknowledged that the team didn’t play well as a unit, but he did see a bright spot.
“We played sound run defense, but we’ve got to get better pass rush and better coverage,” Elliott said. “We’ve got to get better in all phases of it. This is the typical time when you are going to start getting better.”
Elliott’s analysis of the team’s run defense was pretty spot-on, as out of the 541 total offense yards NC State was able to gain, only 115 came on the ground. Their pass defense was a huge issue after the unit allowed 426 yards through the air. To their credit, cornerback Quavian White was able to come up with an interception, giving the team their second straight game with a turnover.
Postgame synopsis
Last week, I was confident in Memphis’ ability to lay the smackdown on Navy, but the end result disappointed me. Said disappointment has me a bit too apprehensive to expect the Tigers to win blowouts anytime soon against Division 1 opponents. However, tough losses can either make or break a team, and I think Georgia State is the perfect opponent for Memphis to redeem themselves.
Running back Marquavius Weaver assured The Daily Helmsman that the Tigers are taking this game seriously and will be aggressive.
“I believe we are going to come out to this game with a purpose,” Weaver said. “We want to go from good to great and play with relentless effort.”
So with the confidence of the team echoing throughout campus, it’s difficult for me to bet against a confident Tigers squad. I expect the game’s biggest stars to be wide receiver Damonte Coxie, hungry to bounce back from a sub-par game last week, and linebacker Curtis Akins, looking to build on a strong performance in which he forced a fumble and made ten tackles.
Final Score: Memphis 35, Georgia State 16
The UofM announced a one-year extension for Mike Norvell’s contract. Norvell is now locked in as the leader of the program through 2023.
Memphis Tigers quarterback Brady White throwing the football for a touchdown pass. White struggled against the Navy but vows to do better against Georgia State.
Sports reporter Raven Moore
