Memphis football started their 2018 season off with a 66-14 win against Mercer and look to get another against Navy. The Tigers shined on both sides of the ball and had a couple of newcomers make big names for themselves.
Navy lost their season opener against Hawaii 59-41 and are looking to bounce back from a tough loss, but their run game was dominant accounting for five of their six touchdowns.
Memphis Tigers
Memphis’ offense came out with a bang during the first half of their game against Mercer, scoring on each of their first seven offensive drives, resulting in 49 of their 56 first half points. Quarterback Brady White took advantage of the elusiveness of his talented pass catchers, wide receiver Damonte Coxie and running back Patrick Taylor Jr., and put up an astounding 358 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, the team was a cut above the Bears all game and did a great job of throwing them off their game, intercepting two of the Bears’ passes and forcing the Bears to fumble four times. The Tigers even scored on defense when sophmore cornerback TJ Carter managed to convert one interception into a 35-yard touchdown return.
Navy Midshipmen
As usual, Navy relied almost exclusively on their running game against Hawaii. Despite the loss, their run game looked strong and senior wide receiver Zach Abbey even had four rushing touchdowns on five total carries. The Midshipmen can also hang their hat on being able to score 41 points against an underrated Hawaii defense, which was on of the highest totals across the country in week one.
On defense, their pass rush was up to task, picking up three sacks and forcing a fumble on one. They also benefited from a strong run defense that only allowed 90 combined rushing yards by the end of the game.
Game prediction
Though Navy hasn’t lost back-to-back games to open a season since 2012, I have a hard time believing that streak holds up after Saturday’s game. Usually I would say it’ll be because of Memphis’ run game, but this time around, I believe their pass game is going to be the true catalyst. Against Hawaii, Navy’s secondary allowed 428 passing yards and six passing touchdowns; Memphis nearly put up those same stats in the first half. Memphis’ offense is also much more balanced than that of Hawaii, which will cause problems instantly.
Navy’s offense lives and dies by their run game, and if Memphis’ showing against Mercer is any indication, they will be swarming to the ball every play. The only way Navy would have a chance to win is to exploit the Tigers through the air and I just don’t see them trusting Malcolm Perry with over 40 passes.
Score prediction: 42-20 Memphis over Navy
P. Taylor Jr. drives the football in to the end zone. The Memphis Tigers defeated the Mercer Bears 66-14 on last Saturday.
