For the first time since 2016, the Tigers have lost four regular season games and the team still has four more games to play. The year has already had many ups and downs for the team and they’ll need this bye to piece things together and fix their many underlying problems.
Quarterbacks: B-
Stats leader: Brady White, 140/222 passing, 1,966 passing yards, 17 touchdowns 3 interceptions
Brady White had the difficult task of replacing star quarterbacks Paxton Lynch and Riley Ferguson, and in his first season with the team, there are generally good things to say. He doesn’t make many mistakes, but he also doesn’t take many chances either. He’s benefited from having a powerful running game that he can rely on, but it wouldn’t hurt him to take more command of the offense and attempt more passes downfield, especially in late-game situations.
Running backs: A
Stats leader: Darrell Henderson, 114 rushing attempts, 1,148 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 3 lost fumbles
Memphis’ run game is the bread and butter of their offense, ranked 12th nationally. Led by Darrell Henderson, the unit has been one of the country’s best and has been a favorite to watch for college football fans and analysts alike.
Henderson and Patrick Taylor Jr. have been a lethal duo who have completed 21 rushing touchdowns combined, topping the team’s amount of passing touchdowns. Don’t be surprised to see the offense continue their heavy run plays, especially with the roll they’ve been on.
Wide receivers and tight ends: B-
Stats leader: Damonte Coxie, 42 receptions, 663 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns
Though their grade may not be as high as one would like or expect, it has nothing to do with their play. If anything, it speaks volumes of the discrepancy in receiving numbers.
As mentioned above, Damonte Coxie is both the leading receiver and the favorite target of White, but after him there’s a major drop-off in numbers. The next leading receiver is John “Pop” Williams, who has only 250 receiving yards and 24 receptions.
None have suffered more from Memphis’ limited passing than tight ends Sean Dykes and Joey Magnifico, who have only had eight receptions each throughout the first eight games. Last season, the two combined for 36 receptions, and Magnifico was considered one of the top targets in the offense.
Offensive line: C+
Prior to the start of the season, the offensive line was considered one of the best and most consistent units on the team. They were bringing back four out of their five starters from last season and looked to be just what this ever-changing offense needed.
After the first eight games, they allowed 15 sacks, already close to the 21 sacks they allowed all last season. This isn’t to say they won’t be able to turn things around, but for the team’s offense to truly be successful, they have to protect better and limit their penalties.
Defensive line: B-
Stats leader: Joseph Dorceus, 28 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble
Pass rush was the biggest point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Chris Ball this season, and they have improved in that area. They also have depth along their defensive line and players like Joseph Dorecus and John Tate IV have stepped up tremendously, even without seeing an astronomical number of snaps. But with the improvement of their pass rush, their run defense has slipped and the unit averages 201.7 rushing yards per contest. Though all the blame can’t be put on the defensive line, as the first level of the defense, they have to be better at stopping runs before they turn into big plays.
Linebackers: B+
Stats leader: Bryce Huff, 30 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 pass breakups
Linebackers have consistently been productive this season and have done a good job of making tackles when the other units blow their assignments. Bryce Huff has been a standout player with his big plays made for the team, similar to former Tiger Genard Avery.
Fellow linebackers Curtis Akins and Austin Hall have been consummate leaders for the defense and have been two of the team’s leading tacklers.
Defensive backs: B-
Stats leader: Tyrez Lindsey, 45 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup, 1 fumble recovery
The secondary’s youth has been both a blessing and a curse this season. On the plus side, they’ve been active on the field, creating turnovers and breaking up passes. However, they’ve also given up a lot of big plays downfield and have been regularly outplayed by receivers. They’ll experience their fair share of growing pains as the group continues to learn together, but they do have the talent to improve.
Special teams: B
Stats leader: Riley Patterson, 3/3 FGs
Special teams has been decent enough this year, but they haven’t made any big plays yet. Everyone expected do-it-all player Tony Pollard to have another monster year of returning kicks, but he’s been relatively silent on that front, having not found the end zone yet.
Coaching: B-
A lot of flack could be put on head coach Mike Norvell for the current standing of the team, but that wouldn’t be fair. Yes, this is his worst start to a season since joining the team in 2016, but he’s working with a very young team. With only eight seniors on the roster, he had to help mold young, inexperienced players seeing the first substantial minutes of their career. Within the first eight weeks of action, he has a lot of areas he knows he needs to improve on, and I know he’ll get his team to correct its course.
