Memphis football Head Coach Ryan Silverfield spoke with the media at a press conference Monday to give lingering thoughts on the Tigers 38-16 win at Georgia State and preview their upcoming game at Troy.
Troy had an impressive showing this weekend in a competitive 27-16 loss at No. 8 Clemson, a game in which the Trojans were leading 16-3 at the half.
“(Troy) held them to 17 yards rushing in the first half and literally, if you just put it in black and white you’d have no idea. You would think Troy was the eighth ranked team in the country,” said Silverfield.
The Trojans present unique problems to the Tigers, as Memphis’ biggest strength offensively is the running game, and Troy’s biggest strength defensively is rushing defense. Memphis ranks 33rd in the nation in rushing yards, while the Trojans rank 37th in the nation in rushing yards allowed, which includes a game against a top 10 team.
The Memphis rushing attack, led by Sutton Smith, who ran for 74 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, will have their work cut out for them and could be shorthanded yet again. Greg Desrosiers Jr., who left the season opening win over Chattanooga with an injury and did not play against Georgia State, was described as day-to-day by Silverfield.
Troy’s passing game can also be potent, as they have two wide receivers that Silverfield described as “SEC level,” and a veteran quarterback in Goose Crowder who faced the Tigers last season. The Memphis secondary struggled mightily against Georgia State’s passing game in the first half on Saturday, allowing completions on the Panthers first 10 passes.
“First half, you could have gone out there and run a seam route against us and probably scored,” Silverfield said. “We weren’t where we needed to be exactly in a timely fashion.”
Silverfield did point to the increased pressure from the defensive line and adjustments on coverage schemes in the second half of Saturday’s game to holding the Panthers scoreless after halftime. The Tigers will need the defense from the second half to show up on Saturday, or else the Trojans could be in for a big day through the air.
Additionally, the wide receiver room was mentioned by Silverfield for their depth and lack of a clear-cut go to guy. Memphis has had 12 different players get a reception in their first two games, but their leading receiver, Jamari Hawkins, only has six catches and 121 yards to his name.
“I think having a variety of guys we can rely on is huge,” Silverfield said, as he sees it as more of a positive than a negative.
Memphis will look to stay undefeated at Troy at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday.
