A week after getting trounced on the road at #6 Cincinnati, the Memphis Tigers rebounded in dramatic fashion over the weekend, narrowly pulling out a one-point victory over American Athletic Conference bottom-dweller South Florida. Falling behind 27-13 at home to the 1-6 Bulls has caused some doubt to seep into the minds of the fanbase about where the Tigers stack up in the conference pecking order, despite their 4-2 record overall.
To put into perspective how remarkable the transformation that Memphis football has undergone the past decade, some over the weekend were griping about a thrilling comeback victory that was just a bit too close for comfort, even though it extended the longest home win streak in program history to 13 games. Around this time in 2013, the last time Memphis finished with a losing record, fans were stomaching blowout losses to Temple and Connecticut. Yes, the same Connecticut that just bowed out of the AAC altogether after failing to put together a single winning season the entire time they were members of the league.
Admittedly, Saturday’s performance did nothing to quell the lingering concern over whether this team can compete with the other top squads in the AAC. The Bulls were just the latest team to find success by putting pressure on the Tiger secondary with deep shots down the field, but the defense stepped up late when it mattered most and got the game-clinching stop. Without presumed focal points Kenneth Gainwell and Damonte Coxie in the fold, the gaudy offensive numbers and bloated margins of victory that Tiger fans have grown accustomed to just simply don’t come as easy right now. This, of course, is not an indictment of the current roster, but rather a reminder that you would be hard-pressed to find a division one team capable of losing its two best playmakers on offense without skipping a beat.
Looking ahead, Saturday’s matchup with Navy is colossal in terms of positioning in the AAC standings. With a win, their path to another conference championship game appearance would remain relatively simple: just keep on winning. Meanwhile, a loss likely pushes them too far out of the picture with what would be only three games left on the regular season schedule. Currently tied for fourth, a Tigers win over the always-capable Midshipmen would be massive for Ryan Silverfield. With AAC foes Tulane and Houston each still awaiting them later in the calendar, they cannot afford to give up any ground.
A year ago, the Memphis Tigers put together their best season in school history. Whether it was luck, skill, fate or some type of weird combination of the three, everything about it was historic. For those hoping that all of that somehow was a precursor for something even bigger this year, it may be time to dial those expectations back a bit. However, in all honesty, in such a chaotic year plagued by turbulence, setbacks and uncertainty, that should be okay.
