Why Memphis Tigers Need to Dominate SMU On Saturday

The Memphis Tigers have survived the most difficult part of their schedule by managing to go 3-3. The game against SMU this Saturday marks the beginning of not only the second half of the season, but also the far less challenging portion of their season.

Coming off a disappointing 28-24 home loss against the Houston Cougars and having two weeks to prepare, the Tigers need to make a statement on Saturday. Many people seemed to buy in to this football team after the 3-2 start that featured three convincing wins over Austin Peay, MTSU, and Cincinnati, and two very respectable losses to Ole Miss and UCLA, both of which were one possession games in the fourth quarter.

But the loss to Houston, a game in which the Tigers were comfortable favorites to win, has some people still wanting to see more of this team before being completely sold. A game against SMU cannot do a ton in the way of making people believers, but if the Tigers were to win in unconvincing fashion or even lose, the detractors and naysayers would be out in full force.

Just how bad is SMU? Well, it comes in to the game with an 0-6 record having been outscored 288-39 (or on average losing every game 48-6.5). and bring the 127th-ranked offense and 128th-ranked defense (out of a possible 128 FBS teams) to the table. Defensively, SMU gives up 548.8 yards per game, and on offense, the Mustangs are only gaining 248.8 yards per game. In other words, SMU is out-gained by their opponents, on average, by 300 yards per game.

The Mustangs have a negative nine turnover margin for the season while the Tigers are plus two in the turnover margin department having scored two defensive touchdowns to SMU’s zero. It certainly is not a stretch to say that SMU is one of the worst football teams in the country, and in fact, you would be very hard pressed to find a team that has been as ineffective and downright terrible as SMU has been during the 2014 season.

Paxton Lynch, the Tigers’ sophomore quarterback, is coming off of his worst game of the year. Lynch threw three interceptions, and most of his throws seemed to lack confidence and a clear understanding of what Houston was doing defensively. It is pivotal that Lynch have a good bounce-back game against the Mustangs. The Tigers’ sophomore, gun-slinging field general needs to regain his early season rhythm and confidence, and he has a perfect opportunity to do that this Saturday.

Additionally, Saturday’s game could be an ideal time for Memphis head coach Justin Fuente to tinker with different personnel in different places, namely Sam Craft, Jarvis Cooper, and Brandon Hayes. Craft, who has been the full-time ball carrier since the injury to Doroland Dorceus, would be far more effective in an athlete type role where he is lined up both at receiver and in the backfield. Cooper and Hayes, two more traditional every-down type backs, should get a decent amount touches on Saturday.

While it seems likely that Fuente may stick with Craft as the every-down back, he needs to do something to get his sophomore sensation going, even if it means giving the majority of carries to either Cooper or Hayes, so that Craft can get the ball in space where he does his best work. If Memphis is able to grab control of this game early, look for it to really take advantage of seemingly free game time to try to figure out some things offensively.

Defensively, the Tigers can continue to integrate Martin Ifedi back into the lineup, but rest assure, Fuente will not make the same mistake twice by keeping him in the game longer than necessary and opening him up to the possibility of injury (Ifedi was injured against Austin Peay when he was still in the game in the fourth quarter of a 63-0 blowout).