Young Tigers pushing for an AAC crown
Memphis has a great mix of youth and experience that makes the Tigers one of the top teams in the American Athletic Conference.
To accomplish its goal for an AAC championship, the team will need to identify a new starting quarterback during preseason camp.
Despite that uncertainty, Memphis is No. 33 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Memphis
Mike Norvell (18-8, entering third year; 18-8)
10-3, 7-1 in the American Athletic Conference; first in AAC West
For the second time in the past four seasons, Memphis posted a double-digit win season. The Tigers capitalized on having the second-best scoring offense in the country, winning 10 of the team’s 11 games in 2017. Memphis knocked off No. 25 UCLA in the second week and No. 25 Navy a month later. The Tigers were blown out by UCF in late September during a game rescheduled because of Hurricane Irma. The two teams would meet again in the conference championship game in Orlando, with the Knights once again winning. The Tigers then lost to Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl.
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3 QB Riley Ferguson, WR Anthony Miller, WR Phil Mayhue, OL Gabe Kuhn, OL Lio Lafaele, DE Christian Johnson, DE Genard Avery, LB Shareef White, DB Christian Slaughter, DB Jonathan Cook, RB Doroland Dorceus
RB Tony Pollard, RB Patrick Taylor, RB Darrell Henderson, TE Sean Dykes, WR Damonte Coxie, OL Trevon Tate, OL Dustin Woodard, OL Drew Kyser, OL Roger Joseph, DT O’Bryan Goodson, DT Jonathan Wilson, LB Curtis Atkins, LB Austin Hall, DB TJ Carter
The Tigers have averaged a little more than 40 points per game during the past four seasons under former coach Justin Fuente and current coach Mike Norvell. Quarterbacks Paxton Lynch and Riley Ferguson were the catalysts for the team’s offensive prowess. Graduate transfer Brady White, who was recruited by Norvell when he was at Arizona State, is expected to battle David Moore and Connor Adair for the starting job.
“I’ve always had pretty good quarterbacks and have been able to put them in a position to succeed,” Norvell said Tuesday.
Norvell said he rarely wants to name a quarterback before preseason camp and he believes the situation will work itself out.
Darrell Henderson became just the third Memphis player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, rumbling for 1,154 yards. He posted seven rushes of at least 50 yards in 2017. He’s joined in the backfield by Patrick Taylor, who was second on the team in rushing yards (866) with a team high 157 carries.
The defense was hindered much of last season, losing players to both injury and off-the-field issues. The group allowed more than 30 points per game for the first time since 2012.
Memphis must make up for the loss of both Anthony Miller and Phil Mayhue at the receiver position. Miller was an All-American for the Tigers after posting his second consecutive season with at least 1,400 receiving yards. Mayhue was third on the team in receiving yards after appearing in 51 games for Memphis.
Memphis is a very young team with just eight seniors on the roster, but the Tigers return 15 total starters from last season. Norvell said because his team played so many young athletes in 2017, there’s a high level of confidence among the players.