The Tiger football team had a bye this past weekend, which gave head coach Justin Fuente more time than usual to begin preparing for Memphis’ next opponent – the MTSU Blue Raiders.
Fuente was treated to a triple-overtime thriller between the Blue Raiders and Western Kentucky on Saturday. MTSU (2-1) finally won the rivalry game in the third period of extra time.
A big part of MTSU’s victory on Saturday was the play of quarterback Austin Grammer. Fuente praised the sophomore for his dual-threat capabilities.
“They had, obviously, a fantastic night Saturday offensively,” Fuente said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “They rushed the ball for tons of yards. He (Grammer) ran the ball and distributed the ball. He’s got great weapons around him and a very good running game.”
Grammer was a one-man offense against the Hilltoppers. He amassed 125 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The sophomore also threw for 218 yards and a touchdown.
In total, the Blue Raiders ran for 323 yards and five touchdowns against WKU. In their season opener, MTSU racked up 228 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Against Minnesota, they ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Fuente said the Tigers (1-1) have to limit the Blue Raiders rushing attack, but he also said the Tigers focus on limiting the run each week.
“They'll run three backs through there at running back, and they have some guys on the outside that can make some plays,” the third-year coach said. “We always start with the run game and how can we address the run game in order to try and make somebody one-dimensional.”
Fuente also mentioned the Tigers’ struggles over the past few years against the Blue Raiders. Since the 2009-10 season, the U of M has faced off with MTSU each year with the inner-state foe taking four out of the five matchups.
“They’ve leaned heavily on running the football and have done a really good job of it,” Fuente said. “And really over the years, this is not new to them, and we'll have our work cut out trying to limit that.”
Memphis ranks 51st in the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to 130 yards per game. They allowed three running touchdowns in the season’s first two games.
Defensively, senior linebacker Tank Jakes has led the Memphis charge against the ground game.
Jakes leads the team in tackles by a wide margin with 16 solo takedowns. Fellow linebacker Charles Harris is the next closest Tiger with eight tackles. Jakes also has six tackles for loss and two sacks – both team highs.
A good running defense is nothing new for the Tigers. They finished last season with the nation’s 12th best defense against the run, limiting opponents to 116.33 yards per game.
The Tigers have been without senior defensive end Martin Ifedi after he sustained an injury in the season opener. Fuente, who rarely opens up about injuries, said Ifedi is feeling better, but he wouldn’t say whether Ifedi would play or not.
MTSU presents a unique challenge because of their quarterback. Memphis will not be able to focus on just stopping a running back because Grammer is not scared to tuck the ball and run. Furthermore, they have to watch out for Grammer faking the run on a play-action pass over the top of the Tigers’ secondary.
Fuente said his team has the utmost respect for the Blue Raiders, and this week’s preparation will reflect that respect.
Kickoff against MTSU is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. ESPN plans to broadcast the game online on ESPN3.
The athletic department also announced Monday the kickoff time for the Tigers’ Sept. 27 matchup with Ole Miss. The game is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. in Oxford.
