The University of Memphis football team travels to Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, and they won’t be met by the Austin Peay Governors, whom they dismantled 63-0 last Saturday.
Instead, they’ll be met by the No. 11 UCLA Bruins, who have hopes of a Pac-12 championship and BCS Playoff berth.
The Bruins struggled in their first game, beating the University of Virginia 28-20. Their offense failed to move the ball consistently, but the UCLA defense put 21 points on the board.
Memphis head coach Justin Fuente expects an improved Bruin offense to compliment their already stalwart defense.
“After a one-game sample, they're pretty dangerous defensively,” Fuente said. “I think offensively they provide plenty of problems and will continue to improve. I don't think they're over there freaking out or panicking about their offense. They have a fantastic quarterback and good skill players.”
The Bruins came into the season expecting to move the ball down the field with ease. Junior quarterback Brett Hundley has Heisman hopes, and most expected their running game to wear down opposing defenses.
Hundley finished the season opener with 242 yards on 20-33 passing. The offensive line struggled to protect their coveted quarterback, allowing a total of five sacks. The 6-foot-3 junior also scurried for 39 yards on the ground. The Tiger defense will have to be watch out for Hundley tucking the ball to run.
The Blue and Gray had a strong showing in their season opener, but it came against a mediocre Austin Peay team.
Sophomore quarterback Paxton Lynch shined in the win, passing for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound quarterback also rushed for two scores.
Lynch’s pair of touchdowns went alongside touchdowns from four different Tiger running backs.
They need similar production to get a win out of this weekend’s California road trip.
Fuente was mostly pleased with his team’s performance last Saturday, but he wants the offense to sure up some of its holes.
“Defensively, we controlled the line of scrimmage,” the third-year coach said. “We played physical and with urgency. There's really not a whole lot to be upset about in that performance. Offensively, we pushed the tempo at times. At times we got a little bit sloppy. We didn't take care of the ball well enough. I mean, if we fumble against the guys we're getting ready to play, they're going to pick it up and take it back for a touchdown. They scored 21 points on defense last week.”
Senior linebacker Tank Jakes helped anchor the Memphis defense. He had four tackles and two tackles for loss. Jakes said the Tigers welcome the challenge of competing against a top-25 opponent.
“We're willing to accept the challenge,” Jakes said. “We're going to go out this week and prepare and execute. It's a tough challenge, but we embrace it. We have the same preparation for every game. We have great coaches on the defensive staff that are going to lead us in the right direction, whether we are playing Austin Peay or UCLA. It's going to be a great game.”
The game doesn’t kick off until 9 p.m. central time, but Fuente dismissed any notion that the late start time would affect his team, saying the coaches would be affected more than the players.
The Pac-12 Network plans to televise the game nationally.
