The University of Memphis Tiger football team did not need any help getting focused for this weekend’s matchup with No. 10 Ole Miss, but Rebel head coach Hugh Freeze gave it a little extra motivation when he told the media last week that Saturday’s game was Memphis’ “Super Bowl.”
Freeze took to Twitter to back off the statement, saying it was a poor choice of words, but he was probably right.
The Tigers’ (2-1) last win against a ranked opponent came in 1996 against Tennessee, and Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC) has dominated Memphis since the Tigers 20-13 win over the Rebels in 2004.
The City of Memphis has been starved of a good football team, and a win on Saturday would send Tiger fans into a fritz.
Still, Memphis head coach Justin Fuente said on Monday that his team’s focus is on its game plan.
“We're going to take the same tact that we've taken all year, whether we're playing the opening game or Middle (Tennessee) or we're playing UCLA, and that is to turn the focus inward on our own preparation, to really hone in on what we can do to give us the best chance at success,” Fuente said. “It's pretty much the same every week; it's just some weeks you play against bigger and faster guys than others.”
Despite a close contest with then, No. 11 UCLA, Ole Miss presents the Tigers with their toughest challenge of the 2014-15 season.
The Rebels’ defense ranks third in the country scoring and 13th in passing yards allowed, holding opponents to just over 10 points per game.
Memphis’ junior linebacker Wynton McManis said Ole Miss’ defense reminds him of the Tigers, and the game could come down to who makes more mistakes.
“They are a tough team,” McManis said. “They kind of resemble us in a sense on defense. They play hard and they have some athletes and I know they have some playmakers on offense. It's really going to come down to how well we play. We have to limit our mistakes and capitalize on their mistakes.”
The Ole Miss offense scores 44 points per game and has thrown for the eighth most yards in the nation.
Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace starts the whole operation from under center. The senior has thrown nine touchdowns and four interceptions through three games.
Fuente said he has followed Wallace’s career a little bit from afar, and the Rebel quarterback has done a great job overcoming adversity. Fuente said Wallace does a nice job of control the Rebels’ offense.
“He does a good job of getting the football to those guys on the perimeter, and he seems to have good control of what they're trying to accomplish offensively and thus has gotten them to where they are now,” the third-year coach said.
The Tigers need senior linebacker Tank Jakes to continue his run of strong play. Against MTSU, the 5-foot-11 senior registered two sacks, a safety, an interception and a forced fumble, which senior corner Bobby McCain returned for a touchdown.
Offensively, sophomore quarterback Paxton Lynch has shown excellent poise for the Tigers through three games, but Ole Miss’ ball-hawking defense will be unlike any squad Lynch has faced in his time under center.
Lynch threw for five touchdowns and two picks in the Tigers’ first three contests. He completed 66 percent of his passes and averaged 255.3 yards through the air per game.
Lynch’s favorite target in the red zone, junior tight end Alan Cross, caught two touchdowns against MTSU, pushing Cross’ season total to three touchdowns.
Senior receiver Keiwone Malone has not caught a touchdown this season, but he leads the Blue and Gray with 67 receiving yards per game.
Lynch needs both targets to get open against the stalwart defense of the Rebels on Saturday.
The U of M forced their opponents to turn the ball over six times in its first three games. Ole Miss took the ball away nine times in its first three games.
Fuente said winning the turnover battle could play a huge role in deciding the winner on Saturday.
“They force you into mistakes,” the third-year coach said. “When they hit you, it's usually hard. You have to hold onto the football, and you can't let some pressure force you into poor decisions. The other thing is that those kids for Ole Miss in the back-end have great ball skills. They do a great job of going and getting the ball out of the air. We have to secure the football and take care of it, and the defense finding a way to get it back will certainly play a huge role in the game.”
The game kicks off at 6:30 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. Fox Sports Network plans to broadcast the contest.
