The University of Memphis football team is fresh off of a dominant 36-17 home victory against MTSU, but it doesn’t have much time to celebrate as the Tigers (2-1) face another huge test on the road against No. 10 Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC) this weekend.
The tall task is made even more difficult by the fact that the Memphis defense will have to prepare for the Rebels’ prolific passing attack — a stark contrast from MTSU’s ground-and-pound offense.
But while Ole Miss ranks eighth nationally in passing yards per game and just 80th in rushing yards, Memphis head coach Justin Fuente has his defense focused primarily on the run game.
“I think being able to handle the run game first and foremost is the most important, and Ole Miss does a great job schematically and are huge up front,” Fuente said. “Where we start every week is how to handle the run game.”
The Rebels utilize multiple running backs in their high-scoring offense, and are led by Memphian Jaylen Walton, who averages 6.4 yards per attempt while seeing the bulk of the team’s offense. Junior I’Tavius Mathers is also a regular contributor, averaging 5.5 yards on 17 attempts.
In addition to the high-powered offense, Ole Miss also boasts one of the top defenses in the nation, allowing just 10.3 points per contest. In the Rebels three games this season, no team has managed to score more than 15 points.
