The University of Memphis football team is entering its second to last week of practices before the blue-gray game. Before then, the Tigers completed its second scrimmage of spring practice on Sunday.
Memphis coach Justin Fuente said after the scrimmage he didn't look too much at whether the offense or defense was ahead.
"As far as who is ahead, that's not really what I am looking at. As the head coach looking at the scrimmage, it's just there is another level we have to find a way to get our kids to ... this spring, right now," Fuente said. "I am not talking about in the fall. I am talking about right now.”
The Tigers will hit the practice field three more times this week in their last full week of practice before completing the NCAA allotted 15 spring practices next week. Memphis’ annual spring game “Friday Night Stripes” is April 10 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Fuente said a lack of effort is not the reason why the Tigers haven’t hit full gear.
"Regardless of who moved the ball or who didn't move the ball, it was just average," Fuente said. "It is not that they are not trying or that we are not giving great effort, there is just another level we can reach. We have to reach it this week."
He said everyone, including the coaches need to improve so that the players can reach a higher level of performance at practice this week.
"We have three practices this next week,” Fuente said. “We have to ratchet up the intensity. We are going to have to raise our game and find a way to get these kids, as coaches, to practice at a higher level. That is objective number one for the next week."
Memphis will resume spring practice on Wednesday. They will have two more practices this week on Thursday and Sunday.
Memphis will hope that 2015 can bring as much success as the 2014 season did. The Tigers won their first bowl game since 2005, and won a tri-share of the American Athletic Conference Championship finishing 10-3. Photo by David Minkin.
