After the University of Memphis football team defeated the South Florida Bulls 24-17 Friday night, the Tigers are now 5-0 for the first time since 1961 and extended their program record-winning streak to 12 games. Here is a deeper look at a few key numbers on offense and defense from their season so far.
47.8: The biggest driving force behind the Tigers early success in 2015 has been an offense, apart from the USF game, that has scored at will through five weeks. Memphis’ 47.8 points per game ranks fourth in the nation, only three Big 12 teams are ahead of the Tigers (Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech). Redshirt junior quarterback Paxton Lynch has grown into an even more consistent passer as he’s completed more than 70 percent of his passes, thrown for 1,535 yards and 10 touchdowns. While the Tiger running game has struggled in recent weeks, the team has 1,031 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. It’s definitely been a balanced attack through five weeks, and look for it to continue through the remainder of the season.
0: Another key to the offense’s early success is Lynch’s improvement in taking care of the football. Through five games, he has no interceptions or turnovers compared to three interceptions at the same point last year. With the defense being suspect to this point (more on that below) giving opposing offenses extra possessions would not be ideal. Lynch will need to keep this up in the remaining weeks if the Tigers will compete for the American Athletic Conference Championship and beyond. Also with four consecutive 300-yard plus passing games, Lynch is not just a game manager but a difference maker, which given his struggles two seasons ago is still remarkable.
84: While the Tiger offense has been hitting on all cylinders, the same cannot be said for their defense. Memphis is currently ranked 84th in the country (out of 128 FBS teams) in points allowed giving up 26.8 points per game. In comparison to last year’s defense, the 2014 Tiger defense finished fifth in the country in points allowed (17.1). Losing so many key players from last season was always going to be a challenge for Memphis, and while it hasn’t shown in the win-loss column as of yet, the fear that it will cost them a game or two after the bye week remains. Nevertheless, the Tiger defense has made just enough plays to ensure Memphis has remained undefeated.
5: Memphis has already won five games this season, and is now only one win away from being bowl eligible. Yes, Memphis is 15-3 over the past two seasons, but as most Tiger fans remember it wasn't too long ago when the Tigers would barely crack three or four wins in a season, much less go on huge winning streaks. Before last season, Memphis’ last five-win season was in 2008 when they finished 6-7. This is the golden age of Tiger football, and it’s a credit to Memphis coach Justin Fuente, his staff and the players for the quick turnaround they’ve brought to a football program that seemed dead in the water not too long ago.
Paxton Lynch has committed zero turnovers through five games in 2015, which has been key to Memphis’ early season success.
