Memphis football has won 12 straight games, a program record and only TCU and Ohio State have longer winning streaks nationally, but in no. 13 Ole Miss, the Tigers will face by far their toughest challenge during arguably its best ever period.
The magnitude of the game was only enhanced when students were lining up as early as 7 a.m. Monday morning to purchase $25 student guest tickets. Those sold out by 8:30 that morning, and fans were greeted by University of Memphis Athletic Director Tom Bowen and Tigers coach Justin Fuente, and Gibson’s Donuts. Memphis/Ole Miss week had finally arrived.
"It was really neat,” Fuente said. “It was really cool to pull up and see the kids out there excited for the game in line to get their tickets. Some of them spent the night and some had been there since the wee hours of the morning. Selfishly, it was really fun for me just to go be around them for 10 or 15 minutes. That was a fun thing and something that you always hope for. With where we were three or four years ago, that was kind of a cool moment."
Memphis (5-0) and Ole Miss’ (5-1) fantastic starts to the season has only upped the ante as both are currently ranked in the top 25 of the Amway Coaches Poll (Memphis 22nd, Ole Miss 12th) ahead of the 61st clash in their rivalry at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Saturday on ABC.
While Memphis fans may be encouraged by last year’s performance against Ole Miss and some hopeful the Tigers will beat the Rebels for the first time since 2004 Saturday, there simply isn’t much to takeaway from Rebels’ 24-3 win against the Tigers in Oxford. Memphis is a completely different team this season.
Paxton Lynch and the Memphis offense weren’t playing at the high-level we’re used to seeing them play at every week then, one that has averaged more than 47 points per game in 2015.
“He (Lynch) works hard, he’s in the film room early in the mornings, late at night,” said Tigers tight end Daniel Montiel, who has two touchdown receptions this season. “I just know he cares about the team and football and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to go 1-0 this week.”
The Tiger defense, which kept Memphis in the game for as long as it could last season, was also far more experienced. Though Memphis’ defense is coming off of a solid performance against South Florida two weeks ago.
Memphis senior linebacker Wynton McManis, who went to Olive Branch High School in Mississippi, said this game is the biggest game, but only because it’s the next game.
“It’s another opportunity for us to go 1-0,” McManis said. “We know it’s a big game, but we’re not going to let overshadow the fact that we’re trying to go 1-0 and beat a good football team.”
Though the 1-0 mantra may tire some people, it’s worked for Memphis, especially over the past two seasons. The Tigers are 15-3 in that span, and the 1-0 mentality is believed to be the key to the program’s recent turnaround.
If Memphis were to go 1-0 Saturday and defeat Ole Miss, the program will have turned another corner and surely will make their first AP Top 25 appearance of the season Sunday afternoon.
However, Fuente said it’s just one game in a 12-game season, even if it’s Ole Miss. He also said keeping his team under control, one that has started slow at times this season, will be critical.
"Part of our challenge is that we've got to play a little more under control early in the game,” Fuente said. “I don't feel like we've done a good job of that. I know our kids will be excited and there will be a great atmosphere and all those things, but we've got to understand we can play with great emotion but we have to play with great intelligence too. Hopefully we can take those in stride and do a little better job this week."
The Tigers and Rebels will clash at 11 a.m. Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
Memphis will be amped up for the opportunity to defeat their rivals, Ole Miss, for the first time since 2004 Saturday.
