Memphis Tigers bounce back against Georgia State

The Memphis Tigers came out with a vengeance against the Georgia State Panthers and dominated throughout the game to claim the 59-22 victory. Armed with a strong offensive presence and a determined defense, the team was ready to make last week’s loss against Navy a distant memory.

 

First quarter

Memphis’ offense learned from its week two mistake of starting off slow and scored 21 points in first the quarter. Quarterback Brady White was responsible for two of three of the team’s touchdowns after long passes to wide receivers Tony Pollard and Damonte Coxie. Stud running back Darrell Henderson also contributed with a 54-yard touchdown run, his fifth score in only three weeks.

Though arguably the most versatile player on the team, Pollard’s role against Navy was extremely limited, which hurt the team’s offense. Memphis head coach Mike Norvell said it was a priority to get him more involved this week.

“It felt good to get him involved because he’s such an important player,†Norvell said. “It was good to see him get out there and make some plays to get back in the swing of things. You can sense his confidence, and it gives me a lot more confidence.â€

Defensively, the Tigers’ pass defense continued their dominance, allowing just two completed passes in the quarter for 17 yards. Their pass rush accounted for multiple hurries, and linebacker Bryce Huff was able to come up with a sack and a forced fumble, but it was called back due to a penalty.

 

Second quarter

The offense’s stronghold over the Panthers continued well into the second quarter and parlayed to 17 more points in the first half to total 38. Wide receiver Antonio Gibson’s 11-yard touchdown reception was one of the highlights of the game, and fellow wideout John “Pop†Williams made big plays on both the offensive and special teams end.

The defense picked up the first turnover of the game after cornerback Tito Windham intercepted quarterback Dan Ellington on a second down play, but the Panthers were able to score 10 points in the quarter, including a rushing score by Ellington.

 

Third quarter

The Tigers’ offense started off hot to open the second half by scoring a big touchdown, courtesy of an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mechane Slade. Unfortunately, they were unable to score again and were forced to punt the ball twice. Running back Patrick Taylor Jr. came up big in the quarter after having a 22-yard reception to help set up the sole touchdown of the quarter.

Defensively, the Tigers were plagued by penalties, which resulted in another Georgia State touchdown, but defensive end Joseph Dorceus blocked the point after kick, which helped to keep the Tigers with an impressive lead.

 

Fourth quarter

Henderson came back into the spotlight at the start of the fourth quarter after having a quiet third quarter. On the second play of the quarter, Henderson ran for a 61-yard touchdown, making him the first player since DeAngelo Williams to have back-to-back 200-yard rushing games. He was not the only running back to make a big play. Freshman back Kenny Gainwell had a 72-yard touchdown on only his second carry of the game. The only negative for the offense was an interception thrown by backup quarterback Brady McBride that was returned for a touchdown.

Though most of the defensive starters were taken out, the quality of the play didn’t decrease. In addition to holding the Panthers scoreless, they also blocked their field goal attempt, which would have given Georgia State their first points of the quarter.

 

Postgame analysis

It’s always good for a team to get a dominant victory after suffering a tough loss a week before, and that is precisely what Memphis did. This game will mark their second victory of the season by a margin of more than 30 points. Despite the dominant performance, there are multiple areas the team should focus on, most notably, penalties. For the game, the team lost a total of 79 yards on 10 penalties, which was a big reason why Georgia State was able to score in the second quarter.

Even with that struggle, this game produced many players with noteworthy performances, with most media platforms focusing on Henderson, but a player who flew under the radar was Damonte Coxie.

“He’s a stud, and I love throwing him the ball,†White said. “He’s an alpha male, so obviously he was able to have a really big night, which is super exciting to see.â€

Coxie finished the game with six catches for 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns, producing the best numbers of any receiver for the night. His 6-foot-3 frame has consistently been a mismatch for defenders, and his underrated speed allows him to make big plays downfield. Fans can expect him to continue to play well throughout the year and make game changing plays.