The Memphis Tigers suffered their worst loss of the season Friday night to the Tulane Green Wave by a score of 24-40. Memphis’ record is 3-2 on the season. The Tigers are 0-2 in conference play while Tulane advances to 2-3 and gets their first win against an American Athletic Conference opponent.
Breaking down the game
Offensively, outside of running back Darrell Henderson’s 47-yard touchdown score, Memphis’ ground game produced a -16 yards on 20 plays, resulting in an average of -0.8 yards per play. The Tigers generated 246 yards and two scores through the air, but quarterback Brady White completed less than his average 71.9 percent of his passes, only completing 47 percent against Tulane.
The Tiger defense struggled the entire game, allowing four rushing touchdowns and 496 yards of total offense. Green Wave’s offense had 318 yards come on the ground, averaging 5.7 yards per play on 56 rushing attempts. This resulted in Tulane controlling the time of possession for almost two quarters of the game at 39 minutes and 36 seconds, compared to Memphis’ 20 minutes and 24 seconds.
There were a few upsides in the game against Tulane, as Henderson showcased his explosiveness on his first hand-off that he carried for 47 yards and a touchdown. Early in the third quarter, Henderson demonstrated his versatility in the passing game by catching a pass from White that lead to a 43-yard score.
The pass from White displayed Henderson’s football IQ. Henderson lined up in the slot against Tulane linebacker Zachery Harris, who finished the game with five tackles for Tulane. Henderson ran around Harris and up the sideline. While the ball was in the air, he made an adjustment to shift from the inside to the sideline. This action helped him catch the ball mid-stride over his back shoulder rather than slowing down to make the catch, which allowed him to continue on for the score.
Riley Patterson hit a career-high 43-yard field goal against Tulane, while Bryce Huff had two sacks and five tackles for loss.
Brady White completed passes to six different players: two wide receivers, two running backs and two tight ends. White distributed the football well against the Green Wave defense, while being sacked seven times on the night.
Looking ahead
Look for the Memphis offense to have a strong game Saturday against the University of Connecticut, as the Huskies’ defense has allowed an average of 663 yards a game to opposing offenses. UConn has given up an average of 7.5 yards per carry to opposing running backs, while Henderson averages 11.7 yards per carry.
White is primed to have success against the Huskies, as he averages 11.1 yards per play and a 75.9 completion percentage at home. The Huskies have struggled on the road and at home, giving up a collective 14.8 yards per pass and a 73 percent completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks.
The Memphis defense can look to disrupt UConn’s offense and give the Tiger offense some favorable field situations, as the Huskies average 2.2 turnovers per game. When on the road, the Huskies have a conversion rate of 22 percent on third down, completing 6 out of 27 total attempts. The Tigers are only allowing opponents to complete 17 of 44 third down conversions for a rate less than 39 percent.
If the Tigers play to their strengths Saturday, they should leave the field with their first conference win of the season.
Brady White (3) clutches onto the ball after being sacked. White was sacked a total of seven times against Tulane.
