As the University of Memphis football team enters their bye week, the Tigers shift their focus to finishing out the year on a positive note and clenching a bowl bid for the fifth consecutive season.
After a tough stretch that featured losses to UCF and Missouri, the week off will serve as an opportunity for the Tigers to regroup and decide what their goals are for the rest of the campaign. After eight games and a 4-4 start, here are the midseason award winners.
Offensive Player of the Year: Darrell Henderson
The overwhelming winner of this award is running back Darrell Henderson. As it stands currently, Henderson leads the nation in total rushing yards with 1,148 and is tied for first in total touchdowns with 15.
While the Tigers offense has looked shaky at times, the third-year tailback has consistently been one of the best players in the country, and scouts and analysts alike are taking notice.
Henderson briefly appeared on Heisman Trophy watch lists earlier this year, and his draft stock has done nothing but rise since he assumed the role of lead back after Doroland Dorceus graduated.
When Henderson was deemed unable to return to the game after an injury against Missouri, the impact on the offense was noticeable, and the team failed to keep pace with a potent Missouri offense.
Honorable mentions: Patrick Taylor, Brady White
Defensive Player of the Year: Bryce Huff
This award was more of a toss-up, but for the sake of overall production and in-game impact, Bryce Huff is the defensive player of the year.
Although Curtis Akins has had a solid year and leads the team in total tackles with 58, Huff’s five sacks and 42 total tackle-for-loss yards have provided a much-needed boost for a unit that is earning 30.38 points per game.
Huff uses his speed and low center of gravity to get after opposing quarterbacks, and the junior linebacker should be a key piece of the defense heading into next season.
Honorable mentions: Curtis Akins, Tyrez Lindsey, Tim Hart
Breakout Player of the Year: Damonte Coxie
Upon losing Tiger legend Anthony Miller to graduation and the NFL, it was clear someone was going to have to fill the void he left behind. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Damonte Coxie stepped into that role nicely and paces the team in total receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Coxie’s 663 receiving yards lead the second closest option by more than 400 yards, and his yards per game average of 82.8 beats the rest of the receiving corps by 50 yards per contest.
With three years of eligibility remaining, Tiger fans can get comfortable watching Coxie make plays as he attempts to write his name in the Memphis record books.
Honorable mention: John “Pop” Williams
Best Performance of the Year: Darrell Henderson against Navy
Henderson had three separate outings that could be considered for best overall performance, but the day he turned in against Navy in the rain highlights how dominant a player he can be.
In what ended with a gut-wrenching 21-20 loss on the road during sloppy weather conditions, Henderson rushed for 212 yards and three scores on only 13 rush attempts.
His 16 yards per carry in that contest is evidence of how much of a game-changer he can truly be, and fans have been clamoring for the star running back from South Panola High School to get more carries all year long.
Honorable mentions: Henderson against Georgia State, Brady White against Mercer, Bryce Huff against Tulane
With only four games remaining, all of which are against conference opponents, the U of M football team will be looking to finish the year strong.
Despite not quite reaching the lofty expectations that some had coming into the 2018 campaign, there is still time for the team to finish well above .500 and end the year with another birth in a bowl game. With core players like Henderson, Huff and Coxie, the Memphis Tigers have the talent in place to end the year on a successful run.
Running back Darrell Henderson breaks loose from UCF defenders.
