The Memphis Tigers (8-4, 5-3 American Athletic Conference) defeated the Houston Cougars (8-4, 5-3 AAC) 52-31 to capture the AAC West Division title.
This marks the second year in a row the Tigers will represent the West in the championship game, where they’ll face the University of Central Florida Knights. Over the teams’ last three contests, UCF has walked away with wins. Their last matchup was Sept. 10 and ended with a 31-30 UCF victory.
Quarterbacks: C
For the second consecutive week, quarterback Brady White provided a lackluster performance, having a large portion of his 209 passing yards coming on chunk plays. Though some of the fault falls on his shoulders, it didn’t help that his pass catchers couldn’t hold onto the ball.
He also threw a pick-six on an under thrown pass. For the first time this season, he threw an interception in back-to-back game. He threw another interception late in the second quarter when the team was in the red zone.
White now has seven interceptions this season, after having just three through the first 10 games.
Running backs: A
The run game struggled to get going early, but when it did, running back Patrick Taylor Jr. was the main catalyst. His 57-yard run in the first quarter helped set the Tigers up in scoring position for the first time in the game, and he continued to produce as the game went on.
He finished the game with 19 carries for 128 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Hopeful for the Doak Walker Award, running back Darrell Henderson had a historic game and rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Henderson broke the single-season record for rushing yards in the AAC with Friday’s performance.
Wide receivers and tight ends: C-
Another quiet game plagued the pass catchers, with running back Tony Pollard being the team’s leading receiver with 118 yards on eight catches. He was targeted the most by White and posted his career high in receiving yards. He also added 83 rushing yards to an already impressive day.
Wide receiver Damonte Coxie was uncharacteristically quiet in the game, only catching three of his six targets for 23 yards, his lowest receiving total of the season.
Tight end Joey Magnifico had a key drop early in the game but made up for it on a big nine-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
Wide receiver Sam Craft had a big play on the ground, a 28-yard rushing touchdown that marked his first touchdown since 2016.
Offensive line: C+
The offensive line had a tough time creating consistent rushing lanes for the team’s running backs but kept defensive tackle Ed Oliver, the potential NFL first overall pick, at bay.
However, they did allow two sacks on White and forced him to make throws on the run.
Defensive line: A-
Memphis’ defensive line continued to be strong against the run, allowing just 138 rushing yards on 41 carries. Houston’s defensive line, prior to the game, averaged 230.5 yards per game, giving them the 17th best rushing attack in the nation.
Defensive end Jonathan Wilson extended his in-game sack streak to four games after a sack in the fourth quarter on a fourth down stop. In the game, he also had four tackles and another sack.
Linebackers: B+
The linebackers were the go-to unit on defense when it came to rushing the passer. In the game, they accounted for two of the team’s three quarterback hurries.
Linebackers Bryce Huff and JJ Russell each finished the game with a sack, the only sacks of the game. Huff now has 9.5 sacks this season, and Russell is now at 3.
Defensive backs: B
The Tigers’ secondary produced one of their more consistent performances of the season, keeping a usually high-octane Cougar offense tame. Quarterback Clayton Tune completed 18 of his 43 passes with 3 touchdowns and just one interception. He also had a lot more throws that could have been intercepted but resulted in the Tigers’ season-high nine pass breakups.
Cornerback TJ Carter led the team with three pass breakups and finally came away with an interception in the fourth quarter. Fellow cornerback Tito Windham also had a productive day with one pass break up and led all defensive players with seven tackles.
Special teams: B
Kicker Riley Patterson was a perfect one-for-one on his field goal attempts and made all seven of his point after touchdown kicks.
Kick returner Tony Pollard had the longest return of the game, a 37-yard kick return in the third quarter.
Coaching: B+
Credit has to be given to Tigers’ head coach Mike Norvell and his staff for the adjustments the team made going into the fourth quarter. By that time, the game was tied 31-31, and Memphis needed to pull away. His decision to go for it on fourth and short to start the quarter was the right move and helped get the offense back to their usually aggressive state.
Now the Tigers must prepare to battle UCF in the AAC Championship game. They can’t afford to start off slow if they want a chance to upset the undefeated Knights.
Senior running back Patrick Taylor Jr. rushes away from Houston defenders. Taylor Jr. has established himself as the team’s lead back after rushing for 1,012 yards while sharing carries with Henderson last year.
