Just last year, the Memphis Tigers had the 99th ranked defense in the nation. They had been inconsistent and had firmly held a spot on the back burner when it came to media attention.
Now turn the clock one season later, and they are taking the country by storm.
After changes to their starting lineup, an emphasis on their pass rush and a shift in their defensive play-calling, the Tigers’ defense is now becoming must-see television.
The unit has improved exponentially, and through their first three games, they are the fifth-best ranked defense in the nation allowing 226.3 yards per game and are fourth in the nation in points allowed per game.
That yardage is lower than allowed by any team from SEC, ACC or Pac-12, three conferences that are a part of the ‘Power Five’ conferences in the nation.
They have allowed on average, 116.3 rushing yards (46th best) and 110 passing yards (third-best).
So, what makes this Tiger team so different from past defenses?
When asked following the team’s second game against Southern, linebacker Austin Hall told the media that change is inevitable in football.
“Every year a team changes,” Hall said. “People leave, and people come in, but the culture is still the same. This year, it feels like everybody’s bought into the culture we’re trying to set here in Memphis.”
That culture of playing as one unit has helped the defense play better than it has in recent memory.
It also does not hurt that most players also feel like they have something to prove.
Because Memphis is located in the heart of SEC territory, many of the current players who have grown up in the region had some hopes of playing for a big named team such as Alabama, LSU, and more regionally, Ole Miss.
However, for one reason or another, they did not get that opportunity, which leads them to Memphis.
No matter the amount of success a player can have, it is human nature to want to prove doubters wrong.
That is the mindset of nose tackle O’Bryan Goodson, a Mississippi native who had waited patiently for an offer from Ole Miss that never came.
“I always dreamed of being a Rebel, and they didn’t believe in me,” Goodson said. “It hurt me for a while, and then it changed me. It made me want to dominate and make sure they remember the kid who they said was ‘too short’ or wasn’t ‘good enough.’”
But most importantly, it seems like the group’s new leader, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, has changed the Tigers’ defense for the better. The Tigers hired Fuller out of Marshall where he held the same position.
Under Fuller’s watch, Marshall boasted one of the nation’s top defense last year and ranked 30th in terms of yards allowed with 351.3 and ranked 25th in points allowed per game with 22.3 points.
The Tigers were ranked 99th in yards allowed with 444.7 and ranked 96th in points allowed per game with 33.3 points in the 2018 campaign.
Goodson spoke to the media about what it’s like playing for Fuller and said he is one of the smartest defensive coordinators he has played for.
“Coach Fuller is very aggressive,” Goodson said. “It’s great having him as a defensive coordinator and everything you look for as a coach.”
Is it too early to be giving this year’s defense so much praise? I think not.
With the performances they have had leading into this week’s bye, I have been impressed with how they have been able to utterly dominate teams for repeated drives, and I think that if they can start forcing more turnovers, they will start getting more national recognition.
As the season progresses, I expect the Tigers’ defense to do a better job of creating those turnovers. The need will get even bigger once they get into American Conference play.
As they prepare to face Navy Thursday, it will be a true test to see if their run defense is as good as it has been advertised. Based on what I have seen, they look more than ready to do the job.
