The #24 Memphis Tigers (7-1) return home to take on the #15 SMU Mustangs (8-0) in a highly anticipated conference match up.
The game is so big ESPN selected Memphis to be the site to host this week’s College GameDay.
The last time these teams faced off was last season, where the Tigers won 28-18 in Dallas. However, these two teams are very different from when they played each other last season.
SMU was a losing team with a 5-6 record and was struggling to make any traction in the AAC. The Tigers were doing their best to finish the season strong to vie for a spot in the AAC Championship.
Now a year later, these two teams are the two top teams in the conference and have managed to dominate on both offense and defense this year.
Tigers’ head coach Mike Norvell understands the hype surrounding this game and believes it huge for the city and his team.
“This is a huge game for what it means for Memphis and our football team,” Norvell said. “To put ourselves in a position that we can play on the stage that we’re on is something we should be proud of. It’s the next opportunity to improve and play at an elite level.”
Memphis Tigers
In last week’s victory over Tulsa, the Tigers were in a much tougher fight than many anticipated it being. They won the game 42-41, but the game could have easily gone in a different direction had Tulsa’s kicker Jacob Rainey missed what would have been the game-winning 29-yard field goal.
Kenneth Gainwell led the team with three rushing touchdowns and 149 rushing yards but did have a costly fumble that led to a Golden Hurricane field goal that expanded their lead 41-35.
Brady White had yet another game where he did not turn the ball over and threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Damonte Coxie was his leading receiver with 112 receiving yards on five receptions.
Defensively, they allowed a season-high, 584 total yards, as Tulsa managed to use their offensive attack to score 41 points, the most points that Memphis has allowed all season.
Bryce Huff accounted for half of the team’s sacks and posted 1.5, his first game with a sack since the first game of the season against Ole Miss.
SMU Mustangs
SMU also had a close call last week when they played against Houston, a game they won 34-31, fighting off Houston’s late-game rally.
Running back Xavier Jones helped to lead the running game with 133 yards and two touchdowns and also had a reception.
Quarterback and Maxwell Award semifinalist Shane Buechele threw for 203 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His sixth game this season with an interception.
Defensively, they had most of their struggles stopping Houston’s passing game, where they threw for 407 yards and averaged 22.6 yards per completion.
Safety Patrick Nelson earned Defensive Player of the Week honors from the AAC after posting seven tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and forcing a fumble against the Cougars. His second time this season earning this distinction.
Score Prediction
With so much hype and excitement surrounding this game, it is fair to believe that this is going to be an entertaining matchup.
These teams are pretty equally matched and will require both squads to be more focused than they have been previously.
However, the reason I am giving Memphis the slight edge is that they are used to playing under the bright lights. In contrast, SMU has not much had the opportunity to play under such conditions.
Their success this season has come mainly out of nowhere, while Memphis has been playing good ball for the past five seasons. I do not see the Mustangs being able to handle the pressure.
Score Prediction: Memphis 28-23 SMU
