Tigers-ole Miss more than pride for Mississippi natives
Memphis players look to make an early statement at season opener Five takeaways from the Tigers’ first scrimmage of preseason practice
O'bryan Goodson always imagined he'd play at Ole Miss, just like his relatives.
The Memphis defensive lineman and Batesville, Miss. native watched his uncle Eddie Strong become an ALLSEC linebacker for the Rebels. In high school, he saw cousins Tony Conner, Isaac Gross and Temario Strong all play for Ole Miss.
He thought he'd carry on family tradition, especially when Ole Miss began watching him at South Panola High School. But he never got an offer from the school.
“They didn't believe I was an SEC type defensive lineman. They said I was too short,” said Goodson.
When the Tigers host Ole Miss in the season opener on Aug. 31, it's not just a chance to make an early statement. For the 17 Mississippi natives on Memphis' rosters, it's personal.
It didn't take long for the Tigers' defense to set the tone during the team's first scrimmage.
On the third drive, freshman Quindell Johnson delivered a punishing hit that drew some oohs from the crowd at the Liberty Bowl
It highlighted a strong defensive effort that featured two turnovers and a safety and drew praise from coach Mike Norvell on a day where he held out several offensive starters to observe his younger players.
"The defense, I thought, came out and got the best of the offense," Norvell said. There were some big hits (and) 11 guys in blue that were flying around to the football."
Here are five takeaways from Saturday's scrimmage.
The defense looks faster
Fast is usually associated with
Memphis' offense, but new defensive coordinator Adam Fuller wants his defense to play the same. They showed it Saturday.
Desmond Hawkins forced a fumble that Chris Claybrooks recovered. Freshman Maliek Stallings intercepted a pass from Connor Adair.
The defensive line looks as deep as expected with a veteran group. They often got the best of Tigers' new-look offensive line, highlighted by a safety on a tackle by Wardalis Ducksworth.
"We got some good bodies, vets and depth behind with some new guys," linebacker Austin Hall said. "Overall the defense has taken the strides of what we've done in the past five to six days of practice."
Gainwell, Watkins continue to stand out
With Patrick Taylor held out of the scrimmage, Kenneth Gainwell and Kylan Watkins split most of the running back reps and made the most of them.
On a scoring drive led by Brady White, Watkins had two first down runs before finishing with a short touchdown run. Gainwell added a touchdown run in the scrimmage and also showed versatility in the receiving game.
As for the other backs? Traveon Samuel showed off his athleticism and hands with a diving catch over the middle from White. Tim Taylor had a mixed day, with a fumble nixing a long gain.
Norvell noted before practice began that there's room for at least 15-20 carries for backs behind Patrick Taylor. Right now, Gainwell and Watkins are leading for those, with Samuel not far behind.
Connor Adair is the clear No. 2 quarterback
White looked solid in an first unit offense that didn't feature Patrick Taylor, Damonte Coxie or tight ends Joey Magnifico and Sean Dykes. He also was more willing to run when the pocket collapsed, something he didn't do last season.
Adair, however, had the best day of the quarterbacks. The sophomore's first drive ended with a field goal, and his second drive saw the day's first touchdown with a pass to Jeremy Tate. He added another touchdown pass to Tyce Daniel near the end of the scrimmage
Not surprisingly, Norvell said Saturday that he's leading the backup battle over Markevion Quinn.
"He made a couple throws out here today that shows his confidence," Norvell said. "He's playing at a high level, there's still some mistakes that he made today he's got to get over with more repetition."
The offensive line remains a question mark
As well as the defensive line looked, it also highlighted the offensive line is a work in progress with three new starters.
There weren't many lanes for the running backs to move through. After center Dustin Woodard left the scrimmage along with other starters, the quarterback-center exchanges weren't always clean, highlighted by a slow snap to Quinn that led to the safety.
It's a reminder that Norvell's offense has been explosive not just from key playmakers, but excellent offensive line play. There's still time for the group to improve.
Who else looked good?
Quindell Johnson has taken first team reps at safety in practice this week, and it continued Saturday in the scrimmage. The freshman, who was the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year, last year, delivered a big hit on an early drive and held his own alongside fellow safety La'andre Thomas.
Everitt Cunningham added a sack, highlighting the depth of the second unit defense. Bryce Huff and Joseph Dorceus have firmly showed they belong in the first unit but Cunningham's pass-rushing ability will get him on the field more.
Freshman running back Rodrigues Clark had the most impressive run of the day when he spun away from a defender before running down the right sideline for a long gain.
You can reach Tigers football beat writer Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com