Memphis focuses on building depth
As further uncertainty over the probability of any semblance of a college football season this fall grew Saturday, the Memphis football team vowed to maintain tunnel vision.
That was the message from firstyear coach Ryan Silverfield in the hours after the Mid-american Conference's decision to cancel fall sports reportedly cast doubt on the other nine FBS conferences' outlook. After working through only the secsenior ond practice of fall camp, Silverfield said he won't allow himself nor his team – which will practice in shoulder pads for the first time Sunday – to be distracted by anything outside their control.
“Yeah, there's some outside noise,” Silverfield said. “(And) the nice thing is, we're pretty transparent with our guys. (But) I think we just have to stay optimistic. I don't think there's any other option for us. If I come in ‘Debbie Downer' and think about the possibilities that could occur, it benefits nobody. (So) we're going to keep that tunnel vision.” receiver Damonte Coxie echoed his coach's sentiments.
“I mean, we heard about it,” he said. “But, as far as us over here, we're just focused on us and every day getting better. Just controlling what we can control, basically.”
During post-practice interviews with local media via Zoom Saturday, Silverfield said he had not addressed the reports – which include Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde quoting a prominent source as saying, “I think by the end of the week the fall sports will be postponed in all conferences”
– with his players. But he planned to.
“I will tonight,” he said. “(I'll talk to them about) just having blinders on. Being really focused. Like I've told our guys since Day 1, especially when COVID hit, ‘let's focus on the task at hand. Take care of what we can take care of. Control what we can control.' Whatever happens outside of our realm, there's nothing we can do about it.”
For now, the Tigers will forge ahead. One of the primary objectives leading up to the team's season opener on Sept. 5 against Arkansas State at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will be fostering more depth than ever before. New defensive coordinator Mike Macintyre said the circumstances surrounding the potential upcoming season are such that it will be necessary to be prepared for anything.
“(In the AAC), you're going to need more than just 11 guys (on defense),” he said. “You've got to have a package of about 13 or 14 guys when you're going into certain games. And then, on the back of that, instead of having 22, you've got to have 28 guys ready on the one- and two-deep. And then, I'll throw another wrench in that, with the COVID, we've got to be at least three-deep, because somebody's going to probably get it.
“So, we've got to be able to adapt. We can't just say we can't play.”
Assistant head coach and special teams coach Pete Lembo agreed.
“We know there are some ‘what ifs' out there, where you may find out in the 11th hour that you don't have somebody going into a Saturday,” he said. “So, we need to be ready to be very deep.”