Tigers bounce back at Navy
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Late in the fourth quarter, Memphis running back Brandon Thomas scored his first touchdown of the season on a physical run. A loud boom erupted from the Tigers’ coaches’ booth as someone hit a wall in celebration.
Several four-letter words were yelled over and over. Memphis fans could have easily yelled the same expletives in relief after the Tigers’ 37-13 win over Navy on Saturday. It was the Tigers’ fourth consecutive win against Navy.
The win ended a five-game road losing streak dating back to last season. It was also the Tigers’ first AAC road win since beating Navy in November 2020 and the first time they’ve won an AAC road opener since 2016.
Here’s what we learned at Navymarine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Redemption for Tigers’ offense
The message was clear for the Memphis (1-1, 1-0) offense. Throw it deep and keep chucking even if it doesn’t work. When it worked Saturday? It was perfect.
Eddie Lewis had a 50-yard catch in the first quarter. On Memphis’ first drive of the second half, Seth Henigan found Joseph Scates for a 79-yard touchdown catch. Henigan bounced back from a dismal first game with his third-career 400-yard game (415 yards on 24-34 passing).
Javon Ivory had seven catches for 89 yards and Lewis atoned for his drops with three catches for 70 yards. Memphis had 508 total yards of offense.
Johnson keeps making plays
Think Memphis is happy Quindell Johnson returned for his senior year? Johnson showed out Saturday with his second interception in as many games being a one-handed grab as he fell into the end zone.
In two games, Johnson has three total takeaways. He’s shown why he’s the
Tigers’ most important defender and – along with Henigan – as important as any player, period. Johnson also added 13 tackles and broke up a fourth-down
pass late in the fourth quarter.
Welcome to Memphis, Scates
Before the season, Memphis’ offensive coaches raved about Scates being the big-play threat this offense needed. He showed it Saturday with his speed against Navy’s (0-2, 0-1) secondary.
Scates started the second half and lined up on the left side of the field. His only previous target was a deep ball that was off-target so it was clear why it was in. He blew past two defenders and Henigan’s throw did the rest, finding him in space.
The Tigers haven’t used Scates much so they may have to find more plays to keep teams honest on him. But through two games, Scates’ speed is an element that has
Defense stands tall
A week after giving up 547 yards, the Tigers did a better job containing Navy’s triple option. The defense kept Navy under 300 total yards until the
Midshipmen’s final drive and forced three takeaways
Xavier Cullens had nine tackles and a forced fumble in the third quarter that he recovered. Tyler Murray, who was day-to-day entering the game, added eight tackles. The only downside is that Cullens was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter. He’ll miss the first half of next week’s game hosting Arkansas State
Run game not yet back
The Tigers almost earned a pass despite not running the ball well against Mississippi State, mainly because they spent most of that game trailing. Against Navy, things seemed much better on the surface
Memphis finished with 93 yards but 45 came on a late, fourth-quarter run by Asa Martin with the game in hand. The Tigers’ offensive line struggled to create holes and through three quarters, there weren’t many big plays.
It might seem nitpicky after a strong offensive showing but it’ll keep the Tigers from being too overconfident heading into their home opener against Arkansas State on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+)