The 3-2-1: The mistakes to the short week
Bryan Moss | Publisher
USATSI
There's a lot to take away from the Ole Miss loss but it's not all bad. The Tigers competed and never gave up, they just couldn't over come their mistakes against the #16th ranked Rebels.
3 things we learned-
1) Turnovers, mistakes, and missed opportunities will hurt you.
There were plenty of chances for Memphis in this game. The Tigers lost by 20. They allowed 14 points off of turnovers. Take that away and its a 6 point game. Memphis defensive back Jahmahl Pardner dropped a easy interception. That led to an Ole Miss field goal. Take that away and it's a 3 point ball game.
2) There's no quit in this team.
The Tigers fought back time and time again during the Ole Miss game. They were down 14-0 and fought hard to make it 14-7. They were down 27-7 and fought back to make it 27-21. They never gave up. This team wanted to win, felt they could win. It was the mistakes that did them in. Even though they lost, you have to be please that they kept fighting.
3) The Offensive Line still a work in progress.
The Offensive line looked over matched at times but also looked good at times. They did well enough for Ferguson to throw for 343 yards. Doroland Dorceus ran for 74 yards and as a team, Memphis rushed for 114. Not all that bad against a very dominant Ole Miss D-Line. Think about it, Memphis has 3 sophomores, a freshman, and a junior on the line. They are a young unit that will continue to improve.
2 questions left unanswered-
1) Just how good are these Tigers?
This questions remains to be seen. They've certainly beat who they were expected to beat and lost to who they were expected to lose to. So just how good are they? This week is a short week with a Thursday night game against Temple. The Owls are a good team but a beatable team. We'll find out Thursday just how good the Tigers are and how the bounce back from the Ole Miss loss.
2) Can Memphis overcome the turnovers and mistakes going forward?
The Tigers are a determined bunch. There's no doubt that Coach Norvell and staff will make the adjustments needed for this team to continue to improve. The players will definitely listen and take the coaching needed to overcome these mistakes going forward. With the short week, we'll find out how quickly they'll be able to do it.
1 Prediction going forward-
This will be a bold statement but I don't think Memphis losses another game until they face Houston. How's that for a prediction? There will be some close games (Navy, USF, Cincy), but from what I've seen from these Tigers and this staff is that they are capable of beating anyone. As long as they limit their turnovers and mistakes.
Bryan Moss | Publisher
USATSI
There's a lot to take away from the Ole Miss loss but it's not all bad. The Tigers competed and never gave up, they just couldn't over come their mistakes against the #16th ranked Rebels.
3 things we learned-
1) Turnovers, mistakes, and missed opportunities will hurt you.
There were plenty of chances for Memphis in this game. The Tigers lost by 20. They allowed 14 points off of turnovers. Take that away and its a 6 point game. Memphis defensive back Jahmahl Pardner dropped a easy interception. That led to an Ole Miss field goal. Take that away and it's a 3 point ball game.
2) There's no quit in this team.
The Tigers fought back time and time again during the Ole Miss game. They were down 14-0 and fought hard to make it 14-7. They were down 27-7 and fought back to make it 27-21. They never gave up. This team wanted to win, felt they could win. It was the mistakes that did them in. Even though they lost, you have to be please that they kept fighting.
3) The Offensive Line still a work in progress.
The Offensive line looked over matched at times but also looked good at times. They did well enough for Ferguson to throw for 343 yards. Doroland Dorceus ran for 74 yards and as a team, Memphis rushed for 114. Not all that bad against a very dominant Ole Miss D-Line. Think about it, Memphis has 3 sophomores, a freshman, and a junior on the line. They are a young unit that will continue to improve.
2 questions left unanswered-
1) Just how good are these Tigers?
This questions remains to be seen. They've certainly beat who they were expected to beat and lost to who they were expected to lose to. So just how good are they? This week is a short week with a Thursday night game against Temple. The Owls are a good team but a beatable team. We'll find out Thursday just how good the Tigers are and how the bounce back from the Ole Miss loss.
2) Can Memphis overcome the turnovers and mistakes going forward?
The Tigers are a determined bunch. There's no doubt that Coach Norvell and staff will make the adjustments needed for this team to continue to improve. The players will definitely listen and take the coaching needed to overcome these mistakes going forward. With the short week, we'll find out how quickly they'll be able to do it.
1 Prediction going forward-
This will be a bold statement but I don't think Memphis losses another game until they face Houston. How's that for a prediction? There will be some close games (Navy, USF, Cincy), but from what I've seen from these Tigers and this staff is that they are capable of beating anyone. As long as they limit their turnovers and mistakes.
