Fresh off the first bye week of the season, the Memphis Tigers returned to action Saturday morning with vengeance, traveling to Charlotte and dominating 59-8 in the rain to improve to 4-1. In years past, Memphis might have won something like 34-14, or by a touchdown or two, but going on the road in conference play and making that kind of statement is what only great teams tend to do. Despite the Boise State loss, the Memphis Tigers have been nearly perfect this season, and Saturday proved they not only have the talent, but also the depth to keep the foot on the throttle no matter the opponent.
Like we do every week, let’s talk about some observations and thoughts from Saturday morning’s Memphis-Charlotte game.
Starting with the usual Marcus Stokes, who is well on his way to becoming a Memphis football legend because of his skills and how he represents the city. Yesterday was no different: he torched the Charlotte defense for five touchdowns, 318 yards, and went 20 for 25 without a single interception. Just an absolute gem of a performance from Marcus Stokes on Saturday morning. As the season progresses, we’ve started to see the full potential that he showcased at West Florida, and now, under Coach Charles Huff at Memphis, he has truly blossomed into what could be one of the more memorable quarterbacks in recent Memphis history. Staying on the quarterback topic, Air Noland got valuable reps on Saturday, delivering 68 yards, a nearly perfect five-for-six, and a touchdown through the air. Together, both quarterbacks combined for 89 rushing yards, with Stokes leading the way with 61. Back to the depth of this team: when you have two guys who can command the offense and keep things rolling in the event of an injury, or in the case of a blowout, that automatically puts you ahead of much of the competition.
Second, Jaylin Carter continues to impress. Carter finished Saturday with 76 yards, including his longest run of 20 yards. A dynamic running back like Jaylin Carter has opened up the rest of the Memphis offense and made it one of the most explosive in the American Conference.
Staying on the topic of the offense, the Tigers’ receiving core has really started to take shape as not only one of the best in the American Conference but maybe in the country, with playmakers across the board. On Saturday alone, the Tigers had five different receivers score touchdowns, with Hunter Tipton leading the group, along with Stonka Burnside, Jermane Hayes, Brady Kluse, and Jemyri Davi, who scored two touchdowns. The others also scored a touchdown. As a unit, they combined for 386 yards, with 318 coming from Marcus Stokes and the rest from Air Noland.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers once again played stifling defense as a unit on Saturday. Holding Charlotte to just eight points, 209 yards of total offense, and forced four turnovers. Again, it’s Charlotte, but the Tigers’ defense is a force to be reckoned with as they turn opponents’ days into nightmares. Tylon Nash led the way in solo tackles for the Tigers on Saturday with three, and then followed it up with a forced fumble. Two other Memphis defenders each had turnovers as well, as Ian Foster had an interception and Chauncey Logan forced a fumble as well.
Overall, a really good Saturday for the Tigers, as they not only took care of business but they dominated Charlotte and never let their foot off the throttle. Sure, it might just be Charlotte, but anytime you can go on the road in your conference and dominate like that, it calls for celebration. In years past, the throttle would have let up, and the Tigers would have won, but it would have been ugly. Not this year: the Tigers came in on a mission and made a statement with the intensity they played from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, all while doing it in horrible weather conditions. As the season progresses, this is the type of win people will look back on and say, “This team was just different.”
Memphis returns home on Saturday night for the Battle Of The Bones against UAB.
