North Alabama Memphis
North Alabama brought in a 1-9 record and did not improve it. Memphis Tigers on Senior Day; dominated in a 59-0 win. They were dialed in on passing all day and showed their talent advantage in every phase. Not only did the Memphis Tigers pitch a shutout; they kept the North Alabama Lions out of their territory all day. Memphis gets to 6-Wins, an incredible 9th straight year of being bowl-eligible. (Technically didn’t play in the Hawaii Bowl last year, it was a last-minute cancellation from Covid tests from the opponent.)
North Alabama Memphis
Studs and Duds Memphis Special Teams and Impact plays. Punt returner Eddie Lewis had a long punt return for a touchdown of midway through the second quarter. He came into the game top 20 in the nation at 8.0 yards per return, that will undoubtedly improve. He took the punt from near midfield and ran along the sideline to dive for the endzone. The play was called as out-of-bounds at the three but the referees ruled that Eddie Lewis touched the pylon with the ball as he fell. Touchdown Tigers!
Another huge play was a pick-six from the Memphis defense by Xay Cullens. I forecast he would be a big factor, and he was exceptional today. But mainly it was the 54-yard interception return. He grabbed it at the Memphis 46, snagging it on the first drive of 3rd quarter from North Alabama. Cullens made a couple of nice moves, reversed field and ran down the sideline for Memphis’s first score of the second half, a defensive one.
North Alabama vs Memphis
Studs and Duds; Stud Memphis Run game. Jevyon Ducker ran for 54 yards and Sutton Smith ran for 55. Late in the game RB Andarious Coffey came in for late-game action; and even this deep in the game he ran for 83 yards. The running game really prospered late, as the Memphis Tigers jumped out to a huge lead, 38-0 at half; but after the score went to 45-0 Memphis pulled the starting QB and main RBs. But Coffey apparently didn’t get the menu and kept the score running up. In 14 second-half carries he gained 83 yards.
North Alabama vs Memphis
Studs and Duds; dud- Competition level. It was the first game all year Memphis merely out-talented the other team. It was expected (as a buy-in game) that this Atlantic Sun team (0-5) in conference would be outmatched. The schedule maker could not know at that time North Alabama would be 1-9, and the only win to an inferior Div III team.
Though a dud of a game, Memphis never took them for granted. They did not allow the North Alabama team into their territory. Not by punt return, penalty, turnover – for no reason. Not a great matchup; but even against decent competition like Chatannoga, Jackson State (Deion’s team), North Alabama scored 14 and 31. They had not been shut out all year until today.
North Alabama vs Memphis
Stud: Seth Henigan, again. The whole year. Another solid day, with no interceptions once again. He only ran 2 times for 2 yards, but passed for a touchdown with 14-24 accuracy. In 7 home games Seth Henigan only threw 3 interceptions the whole year. And in the 12 games the loss to ECU was the only game his interceptions (2) matched the TDs. And in 7 of the 12 games this season he had a clean sheet – no interceptions. A conservative offense but managed masterfully all year by Seth Henigan.
What’s ahead? Memphis travels to SMU next week for the season’s finale. Both teams are 6-5, both teams are already bowl-eligible. Neither is in the running for the conference championship. Who’s going to be motivated?
