The second half of Memphis football’s 2024 season starts with a stiff test.
The Tigers (5-1, 1-1 AAC) will host North Texas (5-1, 2-0) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPNU) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Memphis almost certainly needs to win out to have a shot at reaching the AAC title game.
Saturday’s game will be a rematch of last year’s epic 45-42 win for Memphis. In that game in Denton, the Tigers blew a 21-point second-half lead before Seth Henigan engineered a last-minute touchdown drive to win his homecoming game.
The Mean Green have a good offense and a bad defense, so they’ll provide a good test for a Memphis defense that’s been among the best in the country.
Here’s our scouting report for the game.
Henigan laid it out pretty quickly Wednesday.
“I know they’re a high-octane offense, and we have a really good defense,” he said. “So that’s kind of, I guess, a storyline.”
North Texas is the No. 5 offense in the country in terms of yards per game (507.2), and that’s mostly thanks to TCU transfer quarterback Chandler Morris. The junior is seventh in the country in passing yards (1,979), and he’s thrown 20 touchdown passes. That ties him with Miami’s Heisman candidate Cam Ward for the most in the country.
Receiver DT Sheffield has seven touchdown catches. That’s the top mark in the AAC.
In a role reversal from the past few seasons, Memphis’ identity this year has been built around a stout defense. The Tigers are allowing only 15.8 points per game, which is second in the AAC behind Army.
There have been standouts all over the board, but it starts with star linebacker Chandler Martin. He’s tied for the lead in the AAC with four sacks and is first in the conference with 12 tackles for loss.
The rebuilt secondary has been a revelation, with Kobee Minor and Davion Ross both playing at an elite level at cornerback. The return of linebacker Elijah Herring has helped with Memphis’ tackling, but North Texas will provide a new test.
Henigan is on pace for the lowest marks of his career in passing yards and touchdowns, and Roc Taylor only has 375 yards receiving after going over 1,000 yards last season.
The Memphis running back room has also been in flux. Sutton Smith was lost for the season in the first quarter of the first game, and Greg Desrosiers has been out since the Florida State game on Sept. 14.
Mario Anderson was ejected from last weekend’s win against South Florida, but he’s expected to be back against North Texas. He’s rushed for 456 yards and eight touchdowns.
Memphis 35, North Texas 28. The Tigers slow down but don’t completely stop the North Texas offense. It’s a close game, but Memphis gets enough from its offense to keep winning.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
Two names have been added to Alabama football's latest SEC availability report before Saturday's game against Tennessee.Safety Keon Sabb is now listed as probab
The Thursday Alabama football availability report has two new names while two were removed from the report on Wednesday ahead of the game against Tennessee. Rec
Southlake Carroll and Justin Northwest face off in a Texas high school football showdown between two teams unbeaten in 6A District 4 play. Scroll down for the l
Following an action-packed Week 7 slate of games, college football is keeping its foot on the gas. There will be three ranked showdowns this weekend, along wit