Memphis got the reset it wanted.
A week after dropping its first game in Boise, the Tigers returned home and handled UT Martin 45-21 on Saturday, moving to 2-1 and closing out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a much cleaner performance on both sides of the ball.
Coach Charles Huff spent the week pushing one main message: how his team would respond after a loss. After the game, he liked what he saw.
“I’m really proud of their response, I’m really proud of the way they allowed us to coach them hard, I’m really proud of the way that they took ownership in fixing some of the problems,” Huff said about his team in the press conference after the game.
Memphis opened on defense with tackling front and center after Huff had been critical earlier in the week of the team’s struggles in the open field. The Tigers didn’t completely shut down UT Martin, but they did enough to keep the Skyhawks from turning possessions into real damage for most of the afternoon. A turnover on downs on the opening series set the tone, and Memphis spent much of the game in a “bend, don’t break” rhythm.
That defensive stop mattered because the offense looked far more stable than it did a week earlier. Instead of leaning on quick-strike plays, the Tigers put together drive after drive. Marcus Stokes led six straight scoring possessions, and five of them ended in touchdowns.
Stokes finished 26-for-32 for 258 yards and four passing touchdowns, giving Memphis what was likely his cleanest and most efficient outing since arriving at the FBS level.
By halftime, the Tigers were in control at 24-7. A third-quarter touchdown pushed the lead to 31-7, and from there the game was effectively over.
One of the day’s biggest bright spots came from true freshman running back Jordan Thompson. With the starters eventually pulled and backups getting extended work, Thompson made the most of his chance against an FCS opponent. He rushed for 110 yards on just six carries, good for 18.3 yards per attempt, and nearly broke a long touchdown run before celebrating too early and falling at the one-yard line.
“I don’t know what's wrong with his feet, still haven’t figured that out yet,” Huff said about the true freshman after the game.
Huff also pointed to the contributions from the reserves and younger players who stepped in once the game was out of reach. Memphis’ backups handled most of the fourth quarter, which allowed UT Martin to score two of its three touchdowns and made the final margin look a little closer than the flow of the game suggested.
Stokes said the focus now shifts to the details ahead of conference play.
“Going into conference play, I think it’s the little things you know. It’s the stuff like showing up to study hall on time, it’s stuff like cleaning the locker room. I feel like if we improve on little things...the little things we miss won’t show up in the game.”
Memphis is now a third of the way through the regular season and enters its bye week with the non-conference schedule complete. Huff said the team will use the break to rest, recharge and “self-scout” before turning to Charlotte. The Tigers face the 0-3 49ers in two weeks, marking Huff’s first conference game with Memphis.
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