Against Charlotte, the potent Memphis offense hopes to maintain its dominance.
Where: Charlotte, North Carolina’s Jerry Richardson Stadium
Spread: Over/Under 51.5, MEM -8.5
Series History: Initial Meeting
Taking Center Stage
After an eventful week in Tulsa, Charlotte comes into this game. After trailing at the half and going into the fourth quarter, Charlotte won a game for the first time in the previous two years. Important defenders for the Niners will return this week after missing Week 10 due to team-issued suspensions. The Niners will have a difficult challenge from Memphis’ explosive offense, but Charlotte’s chances of making it to the bowl are still alive.
Charlotte Sneak Peek
After falling behind 10-0 in the first half, Charlotte rallied to win in overtime. After winning last week, the Niners still have a chance to play in a bowl game, therefore they need to win every game they play for the remainder of the season. After Jalon Jones continued to nursing injuries from the Week 9 battle against Florida Atlantic, Trexler Ivey started at quarterback for Charlotte. With two go-ahead drives to end the game, Trexler Ivey had his greatest game of the season and demonstrated his ability to command an offense.
Regarding Trexler Ivey’s performance, head coach Biff Poggi said, “Trexler played a great game.” Despite his deteriorating health, he practiced every day of the week. He’s a tough kid who really wanted to play and gave it his all.
In the second half, Charlotte was able to put the ball in the hands of its playmaker, opening up room for splash plays further down the field. Against the Golden Hurricane, wide receiver Jairus Mack recorded a season-high 124 yards on seven receptions, while running back Henry Rutledge gained 92 yards on four carries. The offense appears to be finally turning the corner, according to offensive coordinator Mike Miller, who stated, “We were down 17-0 and I pulled the offense together and said someone has to step up and make plays.” We needed to step up our game because we were explosive. On Saturday, we woke up sleepwalking, but we kept swinging—chin down, eyes up. Although that phrase is not widely used in college football, it takes time, and we’re working to speed up the process. We have faith in our process, and on Saturday, it loved us back. We will fall in love with it.
Although Memphis’ explosive attack has scored 45 points or more in three straight weeks, the Niners scored a season-high 33 points last week. Nikhai Hill-Green, the AAC Defensive Player of the Week, is prepared for the game and isn’t interested in paying attention to the oddsmakers. Last week, Hill-Green put up possibly his greatest performance of the year with 11 total tackles. In agreement, Ryan Osborn, the defensive coordinator for Charlotte, stated, “They have really good football coaches and follow the playbook really well.” These guys need to be distracted. They remain efficient, score points, and stay ahead of the sticks. We want to be teams like Memphis. and we’re ready for the challenge, even if it will be a tough test.
The most effective defense against Memphis’ attack might very well be time of possession. With 32 minutes per game of possession, Charlotte is eighth in the country. Following their suspensions for the Tulsa game, Eyabi Okie-Anoma, Stone Handy, and Al-Ma’hi Ali will be available for Saturday’s game against Memphis. Coach Poggi declined to provide more details regarding the nature of their bans. In an attempt to secure their first conference home victory of the year, Charlotte has performed far better away from home.
Memphis Sneak peek
After defeating South Florida 59-50 at home in the highest-scoring game of the season, Memphis comes into this match with a 7-2 record. The Tigers hope to make it four games in a row in Charlotte after scoring more than 45 points in their previous three outings. Seth Henigan, the starting quarterback, had an excellent day, completing 23 of 40 pass attempts for 349 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. But he left the game because of an injury, and Tevin Carter, the backup, took his place. Memphis obviously takes pride in their ability to throw the ball downfield, regardless of the quarterback. Last week, eight receivers received passes for a total of 441 air yards. With so many talented receivers on the Tigers’ roster, Charlotte faces an uphill struggle in the secondary. Both DeMeer Blankumsee and wide receiver Roc Taylor finished with 140+ yards receiving on six or fewer receptions. Memphis intends to pass the ball to its space-occupying playmakers in an attempt to produce big plays down the field.
The Tigers’ defense allows an average of 33 points per game, which means they frequently engage in offensive “shootouts.” Memphis’ rushing defense, which allows 168.7 yards per game and 12 touchdowns on the year, is ranked 11th in the AAC. To stop the Memphis offense, Charlotte will need to start a rushing onslaught as soon as possible.
Memphis has to give credit to the Tigers for their outstanding 4th down defense. When it comes to opponent fourth-down conversions (30%), they lead the AAC. Memphis will have a great chance to win this game on the road if they can flip the field on short downs and long passes. Charlotte has a reputation for being aggressive on fourth downs.
Expectation
To put it mildly, Charlotte’s season has been somewhat unpredictable. The Niners struggle against strong offensive teams and have not won two straight games. Charlotte needs to handle the ball better and not just rely on field goals. Memphis will be very difficult to slow down, and the Niners offensive doesn’t appear ready to match the weaponry of the Tigers. The Niners are not in a good position going into this game because Charlotte has not won a conference game at home all season.
Score forecast: 40 for Memphis, 14 for Charlotte
