Today, 17 seniors play in the Liberty Bowl for the final time.
It's been quite a ride for this group of seniors. New coaches. COVID-19. A rough season.
While its easy for fans to sit back and criticize what this season has become- let's be abundantly clear it's been a disappointment, the fact remains that these young men deserve to be celebrated.
Whatever you think about the current staff, the schemes or all of the other things that fans seem to bicker and argue about, these young men have seen a lot in their time here.
So while I understand that it will be "cold", and that a 5-6 Memphis against a 2-9 Tulane team isn't the sexiest matchup, I wish everyone would do these young men the honor of being there for them on a very special once-in-a-lifetime day- Senior Day.
On to football
The key for Memphis today will be to run the football and be aggressive on defense. It's really that simple. Memphis has averaged 83 yards per game on the ground. Without Brandon Thomas, Memphis has found great difficulty in running the football. He is listed as a gametime decision today.
The Tigers have been at their best defensively this year when they have utilized the zone blitz out of the 3-4. For some reason, Memphis has abandoned blitzing at key times during the game. Jacobi Francis and the rest of the Memphis secondary have stepped up and shown they can cover down the field. In this final game when you are fighting for your football life, it's time to take out all the stops and be aggressive from bell to bell.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention special teams here. It has been a disastrous first year for Coach Bankins. Injuries have plagued the team all season and that has really shown up in special teams. Looking like he may be gaining some confidence is David Kemp who was injured early in the year.
Where I've seen the most downfall is in the return game.
Outside of Calvin Austin's controversial return against Mississippi State, Memphis has just 37 yards on punt returns. Memphis has fair caught an astounding 43 punts this year with just 10 returns.
Yes, Austin has been injured. But there is plenty of speed and quickness on this team that someone should be able to field a punt and at least attempt to gain yardage.
All in all, a difficult regular season comes to a close today. This season has seen its share of on the field issues, but the fear is that there are issues simmering off the field as well.
At the end of the day though, my word is gratitude. Grateful for these 17 and all of the others that have donned the blue and gray.
