South Florida at Memphis: Game preview, prediction
TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 3, 2023) – South Florida (4-4; 2-2 AAC) continues its search for consistency on Saturday when they travel to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to face-off with Memphis (6-2; 3-1 AAC) in an American Athletic Conference game.
Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
The Bulls are back in action after coming from behind to overcome UConn 24-21 on the road in week eight and resetting over the bye last week. South Florida head coach Alex Golesh hopes his team can use this bye week to get back to what was bringing them success early this season.
“Emphasis was us fixing us. Fundamentals, technique, going back to a lot of the basics. We needed the bye week. One to get healthy, two to really hone in on what are we doing really well, what are we not, get better at what we’re not, clean up what we’re doing well,” said Golesh.
Saturday’s game marks the 12th time these teams have met, with the most recent being a 34-33 Memphis win in 2020. The Tigers lead the series 7-4.
Memphis is coming off a dramatic victory of its own, as quarterback Seth Henigan tossed a 36-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left to beat North Texas 45-42 on the road.
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MEMPHIS OFFENSE
This unit, with the junior Henigan at the helm, is extremely potent and efficient, scoring an average of 36 points per game and doing so in a number of different ways.
Henigan has been one of the best quarterbacks in the AAC through his first two seasons in college and has carried over that success into the 2023 campaign. Through eight games he has thrown for 2,186-yards and 16 touchdowns, although he has been turnover prone with seven interceptions.
His top targets are junior receivers Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankensee, and both pass catchers are averaging over 50 receiving yards a game. Look for this passing game to air it out against a struggling Bulls secondary that nationally ranks 126th in pass yards allowed and 121st in scoring defense.
Tigers running back Blake Watson has been an explosive all-around player for this offense all season and leads the conference with 139.4 all-purpose yards per game.
He has rushed for 738-yards and nine touchdowns in 2023 while also ranking second in receptions and third in receiving yards on the team. The Bulls defense will try to get Memphis behind the sticks as they rank fifth in the country in tackles for loss with 65 total while averaging 8.1 TFL per game.
MEMPHIS DEFENSE
This Tigers unit is spearheaded by East Tennessee State transfer linebacker Chandler Martin. Martin leads Memphis with 60 tackles and has added 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks this season.
The Bulls come into this game intent on getting their 23rd ranked run game going. They have found success the past few weeks, having at least one 100-yard rusher in the last three games. Graduate running back Nay’Quan Wright set new career-highs at UConn with 186 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Graduate receiver Sean Atkins has been a steady presence for South Florida, hauling in another eight catches for 57 yards versus UConn. Atkins is within 16 receptions of setting a USF season receptions record.
JACK’S SUMMARY
Coming off of the bye week, the Bulls should be well-rested and ready to get back in action. Coach Golesh made it a point of emphasis to clean up inconsistencies that have caused trouble for both the offense and the defense over their last four games.
Memphis boasts a high powered offense and will plan on attacking a reeling Bulls defense with weapons at every skill position. If the offense can get going early, both to stay in the game, scoring wise, and to give the defense some breaks, the Bulls have a chance to leave Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium with a win.
The key to this game for USF will be to limit mistakes, both turnovers and penalties, as the Tigers are one of the best teams in the country at taking advantage of their opponent’s mistakes.
My prediction is that this will be a close, high scoring game, although Memphis will find more explosive plays and pull away for a 38-28 victory.