South Florida @ Memphis preview
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 16, 2013 ) Memphis 23, South Florida 10
Riding a four-game win streak and sitting atop the American Athletic Conference standings, Memphis has a lot to be excited about. Still, coach Justin Fuente has some words of caution as the Tigers prepare to host South Florida on Saturday. "Here's the deal: If all you do is spend your time thinking about the good things down the road, then you're going to lose sight of what gave you the opportunity to be in that situation to begin with,” Fuente said at his weekly news conference. “(We need to) stay focused on the process, on the task at hand.”
Memphis can clinch at least a share of the AAC title with wins Saturday and the following week against visiting Connecticut. Meanwhile, it’s even more imperative that South Florida wins out as the 4-6 Bulls are seeking to end a three-year postseason drought. South Florida closes out the season Nov. 28 with a home date against rival Central Florida.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: Memphis -18.5
ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (4-6, 3-3 AAC): The Bulls scored two late touchdowns to clip host SMU 14-13 last week but have dropped four of their last six overall. Mike White came off the bench in the fourth quarter last week to replace freshman starting quarterback Quinton Flowers – the third quarterback to start for the team this season – and threw the two game-winning TD passes, but coach Willie Taggart is keeping Saturday’s starter close to the vest for now. The Bulls rank ninth in the 11-team conference in total offense at 306 yards per game but are tops in total defense (296.3 ypg).
ABOUT MEMPHIS (7-3, 5-1): Defense has been the calling card of late for the opportunistic Tigers, who forced a season-high five turnovers last week – including a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns – in a 38-7 road win over Tulane. Overall, Memphis leads the AAC and ranks among the top 12 nationally in scoring defense (17.5 ppg) and turnover margin (plus-12). Quarterback Paxton Lynch has a team-high eight rushing TDs to go along with his 12 passing scores, while tailback Brandon Hayes is averaging 72.6 rushing yards per game to rank fourth in the conference.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The series is knotted at three wins apiece following Memphis’ 23-10 road victory last season.
2. The Tigers are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2008.
3. South Florida freshman RB Marlon Mack leads the AAC with 90.7 rushing yards per game and needs 93 yards to notch the fourth 1,000-yard rushing season in the program’s history.
PREDICTION: Memphis 24, South Florida 10