2008 Memphis Tigers Preview

Tommy West has established the U of M as a perennial bowl participant. Now, he is intent on taking the program somewhere else it hasn’t been: a Conference USA championship game. The road will be difficult in a competitive East Division inhabited by UCF (the defending C-USA champ), East Carolina (a 2008 favorite) and Southern Miss, but West is confident the Tigers can make it a four-team race.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Tigers

Memphis would like to emulate the success of its basketball program and achieve the football equivalent: a bid to a BCS game. That might be a reach, but an attainable goal for this program is a Conference USA title and a berth in the hometown Liberty Bowl. However, making a leap from a 7–6 season to a league title will be too difficult a challenge for the 2008 Tigers, who must replace too many players at key positions. The U of M will be breaking in new starters at quarterback and running back. Neither junior college transfer Arkelon Hall nor sophomore Matt Malouf has started a game at quarterback. Running back T.J. Pitts moves into the starting role but missed the spring recovering from two surgeries to repair a broken ankle. The big ‘if’ for the Tigers is whether Hall or Malouf can consistently find what is perhaps the league’s best collection of receivers. Defensively, new coordinator Tim Walton should make this a much better unit. While another bowl trip — which would be the program’s fifth in six years — is possible, there’s too much talent in the C-USA’s East Division for the Tigers to earn a Liberty Bowl bid. East Carolina is a division favorite, and Memphis must play the Pirates in Greenville, N.C. The Tigers seem more likely to make their run in 2009.

Quarterbacks

Junior college transfer Arkelon Hall comes to Memphis after spending last season at the College of the Sequoias in California. Hall was regarded as one of the nation’s top 10 quarterback prospects when he signed with Washington State in 2005. In the Northwest, his career stalled. He was a redshirt in 2005 and broke his leg in a preseason scrimmage in 2006 before transferring to junior college. At Memphis, he’ll give the Tigers something the spread offense covets: a quarterback who can run. Senior Will Hudgens will serve as the team's backup.

Running backs

Projected starter T.J. Pitts missed the spring while recovering from a broken ankle suffered in the bowl game, giving the inexperienced Curtis Steele and Mike Davis valuable repetitions. Pitts underwent two surgeries to repair his ankle. If healthy, he should move into the starting role for the first time. A heralded back coming out of Georgia two years ago, Pitts is physical enough to gain the tough yardage. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry for the year and rushed for 110 yards in the regular-season finale against SMU. Steele spent last season as a redshirt after coming from Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Receivers

The top four receivers are back from a unit that ranks as one of the best, and tallest, in the conference. Junior Carlos Singleton, at 6'8", is a matchup nightmare for most defensive backs in the league, evidenced by his team-high 11 touchdown receptions a year ago. Duke Calhoun, who was the team’s leading receiver with 890 yards, is 6'4" and poised to set numerous records at a school that has produced several NFL receivers, including Isaac Bruce and Russell Copeland.

Offensive linemen

West calls this group one of the best he’s had in eight years as Memphis’ head coach. It’s a unit led by two-time all-conference tackle Brandon Pearce and junior transfer Malcom Rawls, who originally signed with Tennessee. Philip Beliles adds consistency, too, having started each of the team’s 13 games a year ago at center. The Memphis running game got a boost late in the season when Terrence Echols moved into a starting role at left guard after serving as a backup at center.

Defensive linemen

If the defense is to make an impact, the line will be an integral part of the turnaround. Clinton McDonald, an all-conference candidate, leads the group and was selected by his teammates as a captain in 2007, the only junior so honored in West’s tenure. McDonald led the team in TFLs and sacks and also forced two fumbles. End Greg Terrell, who also forced two fumbles and blocked a kick, is another all-league candidate. Senior end Corey Mills (Ole Miss) and senior nosetackle Freddie Barnett (Arkansas) are ex-SEC signees who have proven to be playmakers.

Linebackers

A position that fought through injuries a year ago will be much better as long as Winston Bowens and Greg Jackson remain healthy. Bowens, who was lost at midseason due to a knee injury, is a classic middle linebacker who was emerging as a defensive leader when he was hurt. Jackson possesses the speed required of an outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. At the other outside spot, Josh Weaver, a quick, athletic converted defensive end, could be the key to this unit’s effectiveness.

Defensive backs

Tiger defensive backs are expected to be much more physical, and the cornerbacks should play more man coverage this fall. West wants an aggressive unit that may get burned on occasion, but one that also will make plays, something that was missing in 2007. Senior cornerback Michael Grandberry, who didn’t play much a year ago, flourished under the new philosophy and new coaches in the spring.

Specialists

The kicking game will be in experienced feet. Junior kicker Matt Reagan struggled at times last season, but he recovered to lead the team in scoring (80 points) and earned two conference Player of the Week honors. He beat SMU in overtime with a 32-yard kick. Consistent senior punter Brent Sutherland averaged 40.7 yards.

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