Grind City Football: Memphis Tigers embracing national expectations of breakout season
Michael WallaceBy Phil Stukenborg
Grind City Media CorrespondentMEMPHIS – There was the victory over nationally ranked Southern Cal in the early 1990s, and a shocking win over Tennessee in the mid-1990s.
Those were unexpected – the very definition of a college football upset.
For the University of Memphis, defeating No. 16 USC in Los Angeles to open the 1991 season and a sixth-ranked Peyton Manning-led Volunteer squad five years later commanded national attention. ESPN afforded the program rare airtime leading its highlight shows.
In the mostly unsuccessful 1990s, those were the program’s few highlights. Memphis went 45-64-1 in that decade, scratching out only three winning seasons and no bowl invitations. Those were the relative dark ages compared to now.
That’s because when the Tigers open their second season under coach Mike Norvell on Thursday night against Louisiana-Monroe at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the atmosphere surrounding the program will be considerably different.
Why? Winning has trumped mediocrity.
Outside the DeAngelo WIlliams-led years (from 2002-05), that wasn’t the case for roughly three decades. Former coach Justin Fuente and ex-quarterback Paxton Lynch began the current program renaissance in 2014, helping the Tigers rebound from six straight losing seasons to go 10-4 and ending with a dramatic victory over BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl.
Since then, crowds – and respect – have followed. Average per-game attendance the past two seasons has topped 40,000, double the 20,078 average in 2011. High-level recruits have been added, including defensive back T.J. Carter and offensive lineman Obinna Eze, two Nashville products who were consensus Top 10 prospects in the state.
In 2015, Memphis won eight straight to open the season and jumped to No. 13 in the national rankings. Last year, the Tigers beat No. 18-ranked Houston in the regular-season finale for their second win in as many seasons over a ranked opponent.
Suddenly, a program that once hunted upsets finds itself being, well, the hunted. Norvell expects an experienced group, particularly on offense, to handle the responsibility of being a target as the team picked to win the American Athletic Conference West Division.
“The biggest thing is just understanding the importance of what it takes to experience that success,” Norvell said. “You can’t take that for granted. You’ve got to look at the big picture. If we understand the importance of every fundamental, every snap, if we maintain that focus on the details we have a great chance of being successful.”
In 16 years as a college player and coach, Norvell said winning teams he was associated with shared a common trait: they consistently took care “of the little things.”
UM quarterback Riley Ferguson looks to build on last season, when he passed for a school-record 32 touchdowns.
His second Memphis team should be capable of maintaining focus and handling the hype. The Tigers return nine offensive starters – including quarterback Riley Ferguson, receiver Anthony Miller and running back Doroland Dorceus – from a team that finished 8-5.
Defensively, there were key losses in the secondary, but linebacker Jackson Dillon returns from a season lost to a knee injury and will solidify the unit. He’ll play a hybrid linebacker-defensive end position and be a pass-rushing threat at 6-6 and 260 pounds.
A fifth-year senior from tiny Ringling, Okla., Dillon has the ability to take over stretches of games, as evidenced by his performance during the Miami Beach Bowl (11 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks). Earlier that season, Dillon said the team’s narrow loss at 11th-ranked UCLA awakened the program.
Since that 42-35 loss in Pasadena, the Tigers have gone 26-11, won a conference division title and been in late-season discussion for a berth in a major bowl.
“That was a big game,” Dillon said. “It got our foot in the door (for national respect). It let us know the level we needed to play to. When I got offered (a scholarship) here, I didn’t even know who Memphis was, as a football program or a university. When I got the offer, I thought it was a (Division) 3 school. I didn’t look at it for a couple of weeks. Then I did some research and I saw they had nice jerseys so I gave them a call.”
Now, Dillon is looking forward to donning the No. 34 a final season and helping extend one of the most successful stretches in school history.
“I can’t wait,” Dillon said.
That wait ends with a new start Thursday. And after traveling to face UCF next week, Dillon’s vantage point will come full circle when UCLA makes the return trip to Memphis on Sept. 16 for a nationally televised showdown.
Ferguson, a former Tennessee player, is largely responsible for Memphis’ lofty outlook. He set a school record with 32 touchdown passes and finished with seven 300-yard passing games last season. Potentially, he could post even better numbers with the return of veteran receivers in Miller and Phil Mayhue, and the emergence of newcomer and ex-LSU commit Damonte Coxie, who has had an outstanding preseason and, at 6-3, gives Ferguson an inviting target.
“Nationally, we are more noticed,” Ferguson said. “Paxton and that whole class got this program going. I think we’ve done a good job keeping it going. I think when I leave Memphis is going to be very successful. You’ve got to give credit to the guys who came before us.”
Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson says the Tigers have enough motivation from within to reach their goals and don’t get caught up in the outside hype and expectations outside the team.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey said the players who took a chance on Memphis when it was struggling – the Tigers went 12-48 from 2009 to 2013 – deserve as much credit as those who have signed on the past few seasons.
“The guys who are playing now have a lot of respect for the guys who played before them, who came here when Memphis football wasn’t very highly thought of,” Dickey said. “Now there’s a lot of positives surrounding the program. These new guys are learning what you have to go through to have success.”
From 1997 to 2014, the Tigers went 0-16 against Top 25-ranked opposition. They’ve won two of their last five versus ranked foes and are now coming off a school-record tying three straight bowl trips.
Several national college football experts list the Tigers as a strong candidate from the non-Power 5 conferences to earn a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl – either the Cotton, Fiesta or Peach. It’s an invitation earned by being the highest ranked team among the champions from the AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sunbelt.
When Fuente left for Virginia Tech after the 2015 season, there were legit questions as to whether another first-time head coach could sustain the Memphis momentum. Norvell seamlessly brought in his up-tempo offense, won eight games and has the program trending toward AAC title contention.
Dickey said Norvell’s background directing prolific offenses at Tulsa and Arizona State led to an impressive start at Memphis, but a clear understanding of how to establish a winning culture played a part, too. And that circles back to the little things.
Consider this:
— A recent Saturday practice appeared up to Norvell’s standards, but ended with 27 “up-downs” as punishment for players leaving trash on the locker room floor before they began the workout.
— For the past two seasons, Norvell also has spent several days relocating preseason camp to the school’s Lambuth campus in Jackson, Tenn., to foster camaraderie.
— And Norvell maintains dress-code policies he implemented a year ago. As part of the mandatory game-day attire, players and staff must wear suits and ties, a regimen that sets the tone for the day.
There’s significant hype surrounding the Tigers this season.
But the loftiest expectations are set from within.
“There’s no question that the great teams do the little things right all the time” Dickey said. “Sometimes if you’re successful, there’s a tendency to let things slide. That’s when you set yourself up for failure. That doesn’t happen here because of coach Norvell. His plan, his demeanor, his work ethic, his passion, I don’t think he will allow that to happen. He is driven. He is not going to let little things slide.”
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace and/or Phil Stukenborg are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
Published on Aug 31, 2016
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