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Winners from Memphis’ six-point victory over UNLV
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- Winners from Memphis’ six-point victory over UNLV
Winners from Memphis’ six-point victory over UNLV
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Memphis started its season with a week zero win over UNLV, and there were several winners from the performance. Charles Huff might be the biggest winner, as he became the first head coach in program history to win a debut on the road.
Outside of the head coach, there were a lot of winners on the field, including Marcus Stokes who won the starting quarterback job.
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The first game of the season was filled with answers to a team that entered the season with a lot of unknowns, and here are three of the top winners from Memphis' 27-21 win over the Rebels.
Marcus Stokes:
Huff brought in three quarterbacks from the transfer portal this offseason, and two quarterbacks spent most of the preseason in a quarterbacks battle. West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and South Carolina transfer Air Noland battled throughout the preseason, but on Saturday, Huff named Stokes the starter.
Stokes finished with 223 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 45 yards on seven carries. At times, he looked like a quarterback in a brand new system, but Huff seemed happy with the promising start.
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"I thought he played like a first-year quarterback in a new system the first half that has a lot of potential," Huff said after the game.
Defensive line:
Memphis' defensive line became the story of the game after slowing down the Rebels' offense, especially in the second half. The Tigers recorded six sacks in the second half and 11 tackles for loss throughout the entire game.
According to CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli, "Memphis' Taylor Burton, J'Mond Tapp and Elijah Kinsler combined for 17 pressures and 4.5 sacks against UNLV."
The defensive line made it hard on Jackson Arnold, and they held All-Conference running back Jai'Den Thomas to 44 yards on 12 carries.
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Speed:
Huff said at his introductory press conference that he wanted to get faster, and it appears he did that at nearly every position. The Tigers were noticeably faster on both sides of the ball, and that should be a strength for them in the American Conference.
Mississippi State transfer Stonka Burnside and Kansas State transfer Jemyri Davis both showcased their speed at the receiver position, while Jaylin Carter had a nice burst out of the backfield. Even Stokes showed flashes of speed when he broke away for a run.
The defense was flying around and looked fast getting to the quarterback and making plays on the ball.
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The speed should give them an advantage in nearly every game, but especially in conference play where some teams won't be able to match the speed all over the field.
Winners from Memphis' six-point victory over UNLV:
Memphis started its season with a week zero win over UNLV, and there were several winners from the performance. Charles Huff might be the biggest winner, as he became the first head coach in program history to win a debut on the road.
Outside of the head coach, there were a lot of winners on the field, including Marcus Stokes who won the starting quarterback job.
The first game of the season was filled with answers to a team that entered the season with a lot of unknowns, and here are three of the top winners from Memphis' 27-21 win over the Rebels.
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Marcus Stokes:
Huff brought in three quarterbacks from the transfer portal this offseason, and two quarterbacks spent most of the preseason in a quarterbacks battle. West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and South Carolina transfer Air Noland battled throughout the preseason, but on Saturday, Huff named Stokes the starter.
Stokes finished with 223 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 45 yards on seven carries. At times, he looked like a quarterback in a brand new system, but Huff seemed happy with the promising start.
"I thought he played like a first-year quarterback in a new system the first half that has a lot of potential," Huff said after the game.
Advertisement
Defensive line:
Memphis' defensive line became the story of the game after slowing down the Rebels' offense, especially in the second half. The Tigers recorded six sacks in the second half and 11 tackles for loss throughout the entire game.
According to CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli, "Memphis' Taylor Burton, J'Mond Tapp and Elijah Kinsler combined for 17 pressures and 4.5 sacks against UNLV."
The defensive line made it hard on Jackson Arnold, and they held All-Conference running back Jai'Den Thomas to 44 yards on 12 carries.
Speed:
Huff said at his introductory press conference that he wanted to get faster, and it appears he did that at nearly every position. The Tigers were noticeably faster on both sides of the ball, and that should be a strength for them in the American Conference.
Advertisement
Mississippi State transfer Stonka Burnside and Kansas State transfer Jemyri Davis both showcased their speed at the receiver position, while Jaylin Carter had a nice burst out of the backfield. Even Stokes showed flashes of speed when he broke away for a run.
The defense was flying around and looked fast getting to the quarterback and making plays on the ball.
The speed should give them an advantage in nearly every game, but especially in conference play where some teams won't be able to match the speed all over the field.
