I watched the entire game, and Navy, after an outstanding start, was done in by its lack of athleticism on defense and an injury to quarterback Malcolm Perry in the second quarter that rendered him ineffective in the second half.
This game was always going to be about Navy's ball control versus Memphis' playmaking ability with its superior speed. Memphis had only 15 snaps in the first half and trailed 20-7 when it returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to turn the tide. Navy missed a field goal that would have given it a two-score lead on the last play of the half, and Memphis took over after the break, dominating defensively as Perry was tentative as a runner and useless as a thrower due to his injury, which looked to be a pectoral issue. Memphis QB Brady White was awful for two-and-a-half quarters, but he hit a wide-open receiver on third-and-long on a post pattern to stretch the lead to 28-20 and made some nice throws on the clinching TD drive that made it 35-23.
My early take on what Tulane will need to do to beat both teams on the road:
1) Memphis
--White is immobile in the pocket, as Tulane proved last year by registering a preposterous 10 sacks in a 40-24 win that was more lopsided than the score indicated. Memphis has three new starters on the offensive line and Tulane returned just about everyone up front, so the same advantage will be there. The difference is it is harder to get pressure on the road than at home, but the Wave should be up to the task. Offensively, Memphis has good skill players but not as good as Houston's. If the Tulane defense plays with poise, it's advantage, Wave, and if the Tulane offense hits the big plays that will be available, the Wave will roll. I've just never been as sold on Memphis under Mike Norvell as others have. And without Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard, the talent level is not as high this year as last.
2) Navy
--A healthy Perry makes a huge difference, but Navy's running backs are not difference-makers. Even more than in most years, Navy relies on its system rather than its players, and Tulane matches up very well with option teams. The big concern is the passing game. Navy's, though limited, is much more sophisticated than Army's, as we saw last year at Yulman Stadium. The Wave secondary will need to do a better job of not over-selling to stop the run and letting guys get behind it on surprise passes. Tulane almost beat Navy on the road two years ago, and Tulane is much better now than then.
September is not over yet, so it's too early to make concrete judgments on teams, but I have a feeling the AAC West race might come down to the finale between Tulane and SMU. The Mustangs match up better with the Wave in my opinion than Memphis or Navy do.
This game was always going to be about Navy's ball control versus Memphis' playmaking ability with its superior speed. Memphis had only 15 snaps in the first half and trailed 20-7 when it returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to turn the tide. Navy missed a field goal that would have given it a two-score lead on the last play of the half, and Memphis took over after the break, dominating defensively as Perry was tentative as a runner and useless as a thrower due to his injury, which looked to be a pectoral issue. Memphis QB Brady White was awful for two-and-a-half quarters, but he hit a wide-open receiver on third-and-long on a post pattern to stretch the lead to 28-20 and made some nice throws on the clinching TD drive that made it 35-23.
My early take on what Tulane will need to do to beat both teams on the road:
1) Memphis
--White is immobile in the pocket, as Tulane proved last year by registering a preposterous 10 sacks in a 40-24 win that was more lopsided than the score indicated. Memphis has three new starters on the offensive line and Tulane returned just about everyone up front, so the same advantage will be there. The difference is it is harder to get pressure on the road than at home, but the Wave should be up to the task. Offensively, Memphis has good skill players but not as good as Houston's. If the Tulane defense plays with poise, it's advantage, Wave, and if the Tulane offense hits the big plays that will be available, the Wave will roll. I've just never been as sold on Memphis under Mike Norvell as others have. And without Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard, the talent level is not as high this year as last.
2) Navy
--A healthy Perry makes a huge difference, but Navy's running backs are not difference-makers. Even more than in most years, Navy relies on its system rather than its players, and Tulane matches up very well with option teams. The big concern is the passing game. Navy's, though limited, is much more sophisticated than Army's, as we saw last year at Yulman Stadium. The Wave secondary will need to do a better job of not over-selling to stop the run and letting guys get behind it on surprise passes. Tulane almost beat Navy on the road two years ago, and Tulane is much better now than then.
September is not over yet, so it's too early to make concrete judgments on teams, but I have a feeling the AAC West race might come down to the finale between Tulane and SMU. The Mustangs match up better with the Wave in my opinion than Memphis or Navy do.
