In a fantastic finish, Memphis rallied to defeat Houston 48-44. Here are three takeaways from Houston – Memphis.
1. Memphis deserves credit for winning this game
Although I’m skeptical that people in the media will actually do this, it’s important to give Memphis credit for winning this game.
Make no mistake about it: the media is going to continue to talk about Tom Herman until he’s named the head coach somewhere or signs an extension to remain with the Cougars. Whether we like it or not – and I don’t – that’s the nature of the beast.
However, it’s absolutely imperative that Memphis gets credit for winning this ball game. Sure, there are still some college football pundits out there that want to dwell on the fact that Houston had two losses coming into this contest. But, the fact remains that the Cougars have two impressive wins over highly ranked opponents. That makes them one of the better teams in the country.
Yet, Memphis was the better team today. Playing against a Cougar squad that came into the game ranked 10th nationally in yards per game, the Tigers had no trouble moving the ball, racking up 555 yards of total offense. Memphis was especially impressive in the fourth quarter, scoring twice after Houston re-took the lead and appeared to be in control of the game.
That, my friends, is what stands out the most about this contest. As good as the Houston offense was in the second half, the Tigers were better.
2. Memphis is here to stay
Saturday’s win over Houston also shows that the Tigers are here to stay.
Let’s be honest: many expected Memphis to take a huge step back this year after Justin Fuente left to go to Virginia Tech.
Yet, there was no drop off at all. Yes, Memphis finished with three losses in conference play. But, with the victory over Houston, the team is now 8-4. If the Tigers pick up a win in the bowl game, they would finish the season 9-4 for the second straight season.
In other words: Memphis isn’t going anywhere. Considering that Coach Norvell was the first coach in school history to guide the team to a bowl in his first season, it’s safe to say that the future looks awfully bright for Tiger football.
3. Herman’s Clock Management
I know I mentioned earlier that it’s important to focus on the game and not Tom Herman, but with the way the game ended, I have to bring it up. There were two things he could have done at the end of the contest that might have changed the outcome.
First, it seems strange that Herman didn’t choose to run down the clock on the Cougars final scoring drive. With first-and-goal on the Memphis 9, Houston snapped the ball quickly rather than trying to run the clock down and leave the Tigers with very little time to score. As a result of this questionable decision, Memphis got the ball back with 1:29 to play, which was just enough time to march down the field for the go-ahead score.
Even if – and it’s a big if – Herman chose to believe in his defense, I still find it odd that he didn’t use his timeouts once it became painfully obvious that Memphis was going to score. Remember, the Tigers ran a draw play for five yards with less than 50 seconds to go. Had Houston taken a timeout, it would have saved an additional 20-25 seconds. Although it’s not a given that the Cougars would have scored, the extra time would have given them a better chance.
