Sep. 17—Mississippi State heads on the road for the first time this season when it visits Memphis on Saturday.
Memphis (2-0) is coming off a 55-50 win against Arkansas State in Week 2 and has not lost a home game since 2018. Meanwhile, Mississippi State (2-0) is coming off a 24-10 win against an N.C. State team which was just outside the AP top 25 before the matchup.
Frank Bonner II covers Memphis for the Daily Memphian. Here’s what he had to say about the upcoming matchup:
Q: What were the expectations for Memphis heading into this season?
A: Outside perception of them, the expectation was pretty low. They were picked to finish fifth in the American (Athletic) Conference, which is a pretty low preseason ranking for them.
Folks didn’t really know what to think of Memphis going into this year because they didn’t know who the starting quarterback would be. They didn’t have their starting running back solidified. So there were a lot of question marks about Memphis going into this year.
Q: Why has freshman QB Seth Henigan succeeded so far?
A: His poise and his confidence that he plays with. No. 1, he makes some really smart passes. Sometimes you get a freshman quarterback and the playbook is shortened because you don’t really want to air it out with your freshman.
They’re giving the playbook to him. He makes certain smart plays, like he doesn’t force things. He knows when to throw the ball away at the appropriate times, which is sometimes a lost art for young quarterbacks.
Q: Why is this offense leading the nation in yards per game?
A: The offensive line, it’s held up enough for them to do some different things. The passing game and the running game have fed off each other pretty well. (Redshirt freshman running back) Brandon Thomas has gotten a good start early in both of the games. That has given the passing game time to operate.
(Henigan) has veteran weapons around him. (Redshirt senior wide receiver) Calvin Austin and (fifth year) tight end Sean Dykes had big games against Arkansas State. (Redshirt sophomore receiver) Javon Ivory has come along.
Even though they have a young quarterback and a young running back, the rest of the offensive weapons are pretty mature. So having that mix kinda helped them get into a rhythm.
Q: How does Memphis’ defense stack up against MSU?
A: That’ll be interesting to see. Against Nicholls State, the defense played really well. Against Arkansas State, the defense had its moments where it played pretty well, but it gave up a lot of big plays.
Q: Who are some players who could be the difference between a win and a loss for Memphis?
A: Seth Henigan and Brandon Thomas because that’s been their bread and butter. They need a receiver whether it’s Austin or Ivory, one of those guys are gonna have to get going and be a problem for Mississippi State.
A defensive player, I think (freshman corner) Greg Rubin. He’s young, so he’s gonna get a lot of targets thrown at him. How well does he play in that secondary? I think it’s gonna be big for Memphis.