Takeaways from Memphis football's dominant win over Army, including elite offense
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Hello, explosive Memphis offense.
The Tigers (7-2, 4-1 American Conference) jumped on Army from the start on Oct. 31 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in an eventual 49-22 win. Reversing a recent trend, Memphis was dominant in the first half and looked like a legitimate threat to reach the conference title game.
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Army (5-3, 4-2) got the ball first, but Memphis quickly forced a stop, then marched down the field for what amounted to an Army-esque scoring drive. The Black Knights never established their ball-control offense, and Memphis consistently sustained long drives to completely take over the game.
Rain became a factor late in the second half, but the Tigers had already made enough plays to create a cushion and ultimately cruised to the win.
Here are our takeaways.
Marcus Stokes was dynamic again
Quarterback Marcus Stokes had one of his best games with the Tigers, completing 29 of 35 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown.
He was helped by an elite performance from Memphis' offensive line. Stokes had all day to throw throughout the game, and the Tigers' receivers were open consistently. Army's defensive backs gave them plenty of space all night.
The game changed in the fourth quarter when rain started to come down. That clearly affected the way Memphis ran its offense, but it still scored enough to put the game out of reach.
Memphis fixed its first-half issues
The Tigers had struggled during first halves throughout the season, and that was especially true in the last game against East Carolina when they scored only three first-half points.
That was an obvious point of emphasis going into the game, and Memphis completely reversed the trend against Army, which had no answer in the first half. Memphis scored on four of five drives, and the only drive that didn't end in a touchdown was a fumble by Jemyri Davis (on a long completion).
Memphis' defense was up to the task against a unique offense
It's tough for any defense to prepare for Army's option offense, and the Black Knights had some success. But Memphis capitalized on Army penalties and made enough plays on first and second down to limit what Army wanted to do.
Memphis' offense also adjusted, playing with pace but sustaining drives for long enough to allow the Tigers' defense to rest. It was the kind of complementary football that coach Charles Huff has talked about all season.
The Tigers have a (relatively) clear path to the American title game
Memphis' loss to Tulane Oct. 16 took away the Tigers' margin for error in the conference title race. But the subsequent wins over ECU and Army mean they're in a good spot heading into November.
North Texas and UTSA are both undefeated in conference, but they'll play each other later this season. Memphis has South Florida, Navy and Temple left on the schedule, and the Tigers will be favored to win all of those.
There are potential multi-team tiebreakers that could come into play if all three of those teams keep winning, but the Tigers will at least be in the mix for the title until the final week of the season if they keep winning.
Next up
Memphis has an open week before traveling to Tampa, Florida to face South Florida on Nov. 12 (7 p.m. CT, ESPN).
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Takeaways from Memphis football's dominant win over Army, including elite offense