Memphis football is officially in game week.
The Tigers will face UNLV in Las Vegas on Aug. 29 (9 p.m., FOX). And it's a game that could have College Football Playoff implications.
"There's so many different storylines," UNLV coach Dan Mullen said at his press conference on Aug. 24.
For one, the Tigers and Rebels will play on national television as one of the marquee games during the opening weekend of the season. Both teams are expected to compete near the top of their respective conferences, so it could be a game that gets talked about later in the season when potential playoff resumes are being compared.
"You won't feel it maybe after this game, but there's going to be a lot of discussion about this game as the season goes on," Mullen said. "Especially
late into November. It can have a lot of implications on who's where for the playoff race."
Like Memphis coach Charles Huff, Mullen declined to name a starting quarterback for the game. Alex Orji is competing with Auburn transfer Jackson Arnold, and Mullen said they would both play.
Memphis has an entirely new coaching staff and an almost entirely new roster, so Mullen said the preparation has been difficult with so many unknowns.
"There's no film on the team we're playing," Mullen said. "I can't watch one play of this team. There's new faces, new coaches, new everything. So much has to be based on yourself when you get into week one, and your execution."
The one thing Mullen and his staff have been doing throughout the offseason is watching film of last year's Old Dominion team. That's because former Monarchs offensive coordinator Kevin Decker is now at Memphis and is expected to run a similar offensive system with the Tigers.
"They're going to spread you out sideline to sideline," Mullen said. "We're prepared for the tempo. If they want to go super fast with the tempo and spread you out across the field to try to create numbers and create matchups all over the field. They've got some big, fast, explosive wide receivers. They're pretty big at the line of scrimmage. And then they have some backs that can hit the home run. We don't know who their quarterback's going to be. We've spent a lot of time studying the ODU film and preparing for his style and what he's going to bring."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What UNLV coach Dan Mullen said about Memphis football ahead of season opener
