Memphis football vs UT Martin preview, prediction for Week 3 game

After losing for the first time under coach Charles Huff, Memphis football is back at home hoping to right the proverbial ship. The Tigers (2-1) will have a good shot to do that against UT Martin (1-2), an FCS team, when they face off on Sept. 19 (6 p.m. CT, ESPN+) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. M

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What is the story about?

After losing for the first time under coach Charles Huff, Memphis football is back at home hoping to right the proverbial ship.

The Tigers (2-1) will have a good shot to do that against UT Martin (1-2), an FCS team, when they face off on Sept. 19 (6 p.m. CT, ESPN+) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Memphis is a five-touchdown favorite against the Skyhawks, who lost 42-7 at West Virginia on Sept. 12.

Still, the Tigers' loss to Boise State exposed plenty of problems they will need to get cleaned up for when they get into the more difficult conference games later in the season. With a bye week coming up, the game against UT Martin represents their last chance for a while to show they're improving.

And there is historical danger — UT Martin upset Memphis

on this same field in 2012.

Here's your primer for the game.

Where Memphis can improve on offense

The numbers are gaudy — Memphis has the nation's leading rusher (Jaylin Carter), the nation's second-leading passer (Marcus Stokes) and the leader in tight end receiving yards (Hunter Tipton). It also has played one game more than most teams in the country, but it's still something.

Stokes threw for a career-high 384 yards in the loss to the Broncos, but he also threw a costly interception near the end of the first half. Tipton was unbelievable, nearly breaking an FBS record with 229 receiving yards in the game.

Carter rushed for an 80-yard touchdown, but Memphis could barely run the ball besides that. Boise State put everything into stopping the run, and that's a look the Tigers will probably see again this season.

Memphis is still looking for more consistency from its receiving core. While Huff said after the Boise State game that he's not worried about sustaining drives, Memphis has been able to generate offense in only three main ways this season — the run game against a spread-out defense; deep balls down the sideline; and simply throwing to Tipton. Whether Memphis can diversify its offensive attack will be something to watch.

Where Memphis can improve on defense

The Tigers announced themselves on the national stage with their Week 0 win over UNLV. That win was incredibly impressive because they did it by essentially mauling the Rebels in the trenches down the stretch. Elijah Kinsler and the rest of the defensive line completely controlled the game, but it hasn't been that easy the past two games.

Boise State never wavered in its commitment to running the ball, and it had success throughout the day. Huff said he thought the Tigers wore down defensively, but they probably won't face an offensive front like Boise State's the rest of the season. And they definitely won't face a running back like Dylan Riley, who rushed for a career-high 206 yards.

Memphis' secondary has been up-and-down; the Tigers held up well against Boise State, but there's still lots to work on moving forward.

What to know about UT Martin

There are plenty of connections between these teams. UT Martin coach Jason Simpson heavily recruits Memphis, and he has double-digit players from the Memphis area on his roster. Simpson's sons are well-known to the Memphis area, too — Ty Simpson (who played at Alabama and is now with the Los Angeles Rams) was dominant at nearby Westview High School, while his brother Graham Simpson is a highly touted recruit at Westview now.

Huff even had to avoid mentioning the younger Simpson when he was talking about the Simpson family at his weekly news conference because coaches are not allowed to talk about specific recruits before they sign.

It works the other way, too — defensive lineman Taylor Burton started his career at UT Martin before transferring to Memphis. And there are several Whitehaven alums on the Skyhawks' roster who played under Memphis assistant Rodney Saulsberry.

As for what they'll look like on the field: UT Martin used three quarterbacks against West Virginia, but Tate Surber got the majority of the work. The Skyhawks have not thrown for a passing touchdown all season.