The Machine

Memphis

American Athletic · 7-2CFP unranked

Memphis is 7-2 and No. 57 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 2.1 points better than an average FBS team. Last game: won 49-22 vs Army in Week 9.

Week 11: at South Florida, Thursday, Nov 12: the matchup, unit by unit

Machine rankNo. 57of all FBS teams
Rating now2.12.1 points better than an average FBS team
Since July+4.0from −1.9 in the preseason rating

Why Memphis is No. 57

  • Memphis's rating is 2.1: the machine's estimate that Memphis is 2.1 points better than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 57 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at −1.9, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 4.0.
  • The biggest weekly moves: +4.4 after Week 5 (W 59-8 at Charlotte) and +3.3 after Week 1 (W 27-21 at UNLV).
  • Its record is 7-2. The 2 losses were to No. 34 Boise State, No. 94 Tulane, by 16.0 points on average. The 7 wins came by 22.6 points on average; the best was over No. 85 Army. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 94 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 56 UCF (2.1); just below is No. 58 Michigan State (1.9).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

Charles Huff is in his 1st season at Memphis. This season: 7-2.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts186-270
Passing yards2615
Touchdowns-interceptions27-7
Yards per attempt*9.6No. 7 of 138
Explosive pass rate12.5%No. 29 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)4.3%No. 44 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards372-2011
Yards per carry5.4No. 11 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)17.8%No. 7 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)12.2%No. 5 of 138

Scoring

Points per game37.6No. 14 of 138
Yards per play7.32No. 7 of 138
Third-down rate46.4%No. 22 of 138
Red-zone TD rate61.4%No. 69 of 138
Giveaways13No. 97 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game23.6No. 59 of 138
Yards per play allowed5.94No. 103 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed7.3No. 79 of 138
Yards per carry allowed4.9No. 116 of 138
Sack rate7.9%No. 15 of 138
Takeaways18No. 7 of 138
Third-down rate allowed30.8%No. 15 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. Marcus Stokes179-259, 2532 yds, 25 TD, 6 INT
  2. Air Noland7-9, 83 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

  1. Jaylin Carter151 carries, 929 yds, 10 TD
  2. Manny Covey77 carries, 418 yds, 0 TD
  3. Marcus Stokes74 carries, 267 yds, 3 TD

Receiving

  1. Hunter Tipton35 catches, 495 yds, 5 TD
  2. Braylon Burnside29 catches, 453 yds, 3 TD
  3. Jermane Hayes37 catches, 452 yds, 5 TD

Tackles

  1. Michael Montgomery66
  2. Zach Ruffin42
  3. Dylan Smith40

Sacks

  1. Elijah Kinsler5.5
  2. J'Mond Tapp3.5
  3. Taylor Burton3.5

Interceptions

  1. Dylan Smith3
  2. Ahmere Foster2
  3. Chauncey Logan2

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. Marcus StokesMost passes in the last game9 games259 attempts97%
  2. Air Noland2 games9 attempts3%

Carrying

  1. Jaylin Carter9 games151 carries51%
  2. Manny Covey9 games77 carries26%
  3. Dallan Hayden6 games33 carries11%
  4. Jordan Thompson2 games18 carries6%

Catching

  1. Jermane Hayes9 games37 catches20%
  2. Hunter Tipton8 games35 catches19%
  3. Braylon Burnside8 games29 catches16%
  4. Jemyri Davis7 games23 catches12%

Tackling

  1. Michael Montgomery9 games66 tackles13%
  2. Zach Ruffin9 games42 tackles8%
  3. Dylan Smith9 games40 tackles8%
  4. Elijah Kinsler8 games36 tackles7%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 W 27–21 at UNLV. The passing game was the strength: 8.2 yards an attempt, 1.7 more than UNLV usually allows. The defense had 6 sacks.
  2. Week 1 W 42–24 vs Arkansas State. The passing game was the strength: 12.5 yards an attempt, 4.8 more than Arkansas State usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  3. Week 2 L 20–38 at Boise State. The passing game was the strength: 14.8 yards an attempt, 7.4 more than Boise State usually allows. Its most yards an attempt of the season.
  4. Week 3 W 45–21 vs UT Martin. UT Martin is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
  5. Week 5 W 59–8 at Charlotte. The passing game was the strength: 12.3 yards an attempt, 4.5 more than Charlotte usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 4.
  6. Week 6 W 38–13 vs UAB. The passing game was the strength: 7.8 yards an attempt, 2.1 more than UAB usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 3.
  7. Week 7 L 17–31 at Tulane. The pass defense gave ground: Tulane got 8.0 yards an attempt, 1.6 over what it usually gains. The machine had Memphis by 3.6 (59%), so this was a loss it did not see coming; Memphis lost the turnover battle by 4.
  8. Week 8 W 41–34 vs East Carolina. The pass defense gave ground: East Carolina got 6.7 yards an attempt, 1.3 over what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  9. Week 9 W 49–22 vs Army. The pass defense was the strength: Army got 4.5 yards an attempt, 2.1 under what it usually gains. The fewest yards an attempt it has allowed all season.

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