Memphis football needs a win over Boise State to keep uncomfortable conversations at bay

Memphis football returned from St. Louis with its first loss of the 2023 season, a bone to pick with SEC officials and two gigantic home games to prove this will be different than the past two years. The pressure begins to rise Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium against Boise State (3 p.m., ESPN2), not far removed from being the crown jewel of the Group of Five and still the preseason favorite in the Mountain West.

This is the stretch of the schedule most figured would define Memphis this season, and nothing through four games suggests otherwise. With so much riding on these next few weeks, The Commercial Appeal again convened its Tiger Football roundtable featuring beat writer Jonah Dylan and sports columnist Mark Giannotto to discuss the biggest storylines surrounding the team.

Do you feel better about Memphis after losing to Missouri?

Giannotto: Yes. Missouri is currently a ranked SEC team and Memphis was in the game until the very end. Most would have been fine with a one-score loss to Missouri before the season began, and it should be no different now. The Tigers' performance was more impressive than any of the three wins this year based on the competition. They had success at times on both offense and defense, and there’s a decent chance Missouri was tougher than any opponent they'll face the rest of the way.

Dylan: A little bit. Memphis has proven it can play at a high level, but the Tigers have struggled to put it together for a complete game. That was the story against Missouri, when the game was close throughout but Memphis didn’t make enough plays to win. The Tigers proved they can go toe-to-toe with an SEC opponent, though, and that’s reason for optimism.

What’s been the best development through four games?

Dylan: Blake Watson’s performance. The Old Dominion transfer came into a team with plenty of talent in the running back room, but he’s quickly staked his claim as the top back for the Tigers. He’s shown he can be effective as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield. He had 27 touches in the Missouri game, so we know he can handle a significant workload moving forward.

Giannotto: The emergence of Watson and wide receiver Roc Taylor as reliable playmakers for quarterback Seth Henigan. They’re the best offensive weapons Memphis has had at the skill positions since Calvin Austin III, and it seems like the offensive scheme is increasingly being tailored to get them the ball as much as possible.

What’s been the most concerning area through four games?

Giannotto: The lack of progress by the offense. Memphis has a third-year starting quarterback, a tailback generating NFL draft interest and a better receiving corps than last season, and yet the offense mostly looks the same. Indeed, the Tigers are 39th in total offense right now, the same ranking they finished with last season. Take out those two big runs by Watson against Navy and Memphis is averaging fewer yards per carry than last season. Henigan is on pace to throw more interceptions than the past two seasons combined. Whether it's him, or the play-calling, or the offensive line, this offense will need to be better for the Tigers to become AAC championship material.

Dylan: Inconsistency. Memphis has shown it can move the ball on offense and it’s shown it can shut teams down on defense. But there have been costly lapses — whether it’s a blown coverage on defense that allows a long touchdown or a dropped touchdown on offense. Memphis has the ingredients it needs to win consistently, but the Tigers need to put it all together for four quarters against Boise State.

OPINION: Missouri loss leaves Memphis football at early (but inevitable) fork in the road

Why (or why not) is beating Boise State so important?

Dylan: It’s important for the sake of momentum. Most people expected Memphis to be 3-1 at this point in the season, but another loss would make the Tulane game on Oct. 13 feel like close to a must-win. A win over Boise State would give the Tigers some breathing room and some positive energy to take into the open week.

Giannotto: Simply beating Tulane in a couple weeks puts Memphis in the AAC driver’s seat, so in that way the Boise State game can’t possibly be as important. But given the decline in attendance, entering the open week with two-straight losses to the only two decent teams Memphis has played would ignite conversations Ryan Silverfield and his bosses hoped they could avoid this season. Losing a home game, given what's at stake this season, would hurt much more than the setback to Missouri.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis Tigers football, Ryan Silverfield need to beat Boise State