After a long offseason, the wait is finally over for Memphis and Bethune-Cookman. Fans of each side have been waiting months to see their team take the gridiron. These two teams don’t have any recent history, so they’ll be looking to make their presence felt from the jump in a Saturday evening matchup at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Memphis (7-6 Overall in 2022)
The Tigers will enter this season after a 7-6 campaign last year. They averaged 35.3 points and 421 offensive yards per contest in 2022. Defensively, the Tigers conceded an average of 26.0 points per game.
It’s the first game of the season for Memphis. Players in all three phases: offense, defense, and special teams, will be looking to start the season off right.
Last season, Memphis’ offensive play selection split was 48% pass, 52% run.
Memphis went 7-6 in 2022. They’ll want to capitalize on this opportunity, as this is the first time they’ve had home field advantage all year. This is Memphis’ only game against an FCS HBCU opponent.
Bethune-Cookman (2-9 Overall in 2022)
The Wildcats will come into this season after securing a 2-9 record in 2022. They averaged 23.5 points and 365 offensive yards per contest in 2022. The Wildcats’ defense allowed an average of 39.5 points per game.
It’s the first game of the season for Bethune-Cookman. Players in all three phases, offense, defense, and special teams will be looking to start the season off well in this one.
Last season, Bethune-Cookman’s offensive play selection split was 51% pass, 49% run.
Bethune-Cookman enters after putting up a 2-9 campaign in 2022. They’ll want to capitalize on this opportunity, as this is the first time they’ve been on the road all year. This is Bethune-Cookman’s only game against an AAC opponent this season.