This game didn’t start the way that Memphis wanted it to. The opening kickoff took a strange bounce on Tony Pollard, and Navy recovered. We didn’t realize the defense would preview their excellence by holding the Midshipmen to just a field goal.
The Tigers defense has been subject to scrutiny thus far, but most of their poor performances could be attributed to injuries. With plenty of youth playing on that side of the ball, a learning curve was to be expected. That youth finally showed what they learned on Saturday, forcing five Midshipmen turnovers. Austin Hall had the best game of his young career, finishing with 10 tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.