
The Memphis Tigers and Florida Atlantic Owls will try and get one more win on the season in the 2020 Montgomery Bowl. Here is a preview and a prediction of the 2020 Montgomery Bowl.
Memphis had a solid season, finishing the regular season at 7-3. They beat UCF 50-49, and the teams’ three losses came against teams that finished the regular season over .500, including the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Tigers rank 58th in the country in points per game at 28.9. Most of their offense came in the passing game as they rank 16th with 310.3 passing yards per game and 141.2 rushing yards per game (ranks 88th).
Brady White (Image courtesy of The Commercial Appeal.)
Experienced quarterback Brady White had 3,096 passing yards along with 28 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions thrown this season. The senior also had two rushing touchdowns, bringing him to a total of 30 all-purpose touchdowns this year. White’s top receiver this year was Calvin Austin III. Austin III had 1,025 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 60 catches. The team also had two other players with over 500 receiving yards in Tahj Washington and tight end Sean Dykes.
Rodrigues Clark led the team in rushing yards with 523 yards. His two touchdowns are tied for the most rushing touchdowns on the team this season. Kylan Watkins added 399 rushing yards this year. Marquavius Weaver and Asa Martin got 35 and 40 carries with 183 and 137 rushing yards, respectively.
The Memphis defense allows 31.4 points per game (ranks 78th). Although they gain a lot of passing yards, they also allow a whopping 303 passing yards per game, which ranks 127th in the FBS. Their rushing defense ranks much better at 49th, as they allowed 145.7 rushing yards per game this season. Quindell Johnson leads the team with 70 tackles. The sophomore also had three interceptions and two forced fumbles this season.
Florida Atlantic was 5-1 in their first six games. Then they lost their last two games of the season to go 5-3. This includes a 45-31 loss to Southern Mississippi, who finished the season at 3-7.
The Owls averaged just 20 points per game this season (ranks 110th). The passing offense had a low 143.6 yards per game (ranks 117th) with a better ranking rushing offense with 185.2 rushing yards per game (ranks 46th).
Florida Atlantic split snaps at the quarterback spot this year, mainly between Nick Tronti and Javion Posey. Tronti went 73-for-135 passing with 759 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Posey was 30-for-60 passing with 390 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Tronti was the starter for the last game of the regular season, but both guys saw action the week before.
Four wideouts had over 100 receiving yards for the Owls this year. They were led by senior TJ Chase, who caught 21 passes for 328 yards. The other three were Jordan Merrell, Willie Wright and Brandon Robinson, who ranged from 106-to-192 receiving yards. Robinson had the most touchdown catches with three.
Quarterback Posey was the leading rusher on the Owls this year. He ran for 401 yards and three touchdowns in 56 attempts. The next highest rusher was James Charles, who ran for 347 yards and four touchdowns in 76 attempts. Malcolm Davidson added 298 rushing yards and two touchdowns to the Owls offense as well.
Leighton McCarthy (Image from fausports.com)
The defense helped Florida Atlantic a lot this season, as they allowed 326.4 yards per game, which ranks them 17th in that category. They rank ninth in passing yards allowed with an average of 175.6 yards per game. The rushing defense ranks 50th, allowing 150.8 yards per game on the ground. Linebacker Chase Lasater led the team in tackles with 65. Along with that, Leighton McCarthy was tied for second in the FBS with nine total sacks.
Memphis ranks highly in passing offense, with Florida Atlantic ranking highly in passing defense. However, the top passing offense the Owls faced this year was Marshall, who ranks 42 spots lower then Memphis in that category. This should be a big factor in the game, and it could help Memphis come away with the win in the 2020 Montgomery Bowl.
Memphis Tigers 31 Florida Atlantic Owls 21
Featured image courtesy of Twitter.com.
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from TGH writers along with Tommy.