July 29, 2008
• Watch the CBS College Sports Preview of Memphis' Season 
Memphis enters the 2008 season preparing for its fifth postseason appearance in the last six years. While the 2007 squad opened the season with a 1-3 record, the Tigers came together and managed victories in six of the final eight contests to earn a bowl berth for the fourth time in five years.
The Tigers went to three-straight postseason contests from 2003-05 for the first time in school history and returned to the postseason in 2007 with an appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Memphis is 4-2 all-time in bowl games with wins in the 2005 Motor City Bowl, the 2003 New Orleans Bowl, the 1971 Pasadena Bowl, and the 1956 Burley Bowl.
In Good Company
The University of Memphis was one of just seven teams in the country who participated in a football bowl game, the NCAA men's basketball tournament and the NCAA baseball tournament in the 2007 calendar year. The Tigers are the only non-BCS program who could make the above claims in 2007. The other squads were: Arkansas, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA and Virginia.
Beliles on Rimington Watch List
Senior Philip Beliles was one of three C-USA centers who were listed on the Rimington Trophy 2008 Spring Watch List. Beliles took over the center position in 2007 and started all 13 games for the Tigers. He worked 92 percent of the team's offensive plays and was instrumental in Memphis ranking 13th nationally in passing and 23rd in total offense. Beliles, a Memphis native who prepped at Christian Brothers High School, was part of a Tiger offensive line that ranked 10th nationally and led Conference USA for the fourth-straight year in sack denial, allowing only 14 in 13 games.
Tigers on TV
Six of Memphis' 12 games have been selected for television broadcasts, and others could be added during the season. The Tigers added the Louisville Cardinals to the schedule this season for the first time since 2004 and that game will be broadcast nationally by ESPN on Friday, Oct. 10, at the Liberty Bowl. Memphis will have three contests carried by CBS College Sports Network, including the C-USA home opener with Rice on Sept. 6. CBS College Sports has also arranged to air the Thursday, Oct. 2, game with UAB in Birmingham and the Oct. 25 game with Southern Miss in Memphis, which has been tabbed as the U of M's Homecoming Game. CSS, which sublicensed games from CBS College Sports, will air the September 13 meeting between Memphis and Marshall in Huntington, W.Va., as well as the October 18 match-up between Memphis and East Carolina in Greenville, N.C.
New to the Lineup in 2008
Head coach Tommy West added two new assistant coaches for the 2008 season as Tim Walton returns to Memphis as the defensive coordinator and Lytrel Pollard joins the squad from C-USA rival Southern Miss to coach Tiger corners. Walton previously coached Tiger DBs from 2000-01 and came to Memphis after serving four seasons on the staff at the University of Miami.
Tiger Grads
By the start of the 2008 season, six Tigers will have already earned their bachelor's degrees from the University of Memphis. The group of graduates include: Brandon Patterson, Michael Denning, Antonio McCoy, Corey Mills, Brandon Pearce and Philip Beliles. Patterson was Memphis' first football Academic All-American since 1992 when he was selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team in 2007. From August 2007 through May 2008, Tiger football has graduated 21 players.
Pearce and Calhoun Tabbed to Preseason C-USA Team
Offensive lineman Brandon Pearce and wide receiver Duke Calhoun were selected to the preseason All-Conference USA Team, as selected by the league coaches. Pearce is a return selection from 2007 and was part of a Tiger offensive line that led C-USA and ranked 10th nationally in sack denial. Calhoun, who was named to both the Coaches and Media All-C-USA teams in 2007, led the Tigers with 890 yards on 62 receptions. He enters the 2008 season with an active 24-game receiving streak. Both Pearce and Calhoun also received recognition during the summer on the Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook Preseason All-C-USA team.
Bring on the "Big Guys"
Now is the time for a plug for the unsung heroes of the Tiger offense - the "Big Guys." The Tiger offensive line returns several seasoned linemen in 2008, including Brandon Pearce, Philip Beliles, Dominik Riley, Malcom Rawls and Terrence Echols. Pearce started all 13 games at right tackle, and Beliles started the entire season at center. Riley, Rawls and Echols each spent time starting at left guard, with Riley starting seven of the 13 games. The group will also have the services of seniors Michael Denning, Brent Todd and Cody Stubblefield, who all saw game action last year. In 2007, the Tiger offensive line finished the season ranked 10th nationally in sacks allowed, having given up just 14 during the season. Memphis has led C-USA in sack denial the last four-straight years. To the right is a chart detailing Memphis' ranking nationally and in C-USA in sacks allowed. *Note: The NCAA did not rank sacks allowed until 2005.
What's In a Name?
While the first question regarding the offense this season usually centers around who will be under center, the second question is often "How do you pronounce Arkelon?" It's a name that is sure to be heard often over the public address system at the stadium this season, and for the record, it is pronounced Ar-KEY-lun. Arkelon Hall is vying for the starting QB job left vacant by Martin Hankins, who had a highly-successful senior season in 2007 with 3,220 yards and 25 touchdowns. Hall, a JUCO transfer from the College of the Sequoias, worked out with the Tigers in the spring and is considered a passing quarterback who also runs well. Hall is joined on the depth chart by senior Will Hudgens and junior Brett Toney. Hudgens missed the spring session while pitching for the Tiger baseball team, and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in June. He left Memphis in mid-June for Billings, Mont., and is expected to return for football camp in August. Toney had a productive spring and lettered for the Tigers in 2007 as the holder for field goals and PATs.
Protect the Ball
The key to the ground game will be protecting the ball, which is one thing U of M running backs have been consistent with over the years. Last season, Tiger backs carried the ball 332 times and only put the ball on the ground twice. Of the four fumbles the Tigers gave up last season, only two were by backs. The 2007 Tigers finished the season tied for third nationally in fumbles lost. LSU and San Jose State led the nation in least fumbles lost with just three. Since 2004, Memphis backs have only accounted for eight total fumbles lost in over 1,400 carries.
Streaking Tigers
Junior receivers Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton both enter the 2008 season on receiving streaks of more than 20 games. Calhoun has caught a pass in each of the 24 career games he has played in, and is tied for ninth nationally with the active streak heading into the season. Singleton, who led Memphis in scoring by a non-kicker last season, boasts a 21-game receiving streak. In 2007, Singleton logged 767 yards and 11 touchdowns on 51 receptions.
Not So Vertically-Challenged
Tiger receivers hold another distinction besides being stacked with talent. The group also stands out in a crowd as some of the tallest of the skill position players. Creating the most havoc for opposing DBs is Carlos Singleton who stands at 6-8. Add an extra couple of feet for his outstretched arms and you can clearly understand how he hauled in 11 TD passes and three two-point conversions last season. Maurice Jones, Duke Calhoun and JUCO transfer Steven Joachim all come in at 6-4, while Steven Black, Carlos Robinzine and incoming freshman Marcus Rucker are all listed at 6-3.
Target Practice
There is no shortage of targets for Tiger QBs to pass to again this season. The receiving corps is one of the deepest and most talented groups on the squad with such veterans as seniors Maurice Jones, Steven Black, Earnest Williams and Carlos Robinzine and juniors Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton. All six receivers registered at least 200 yards receiving in 2007, with Calhoun leading the charge with 890 yards on 62 receptions. He averaged 74.2 yards per game and logged four 100-yard games last season. Singleton led the Tigers and tied for second all-time at Memphis with 11 touchdown receptions. He tallied 767 yards on 51 receptions for an average of 15 yards per catch. Jones led the way in yards-per-reception with his average of 17.3 yards on 37 catches. He logged 639 total yards receiving and scored two touchdowns. Black amassed 477 yards on 42 receptions, while Williams posted 33 catches for 368 yards and five TDs. Rounding out the group is Robinzine, who tallied 19 receptions for 224 yards and a score. The Tigers also have a receiving threat in senior tight end Brett Russell, who caught 22 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Growing the Ground Game
The Tigers head into 2008 with only one running back who has logged a carry in a Tiger uniform. Junior T.J. Pitts has played a reserve role the last two seasons and was second on the team in 2007 with 481 yards and one touchdown on 106 carries. He left the New Orleans Bowl with a broken ankle and was unable to practice with the team in the spring. Curtis Steele, who transferred from Northwest Mississippi CC and redshirted last fall, took most of the reps this spring. He was named the co-MVP of the spring scrimmage and is expected to push for the starting job in the fall. Jeremy Longstreet transitioned from linebacker to running back in the spring and could see action at either position this fall. The Tigers also added Charlie Jones, who was a starter at Miami and is eligible to play in 2008, as well as junior Greg Ray and freshman Brandon Ross, who both signed with Memphis last February.
Defense Under New Management
Tommy West brought back a familiar face to the Tiger defense when Tim Walton was hired as the defensive coordinator in January. Walton was the defensive backs coach at Memphis when West was the DC in 2000 and stayed along in the same capacity in 2001 when West took over as head coach. The 14-year coaching veteran left Memphis for Syracuse in 2002, and coached DBs at LSU during their BCS Championship run in 2003. Walton spent four years (2004-07) at Miami and was promoted to defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes in 2007.
A Safe Bet
The Tiger safeties will be under the watchful eye of Tim Walton, while Lytrel Pollard is charged with guiding the corners. Walton has several returning starters to work with this season, including senior Tony Bell and junior Alton Starr at strong safety, and senior Brandon Patterson at free safety. Patterson, who started all 13 games, is the leading returning tackler for the Tigers and was tied last season with LeRico Mathis with three interceptions. Starr made seven starts last season at corner and at strong safety, while Bell started the final six games of the season. Also in the mix are Malcolm Jones and Jermaine Richardson, as well as new signees Clay Lee and Mike Shepard.
Healthy Linebackers Are a Must
The position that was hardest hit last season by injuries was linebacker. The Tiger defense lost the services of starters Greg Jackson and Winston Bowens early on and had to keep altering the lineup. The only linebacker to start all 13 games was senior Jake Kasser. Jackson will return in 2008 as a junior after missing all but two games in '07. He injured his knee against Jacksonville State, and then was joined on the sidelines by Bowens following the Rice meeting in which he injured his knee as well. Both worked out with the team this spring and are challenging for a return to the starting lineup. Also adding depth at linebacker will be juniors Josh Weaver and Jeremy Rockette, seniors Tommy Phelps and Tyler Griffin, and sophomore Corderick Govan, who all saw game action last season. Weaver was poised to make the transition from d-line to linebacker this spring but suffered a shoulder injury and is hopeful for a return to the field by fall camp.
Heavy Hitters on the Line
The defensive line returns a veteran group for 2008 and is led by senior Clinton McDonald, who was selected by his teammates as one of the U of M's captains in '07 as a junior. McDonald started all 13 games and registered a team-high four sacks and 9.5 TFL. McDonald is joined in the middle of the line by senior Freddie Barnett, who totaled 33 tackles, including 8.5 TFL for minus 29 yards. His most heralded play in 2007 was the 88-yard fumble return he made for a touchdown against Arkansas State. It was the longest fumble recovery in school history. Anchoring the outsides of the line are senior Corey Mills and junior Greg Terrell. Terrell started all 13 games and Mills made one start against Marshall. The line has plenty of depth this season, as junior Steven Turner, sophomore Tommy Walker, senior Brandon Douglas and junior Jada Brown all saw considerable action in 2007.
Got You Cornered
Throughout spring practice, junior Deante' Lamar and sophomore Darius Davis were working the right corner, while senior Michael Grandberry and Curtis Echols worked the left side. None of the four have started a game in the secondary, but all bring speed and agility to the position. Grandberry and Echols share something in common as both started out as receivers and have made the transition to the other side of the ball. Echols made the switch this past spring, while Grandberry moved during the middle of the 2006 season. Junior college transfer D.A. Griffin was signed in the spring and is expected to add experience to the position this fall.
Nickel and Diming You
Senior LeRico Mathis and sophomore Bryan Wright have been working at nickel and will add another speed component to the defense. Mathis started the final nine games of the 2007 season at right corner. He ranked third on the squad in solo tackles with 41 and tied Brandon Patterson with three interceptions.
Grandberry is Key Return Threat
Michael Grandberry started returning kickoffs full time in 2006, and through 34 career games (only 22 of which include at least one KO return), holds the school record with 1,826 yards on 81 returns. He also holds the Tiger record for 100-yard KO return games with eight. Grandberry is only the fourth Tiger in school history to hit the 1,000-yard milestone for kickoff returns.
Kicking It
A bulk of the special teams unit remains intact in 2008 as kicker Matt Reagan returns for his junior season and senior Brent Sutherland returns at punter. They will be joined again by deep snapper Keenan Bratcher and holder Brett Toney on the field. Reagan led the Tigers in scoring last year with 80 points and was twice named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week. He was 35-of-38 on PATs and hit 15 of his 22 field goal attempts. Sutherland averaged 40.7 yards on his 52 punts and dropped 12 inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Bratcher, who was one of just four true freshmen to play last season, was named to both the C-USA Coaches and Media All-Freshman teams in 2007.
