Line of Scrimmage: How does Memphis stack up with FSU? Preview, breakdown, prediction feat. Steve Helwick of Underdog Dynasty

2024 hasn’t shaken out the way most anticipated it would for Florida State football, with the Seminoles still searching for their first win of the year after an 0-2 start.

After a bye week, the team that stands in the Seminoles’ way of turning their season around is head coach Mike Norvell’s former squad — the Memphis Tigers (2-0).

For Florida State, this game is about salvaging momentum before the season slips away, while Memphis will look to continue its strong start, earn a program-defining win and further establish itself as a contender in the AAC this season.

What will Memphis bring to the table when it makes the trip to Tallahassee? As part of our Line of Scrimmage series, we connected with Steve Helwick of Underdog Dynasty to get the inside scoop on the Tigers, including:

• How has Ryan Silverfield shaped Memphis in his own way?
• What makes Seth Henigan a dangerous quarterback?
• Why FSU shouldn’t overlook Memphis’s WR/TE group
• Memphis’s experienced O-line’s outlook in trenches against FSU
• Who has emerged as the leader in Memphis’s secondary?

Listen below, as well as on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your shows, or check out an transcript of the conversation below.

---

Ryan Silverfield is in his fifth season as the full time head coach of Memphis. Last season, he led the Tigers to their best record since Mike Norvell was there. I know Silverfield is labeled from the “Norvell” tree but how has Silverfield made Memphis his own these last few seasons?

I do think it’s somewhat of an extension of the Norvell tree, but a lot of times with coaches who are understudies of certain mentors, they put their own twist on things. One example that comes to mind is Kenni Burns at Kent State, who’s a reflection of P.J. Fleck. You can tell by the way he speaks and the way he runs his program that he’s inspired by Fleck. I think you can see some of that with Ryan Silverfield and Mike Norvell.

Silverfield is an offensive line guy with an NFL background, so you’ll see things like outside zone run techniques that you see in the NFL in his offenses. The offensive line has been a major focus for him, especially through the transfer portal. Having good offensive line play is something Silverfield really prioritizes. Often, head coaches reflect their position background, and Silverfield has definitely done that with Memphis.

He took on a challenging job — anytime you take over a program that’s just been to a New Year’s Six bowl and won a conference championship, expectations are high. Justin Fuente changed the standard at Memphis, Norvell carried it even further, and now Silverfield has had a few seasons below Memphis’s standards in 2021 and 2022, but he brought the program back up last year. This might be his best team yet, and they have aspirations of going to the College Football Playoff, especially with the AAC as the preseason favorite and the expanded playoff.

Seth Henigan is a four year starter for the program and has improved each year. Higher completion percentages, more yards, more touchdowns, and most of all more victories each season. What makes Henigan a special player for the Tigers?

You said it best. It’s the way he improves every year. Every rep Henigan takes, he gets better. In his second career college game, he had 400 passing yards and five touchdowns, and that was against an FBS team — Arkansas State. I can’t remember if that Arkansas State team went to a bowl, but you could see the talent in Henigan early on.

He’s cut down on mistakes. He’s always had arm talent, but now he’s becoming more efficient, going from 60% to 64% to 67% completion, and right now, he’s at 70% through two games. Although the competition hasn’t been the strongest so far, it’s a good sign of his progression. He’s also become a film room guy, a true student of the game. Last year, for example, against Iowa State, he had 364 passing yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in their bowl game. The fact that he’s limiting turnovers makes Memphis’s offense a juggernaut. Last year, they were ninth in passing offense and sixth in scoring offense, and everything starts with Seth Henigan. He had the option to transfer, but he chose to finish what he started at Memphis. He’s the only four-year starter at the same program in the country.

He’s the only quarterback in the country who’s been a four-year guy at the same program all four years. Post-pandemic seniors like him, who don’t have any eligibility left, are rare. Seth Henigan is one of those guys, and he’s really hoping to lead Memphis to greater things this year.

At running back, the room has already taken a big hit with the announcement of Sutton Smith being out for the season. The Tigers will turn to South Carolina transfer Mario Anderson as their primary back. Anderson put up 125 yards against at Troy last week. Can you speak to what type of back Anderson is? And are there other names you expect to emerge here?

Mario Anderson was a necessary addition from the transfer portal. Last year, Memphis relied heavily on its running backs, especially Blake Watson, who rushed for over 1,100 yards and was a big part of the passing game with 53 receptions, second on the team. They needed someone with similar versatility, and Mario Anderson fit that mold. At South Carolina, he caught 22 passes last year, and he’s already shown some of that skill set this year with five catches so far.

Week 1 against North Alabama wasn’t great for Memphis’s rushing attack — Anderson didn’t have a lot of room to run, and they struggled against an FCS opponent. But last week against Troy, with Sutton Smith injured, they made it a priority to establish the run and figure out what they had in Anderson. He delivered, rushing for 125 yards on 7.4 yards per carry. He’s a bruising power back, standing at 5’9” and 208 pounds, with a low center of gravity. He’s tough to bring down and will be the workhorse back this season.

In addition to Anderson, Greg Desrosiers Jr. will be the secondary option. He’s going to have to step up now that the running back room is short-handed without Smith.

Senior Roc Taylor was a star last season for the Tigers with over 1,000 yards receiving. But he’s not alone, Demeer Blankumsee had over 900 yards and he’s back as well. Neither have pulled in a touchdown this season but that’s been for two reasons, first because the Tigers have pounded the ground game in their first two matchups and second because the tight ends have been getting the end zone targets. Why should FSU fans not sleep on this talented wide receiver and tight end room?

The chemistry between Seth Henigan and his receivers is one of the most promising things for Memphis. Having returning players who know the system and the quarterback well is a big advantage. Memphis didn’t really need to go to the transfer portal for its top wide receivers, although they did add guys like Jyaire Shorter and Jacoby Blanks, who haven’t made a huge impact yet. It’s the returning core that’s really doing the damage.

Roc Taylor is a big guy at 6’2”, 225 pounds — a great jump-ball receiver who can win 50-50 matchups downfield. On the other hand, Demeer Blankumsee, at 5’10”, is more of a speedster who excels in the short-throw game. He’s the guy you want in space, where he can outrun defenders. Those two complement each other well. Then there’s Koby Drake, who’s been with Memphis since the pandemic season and is a reliable third option. He had 350 receiving yards last year, so they’re deep at receiver.

The tight end, Anthony Landphere, is also someone to watch out for. He’s already made an impact this year with a touchdown and 49 yards. Memphis loves to use its tight ends in the red zone. They run a lot of play-action or RPO concepts where the tight end leaks out for an easy score. This has been a consistent part of their offense, dating back to guys like Sean Dykes and Caden Prieskorn. So, Florida State’s defense will need to be ready to defend the tight end in the red zone because that’s where Memphis has found success for years.

The offensive line reads like this: at left tackle a two year starter, redshirt junior, at left guard a pre-season All-AAC redshirt junior, a redshirt senior transfer at center, redshirt senior at right guard, and a senior multi year starter transfer from ULM at right tackle. This is a veteran group that paved the way for over 200 yards on the ground last week. Can this line hold up against a FSU defensive line that is searching for answers?

It’s going to be interesting. I think Florida State will benefit from having an extra week to rest and study film. Memphis played Troy last week, giving Florida State more data to analyze. Going back home to Tallahassee is also a big advantage for FSU, so I think their defensive line could have an edge here.

Memphis’s offensive line has played decently so far, especially in pass protection, allowing just one sack in two games. However, I wasn’t impressed with their run blocking in Week 1 against North Alabama, where they averaged under three yards per carry. The line did a much better job last week against Troy, but it’s still a unit that’s gelling, especially with some new faces from the transfer portal. Offensive lines need continuity, and Memphis is still developing that.

One intriguing player is Jalen Nichols at left tackle. He started as a true freshman at South Carolina in 2019 but has dealt with multiple injuries that derailed his career. Now at Memphis, he’s looking for a fresh start, and they’re hoping he stays healthy. Xavier Hill at left guard is an all-AAC player, so the left side of the line is strong. The right side has more question marks with Keydrell Lewis, a transfer from ULM, and Jonah Gambill, another returner. They’ve played well overall, but they’ll face a tough challenge against FSU’s defensive front, which has guys like Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr., both of whom are immensely talented. Memphis will need to play its best game up front to protect Hennigan and open up running lanes.

Flipping over to the defensive line, Memphis goes with 3 defensive lineman, but often brings a fourth off the edge. William Whitlow Jr is the leader here with two sacks and four hurries. The other two lineman are transfers but this is a group that can make some noise. Do you see this group as an area that FSU could potentially have an advantage?

I think so. Florida State hasn’t been great at establishing the run this season. I believe they rank near the bottom of the FBS in rushing offense right now, so establishing a ground game is something they really need to focus on.

Memphis’s defensive line, while improved, isn’t the most intimidating unit. Last year, the defensive line struggled to generate consistent pressure. Their leading sack guy was linebacker Chandler Martin with three sacks, and no defensive lineman had more than that. They’ve made some key additions through the transfer portal, like Patrick Lucas Jr. from Indiana and Javon Denis from Georgia State, to bolster the unit. Denis has shown flashes as a pass rusher, but overall, this group hasn’t been dominant in recent years.

Memphis ranked 95th in scoring defense and below 110th in total defense last season, so there’s still room for improvement. The defensive line will need to step up if Memphis wants to make a run at the AAC Championship, but I think this is an area where Florida State could gain an advantage, especially if they can get the running game going early.

Linebackers are a bit of a sore subject in Tallahassee but Memphis has a strong duo in returning defensive leader Chandler Martin and transfer Elijah Herring. Martin leads the team in tackles, Herring has two sacks already. And that’s not even touching on the third backer, Matt Hudson who has an interception on the season. Is this the strongest defensive unit for Memphis?

Absolutely. I’d argue it’s the best linebacking corps in the AAC, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say that. Chandler Martin was an incredible find in the transfer portal last year, coming from East Tennessee State at the FCS level. Sometimes, you expect a learning curve when players make the jump to FBS, but Martin didn’t miss a beat. He finished last season with 95 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks, and he was all over the field. He was also effective in coverage, with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He’s a versatile defender and could be the best player in the AAC right now.

Adding Elijah Herring from Tennessee was a game-changer. Herring was Tennessee’s leading tackler last year, so getting him in the portal was a huge win for Memphis. Together, they form a dynamic duo that has already had a big impact. Herring earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors with two sacks against Troy.

Matt Hudson, who transferred in from a lower-level school, has also played well, contributing to an already deep and talented group. This is undoubtedly the strongest part of Memphis’s defense, and Florida State will have to be mindful of those guys when trying to establish their run game or attack the middle of the field.

Finishing up, the secondary is a mixture of transfers and returning Tigers but so far the group has held their opponents to an average of just 134 yards per game and zero touchdowns. My question here is has any of these guys, in your opinion, stepped up to be the leader of this secondary? And what’s your overall confidence in this group?

The secondary has been Memphis’s Achilles heel in recent years. They were 125th in passing defense last season, giving up nearly 270 passing yards per game and allowing over 60% of passes to be completed. That was a big reason why they struggled defensively and didn’t qualify for the AAC Championship Game.

This year, they’ve made some improvements through the transfer portal and have gotten some key players back from injury. Davion Ross is probably the name to know. He’s been the standout in the secondary so far, with three pass breakups and an interception in the first two games. He only played two games last year before suffering a season-ending injury, so getting him back is like adding a new player to the roster.

In addition to Ross, Memphis brought in a couple of transfers to bolster the unit. A.J. Watts, who started at Akron, is now one of their starting safeties and is third on the team in tackles. He’s a playmaker in the secondary. At cornerback, they’ve added Kobee Minor, who played at Texas Tech and Indiana. Minor hasn’t made a huge splash yet, but that’s partly because opposing teams haven’t thrown much against Memphis.

It’s worth noting, though, that Memphis hasn’t faced a high-powered offense yet. They played an FCS team in North Alabama in Week 1 and then Troy, whose starting quarterback got injured early in the game. So, the jury is still out on this secondary. Florida State will be the first true test for this group. They’ve been known to take some risks — they’ll go for interceptions and breakups, but if they miss, it can lead to big plays. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some deep shots from Florida State to test this secondary.

Last but not least, give me your overall thoughts on what you expect to happen on Saturday

I think this game is going to be close for about two and a half quarters. Memphis will come out with energy, and Florida State’s defense has struggled against the run, allowing teams like Boston College to rack up a lot of rushing yards. However, Memphis is a different kind of team — they prefer to pass the ball more, and while they experimented with the run last week, they can’t afford to do that against Florida State.

I don’t think Memphis is the best matchup for Florida State’s defense, though, because Memphis isn’t as strong in the run game as teams like Georgia Tech or Boston College. Seth Henigan is the best passer Florida State has faced so far, but he’s not a runner like Haynes King or Thomas Castellanos, who hurt FSU with their legs. That might make Florida State better equipped to handle this Memphis offense.

Ultimately, I think Florida State will come away with the win. We might see some improvements on defense, especially in the run game, and I think they’ll finally be able to establish more consistency on the ground offensively. Memphis’s linebackers are tough, but I think Florida State can get past their defensive line and create some manageable situations for DJ Uiagalelei in the passing game.

I’ll predict a 31-24 win for Florida State. Memphis will cover the spread, which I believe is around seven and a half, but Florida State will get their first victory of the season.

---