Memphis settles into Year 3 with Seth Henigan at the helm and another solid year is expected for the Tigers. Can they finally pass that proverbial hump in AAC play or do our Memphis season predictions say otherwise?
Memphis Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the American Athletic Conference and across the country.
Find Every AAC Season Prediction per team: Charlotte | ECU | FAU | Memphis | Navy | North Texas | Rice | SMU | Temple | Tulane | Tulsa | UAB | USF | UTSA
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, how do the Memphis predictions look for 2023?
Week 1 – Memphis vs. Bethune-Cookman, Win, 39-9
Henigan and Co. can easily get by Bethune-Cookman in a tune-up game for their season to open the year. BC is a long-time program currently ascending but should still be no match for this Memphis squad.
The Tigers need to worry about getting out of this one without any injuries and not lose focus on their upcoming schedule to do so.
Week 2 – Memphis @ Arkansas State: Win, 28-16
The Red Wolves are a different team under Butch Jones but should still stand no match for Memphis. With Henigan leading the way, Arkansas State’s defensive backs should once again have difficulty keeping them out of the endzone.
Combine that with the fact that this Arkansas State team has many questions entering the 2023 season, far more than they had when these two teams met last year.
Week 3 – Memphis vs. Navy: Win 26-14
Contending with Navy’s triple-option offense is never easy. However, Memphis showcased in last season’s early matchup that they were far more capable than others at doing so. Navy has some rebuilding to do at pivotal positions all across the ball and Memphis should be able to easily obtain AAC win No. 1 here.
Week 4 – Memphis vs. Missouri: Loss, 19-26
A tough non-conference matchup against Missouri looms in Week 4. Despite fielding a below-average offense on paper, this Missouri team has the star power at certain spots to give Memphis’ defense fits.
Luther Burden is a future NFL receiver and the game plan will likely be to feature him as much as possible. If Memphis can limit what Missouri does offensively well enough, they could surprise the SEC’s Tigers all the same.
Week 5 – Memphis vs. Boise State: Loss, 28-29
Our analysts were split on the result of this game, however, more conviction landed on Boise State winning than Memphis. Boise enters the season with Taylen Green as their quarterback as the big man with a big arm presents a problem trying to contend with.
Green has ample athleticism to break contain and plenty of arm strength to find his receiver downfield. They have the pieces to make this one a game and the blue field does no favors for visitors, Memphis included.
Week 7 – Memphis vs. Tulane: Loss, 21-29
The defending AAC Champions are out to defend their crown and build on last year’s success. Despite sending multiple players into the NFL, Tulane is as loaded as ever and Michael Pratt is set to duel it out for Top AAC QB honors all year long.
Henigan will have his work cut out for him, as will the entire Memphis squad, as the Green Wave are the class of the AAC once again.
Week 8 – Memphis @ UAB: Win, 28-27
This is the potential turning point for the Tigers this season. Can they get by UAB this year, something our analysts all agreed was a tough task despite the turnover for the Blazers, or will they fall at new head coach Trent Dilfer and the new-look UAB squad in Week 8?
Odds are Memphis does just enough to pull this one out and stay near the top of the AAC standings after this outing.
Week 9 – Memphis @ North Texas: Win, 31-27
The North Texas squad lost a ton of their star power after last year and then again in the spring transfer portal window. They’ll always be a high-flying unit but don’t discredit what one player like Larry Nixon can do for their defense.
The middle of the field should be wide open for Memphis to exploit.
Week 10 – Memphis vs. USF: Win, 37-26
A hapless Bulls team travels to Memphis as they’re firmly in a rebuilding phase after the Jeff Scott experiment didn’t pan out. USF doesn’t have a lot of redeeming qualities on their roster and should be no trouble for Memphis at home.
Week 11 – Memphis @ Charlotte: Win, 27-21
The Biff Poggi era kicks off for Charlotte and this roster has seen a lot of turnaround in the few months since he took over. The transfer portal was kind to Charlotte and the pieces are there. But until they prove they’re more than just pieces, Memphis is the better team from the ground up.
Week 12 – Memphis vs. SMU: Win, 27-26
A game that could decide a lot for the American Athletic Conference this season comes to us in Week 12. Memphis and SMU will likely need some help to crack the AAC Championship Game outside of Tulane and UTSA, and this game should prove pivotal for both programs.
There is a lot of speed for the SMU offense, and their defense is an ever-improving unit. Our analysts were split on this game, even down to nearly opposite scores. However, Memphis held a slight advantage in total points scored to give them the edge here over what appears to be their toughest foe on the back-end of their schedule.
Week 13 – Memphis @ Temple: Win, 33-30
Temple will be a much-improved unit in 2023, giving unwitting teams fits left and right. The Owls are a year or so away from a complete team that can compete in the AAC but that doesn’t mean they don’t make a game of this season finale against Memphis in Philadelphia.
