Keifer Price

The Memphis Tigers season opener against ULM is 2 days away. We caught up with WarhawkReport.com publisher Keifer Price and asked him about the game.

1) What have you seen from the ULM defense this fall? Are they better than the 119th ranking from last year?

There's been some improvement, but there's still a long way to go. The biggest problem last year was switching from a 3 man front to a 4 man without much depth. They've added some beef on the inside, but stopping the run and getting pressure will still be a concern.

2) Who should the Tigers worry about on the ULM offense?

Alabama transfer RB Derrick Gore has impressed in camp, but hasn't played a live down yet. The real strength of the offense lies at receiver. RJ Turner has the potential to be one of the best Wide Outs in the Sun Belt. Xavier Brown and Marcus Green aren't far behind him.

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3) What match-up are you most interested in for this game?

The secondary against the Memphis receivers. The corners got burned a lot last year because the D-Line wasn't able to get much pressure. Juwan Offray and JJ Dallas are good lock-down corners on the outside, but those are only two guys. It's a very young secondary that will probably play two or three true freshmen Thursday night.

4) ULM did well last year protecting their QB, they ranked 25th in the nation in sacks allowed. Do you see that continuing this year?

The play of the O-Line in 2016 was the surprise of the season. They lost their leader in Second-Team All-SBC Guard Frank Sutton, but return All-SBC Honorable Mention Guard Frank Sutton. The new coaching staff under Coach Viator in 2016 really focused on staying balanced in the run and pass game, and that was huge in taking pressure off the QBs. That being said, a True Sophomore will get the start Thursday night in the biggest game of his young career. He may get nervous and hold the ball too long.

5) What type of game do you expect this Thursday?

ULM has a deep stable of running backs and will try to control possession to keep Memphis off the field. I don't think the defense will be able to stop the Tigers, so it really comes down to whether or not the offense can stay on the field. If the Warhawks O-Line is able to win the battle in the trenches, it could be a closer game than expected. If they aren't able to hold their own, it's going to be a long night for ULM.