MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A streak that began four years ago – when the Tigers won 10 games and played in the Miami Beach Bowl – shows no signs of losing momentum.
Â
Saturday night at 6 p.m. (CT) at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the UofM will open the season against Mercer intent on beginning another successful run that will end with a postseason invitation. The Tigers, who have become one of the top programs in the American Athletic Conference, enter the 2018 season as the West Division favorites for the second straight year and for the third time in four seasons. A fifth-straight bowl would extend a school record.
Â
"We have had a great camp," Tigers coach Mike Norvell said. "I have really been proud of this football team, coaches, all the personnel and what has gone into our preparation of getting here to game week. I can tell you that our football team has prepared. We are bigger, stronger, faster."
Â
Memphis completed the best four-year stretch in program history last year. With the 10 victories, the Tigers surpassed a 54-year-old record. The UofM's 37-14 record from 2014 to '17 bettered the previous four-year standard of 33-5-1 set from 1960 to '63.
Â
Get a copy of the Memphis Football GameDay program Saturday.
Norvell, starting his third season, will build his offense around a veteran offensive line and a deep, talented backfield. Four offensive linemen – Trevon Tate, Dustin Woodard, Drew Kyser and Roger Joseph – are back and will be joined by promising freshman Dylan Parham.
Â
The backfield may be the best in the conference and one of the deepest in the nation. Darrell Henderson returns after amassing the first 1,000-yard season for a Tiger back in eight years. Also back is Patrick Taylor, who led the team with 13 rushing touchdowns. All-purpose back Tony Pollard, one of the nation's top kick-return specialists, also will be in the mix.
Â
Most of the attention Saturday will be focused behind center, where graduate transfer Brady White steps into a starting role he earned in the preseason. White, who previously played at Arizona State, was recruited to play for the Sun Devils when Norvell was an Arizona State assistant. He replaces Riley Ferguson, who finished his two-year career with nearly 8,000 passing yards and 70 TD passes.
Â
"I feel good about where we are," Norvell said. "Brady (White) has done a great job this last week and been highly productive in what he has been able to do throughout practice."
Â
Defensively, the Tigers have their own trend to keep alive. Memphis ranks second nationally the past two seasons with 60 takeaways. Sophomore cornerback T.J. Carter leads the unit, which includes linebacker Curtis Akins and welcomes back defensive end/LB Jackson Dillon, who was granted a sixth year by the NCAA.Â
The defense returns eight of 11 starters with Carter among the nation's best at his position. Last season, he had five interceptions to rank 11th nationally. They were the most by a Memphis freshman in program history.
 QUICK HITS
Â
Memphis and Mercer have never met on the football field. The Bears are in their sixth year of re-introducing football.
Since 2016, Tigers' kick-return specialist Tony Pollard has averaged 32.5 yards per return on 60 kickoffs. No other player in the country has a better average during that stretch.
In addition to Tigers' DE/LB Jackson Dillon, receiver Sam Craft returns for a sixth season. Craft did not play in 2017 and appeared in only four games in 2016.
Mercer's defense is nicknamed the `Legion of Chaos' and is frequently referred to as L.O.C. Mercer led the SoCon by forcing 25 turnovers last season, including a Football Championship Subdivision-best 16 fumble recoveries.
With a victory, Memphis would even its record in home openers to 49-49-5.
Mercer quarterback Kaelan Riley was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year in 2017 after passing for 2,030 yards and 13 touchdowns. But redshirt freshman Robert Riddle of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., pushed him in preseason camp. Coach Bobby Lamp will not name his starter until shortly before kickoff.
