Will the Memphis Tigers Bluff? Or Are they Bowl Bound?

Special Teams

The kicking game should be pretty good, but there will be a drop-off here. As the Tigers continue to improve, Ray Guy Award winning punter Tom Hornsey is gone, but 2014 Lou Groza Award candidate Jake Elliott is back. It’s odd, but the Tigers have always seemed to have a solid kicking game, even when they’ve been bad. Stephen Gostowski of the New England Patriots is the most obvious example of that. Elliott should add to that. While punting is a question, place-kicking should be fine this year.

Elliott should be a great place kicker this year and improve upon his freshman season, which was pretty incredible for a freshman. I always say kickers go through growing pains when they first start at the collegiate level, but Elliott nailed 16 of 18 field goals, only missed one field goal from within 40 yards and was 7 of 8 on kicks beyond 40 yards, including a perfect 3 for 3 from beyond 50. So about the only improvement he can have is perfection. His leg strength and accuracy will be very valuable for an offense that will definitely struggle to move the ball this year at times, and don’t be surprised if he takes home the Lou Groza Award at the end of the year.

Nov 16, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Memphis Tigers kicker Jake Elliott (46) kicks a 56 yard field goal against the South Florida Bulls during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Elliott paired with Hornsey would’ve made for a kicking game good enough to steal two wins. But with Hornsey gone, freshman Spencer Smith is in, and he made lots of noise in Georgia high school football circles for his ability to punt. He may not knock nearly half of his punts inside the 20 the way Hornsey did last year, which was incredible, but if he’s as good as he has been hyped up in some areas, paired with Elliott this could still be the best special teams unit in the nation.