No. 10 Penn State football (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) will wrap up its regular season in the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 17 Memphis (12-1, 7-1 AAC).

The Tigers enter this game as the American Athletic Conference’s champions following their 29-24 triumph over No. 21 Cincinnati on December 7. Memphis’ victory secured its first-ever New Year’s Six bowl bid in program history, and this game is being dubbed by many in the Birthplace of Rock n’ Roll as the biggest game in program history for the Tigers.

After Florida State hired bench boss Mike Norvell earlier this month, Memphis will enter the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic with a brand new head coach.

The Team

Head coach Ryan Silverfield will make his collegiate head coaching debut for Memphis on Saturday. Silverfield was initially named interim head coach following Norvell’s departure from the university, but the Tigers removed his “interim” tag and made him their full-time head coach on December 13.

Silverfield previously served as Memphis’ offensive line head coach from 2017 to 2019, and his career path includes several stops in the NFL and collegiate levels. He’s worked for Arizona State, UCF, and Toledo in different offensive-focused roles, and he’s also served on the coaching staffs of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.

It’s safe to say that Memphis has one of the most potent offenses in FBS football, but the team’s defense may not be up to that same standard right now.

Offense

Memphis’ offense is one of just eight teams in the nation that averaged more than 40 points per game throughout the 2019 season. Its total of 40.5 points per game ranks eighth, and the unit’s 480.5 total yards of offense per game was the nation’s 10th-best in 2019. The Tigers averaged 284.5 passing yards per game — good enough to be the 26th-best in the country — and team’s ground game averaged 196.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 34th out of 130 FBS sides.

Starting quarterback Brady White put together a dazzling 2019 season to help his team earn a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game for the first time ever. White completed 237 of his 370 pass attempts for 3,560 yards and 33 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Wide receiver Damonte Coxie clearly separated himself as White’s favorite target throughout the year. He hauled in a team-leading 68 receptions, 1,144 yards, and nine touchdowns. The 6’3″, 197-pound pass-catcher can “Moss” people quite well thanks to his excellent size and jump-ball capabilities. Coxie is clearly the Tigers’ star pupil in the passing game, but that doesn’t mean Memphis isn’t capable of spreading the ball around.

Four other receivers — Antonio Gibson, Kedarian Jones, Kenny Gainwell, and Joey Magnifico — have all hauled in at least 20 passes this year. Gibson’s 636 yards and eight scores on 32 grabs rank second, second, and third on the team, respectively, and Gainwell has caught 44 passes for 532 yards out of the backfield. Jones’ total of 32 grabs for 636 yards showcases his big-play capabilities, and Magnifico’s a serviceable depth option with 20 grabs for 335 yards.

On top of his fantastic pass-catching abilities, Gainwell is the Tigers’ undisputed No. 1 running back. He’s totaled 1,425 rushing yards and 12 scores on 222 carries, and he usurped Patrick Taylor Jr. as the team’s starter after he posted more than 1,000 yards last season.

Brady White isn’t much of a dual-threat — as evidenced by his net total of -48 rushing yards this year — but Memphis’ offense has the potential to do some serious damage against a Penn State secondary that’s had its struggles throughout 2019.

Defense & Special Teams

Memphis’ defense ranks 46th in the nation by allowing 24.4 points per game in 2019, and it’s also conceded 372.3 yards per game — a total that ranks 47th. The Tigers’ pass defense gave up 200.7 passing yards and 171.6 rushing yards per game, which rank 33rd and 80th in the nation, respectively.

Senior defensive back Austin Hall leads the Tigers with 69 (nice) tackles totaled throughout the 2019 season. He’s also registered nine stops for a loss of yardage and 2.5 sacks for Memphis along with an interception, six passes deflected, and two fumble recoveries. Linebacker Xavier Cullens ranks second on the team with 63 stops, and defensive back La’Andre Thomas has burst onto the scene with 61 tackles and a pick-six this season.

Memphis’ defensive front boasts a pair of strong backfield presences in inside linebacker Bryce Huff and defensive lineman Joseph Dorceus. The duo has combined for 29.5 tackles for a loss of yardage — 15 by Huff, and the other 14.5 by Dorceus — and 11 sacks. Huff leads the way with six sacks while Dorceus has five. A handful of other Memphis defenders — including Austin Hall (2.5 sacks), Jalil Clemons, Thomas Pickens, Morris Joseph, Jonathan Wilson, and Tim Hart (two each) have recorded multiple sacks this year.

As far as generating turnovers is concerned, Memphis has successfully recovered eight fumbles and intercepted 10 passes this year. Defensive backs Quindell Johnson and Sanchez Blake each have a pair of picks this year while six others — Austin Hall, Thomas, Pickens, Chris Claybrooks, Cullens, and Jacobi Francis all have one.

Memphis’ special teams unit has returned four kicks — three kickoffs and a punt — for a touchdown this year. Antonio Gibson, Claybrooks, and Gabriel Rodgers all took kickoffs to the house, and Keith Brown took a punt 27 yards to the crib earlier this year.

Placekicker Riley Patterson put together an excellent regular season by converting 62 of his 63 extra points and 17 of his 19 field goal tries. Punter Adam Williams has totaled 41 punts for more than 1,800 yards this year.