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FACTS & STATS: Site: Floyd Stadium (30,788) -- Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Television: CSS. Home Record: Memphis 0-1, MT 0-0. Away Record: Memphis 0-0, MT 0-1. Neutral Record: Memphis 0-0, MT 0-0. Conference Record: Memphis 0-0, MT 0-0. Series Record: Middle Tennessee leads, 13-7-1.

GAME NOTES: The Memphis Tigers hit the road to face the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee in a non-league bout at Floyd Stadium.

Memphis opened its season with a lopsided 45-14 loss to No. 8 Ole Miss at home. Despite the end result, head coach Tommy West said at his Monday press conference that he was pleased with the team's effort and intensity. Now, the Tigers must correct some mistakes and step up their execution on both sides of the ball.

This will be the home opener for the Blue Raiders, who pulled a mild upset over Maryland in last year's home opener. And just like last year, the Blue Raiders will be coming off a tough loss, as they were on the wrong end of a 37-14 final against Clemson last weekend. Following this bout, Middle Tennessee will play three straight on the road.

Middle Tennessee has a 13-7-1 edge in the head-to-head series with Memphis, and this marks the Tigers' first trip to Murfreesboro since 1953.

Unfortunately for Memphis, there wasn't much separation in the quarterback competition between Arkelon Hall and Will Hudgens. Hall was 15-of-30 for 110 yards and two interceptions, while Hudgens completed just 2-of-6 passes for 24 yards. Hall's interception late in the first half led to an Ole Miss touchdown and seemed to sap some of the life out of Memphis. Coach West plans to look at both quarterback options this week at practice, then go with whoever he feels gives the team the best chance to win. Aside from that glaring issue, the offense had some reason for optimism. Curtis Steele ran for 90 yards and two scores on 19 carries (4.7 ypc), while Lance Smith had 63 yards on 10 totes (6.3 ypc). Duke Calhoun finished with 53 yards on five receptions to become the school's all-time receptions leader (149). He needs just 13 more yards to become the all-time leader in receiving yards (2,124).

The Memphis defense played well enough to beat the Rebels. Through three quarters of action, the Tigers held Heisman hopeful quarterback Jevan Snead to 8-of-17 passing with two interceptions. Rebel coach Houston Nutt admitted after the game that his team was frustrated offensively. Ole Miss converted just one of its first eight third-down attempts, though the Rebels finished 5- of-12 in that department. D.A. Griffin had a pair of nice pass breakups, while Greg Jackson and Jada Brown each registered sacks for the Memphis defense. The final score was a bit misleading, considering it was a 17-7 game entering the fourth quarter. The Rebels took advantage of some late turnovers and wound up reaching the end zone on each of their final four possessions.

Blue Raider quarterback Dwight Dasher picked up right where he left off in 2007, accounting for 265 of the team's 299 total yards against Clemson. The dual threat signal-caller ran for 530 yards as a freshman in '07, then lost his job to Joe Craddock last season. Last Saturday, Dasher led the team with 61 rushing yards while also passing for 204 yards. In order for the Blue Raiders to be successful on offense this season, it's imperative that Dasher picks up new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's spread attack. For that to happen, Middle Tennessee must get off to a better start. Clemson returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, then intercepted Dasher on the third play of the Blue Raiders' first offensive possession.

To their credit, the Blue Raiders defense hung tough with Clemson. Despite the final score, two of the Tigers' touchdowns came by way of returns. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Parker completed only 9-of-20 passes and finished with 159 yards through the air. None of the Tigers' running backs had a 100- yard game. But keep in mind CJ Spiller, Clemson's star running back, sat out the second half after a big first half in the return game. Cam Robinson registered a team-high seven tackles, including two for loss. Jeremy Kellem and Antwan Davis both joined Robinson with seven tackles.

Both squads opened some eyes with their defensive play last week against two formidable offenses. But so much of Middle Tennessee's offense hinges on Dasher's ability to make plays with his arm and his legs. Unless some other players step up on that side of the ball, Dasher won't be able to beat the Tigers on his own.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Memphis 27, Middle Tennessee 17