When the Memphis Tigers played their first football road game of 2023, The Daily Memphian made the trip, too. All the way to exotic Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Tigers won 37-3, and both beat Frank Bonner II and senior writer Tim Buckley were there to write about an impressive effort that featured four takeaways by Memphis’ defense. Bonner produced plenty prior to the win that improved Memphis to 2-0, including stories on receiver Roc Taylor and defensive back An’Darius Coffey. Next up for the Tigers: Navy brings its triple-option offense to town Thursday night when the Midshipmen visit Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for Memphis’ ESPN-televised American Athletic Conference opener. Speaking of ships ... Before heading out for one last respite prior to his second season on the beat begins — nothing like a Caribbean cruise to clear the senses — Tigers basketball writer Parth Upadhyaya left a lengthy, insightful piece on Memphis newcomer Jahvon Quinerly, a former Villanova and Alabama guard who will step into Kendric Davis’ big shoes at the point. Coincidentally, the story starts with Quinerly and Upadhyaya sitting down to talk last month in the lobby of a Caribbean resort — in the Dominican Republic, where the Tigers played a few exhibition games. Jonesboro? The Dominican? You make the call on who got the long end of that straw. Meanwhile, beat writer Drew Hill and columnist Chris Herrington — both still on dry land in Memphis — wrote on where things stand for Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies after a rough showing from Jackson and Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. And preps writer John Varlas was all over the Memphis-area high school football scene, as is par for the course at this time of the year, delivering one piece on what FACS has going this season along with another on Southwind High’s big win Friday night at state-ranked Munford. Along with all his other regular bells and whistles, that is, including stat leaders, player of the week voting and the always popular Daily Memphian Dandy Dozen. Here’s a look at some of the staff’s work from the week: — Deputy sports editor Tim Buckley
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By Frank Bonner II
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