Memphis cornerback Jacobi Francis sat in the film room with head coach Mike Norvell to analyze the redshirt sophomore’s performance in his first career start against Tulane. 

The two watched an up-and-down performance from the Tigers cornerback. Starting corner Tito Windham missed the game due to an injury, so Francis slid over for a full game for the first time. 

“You know, he got an early start against Tulane and, in all honesty, I didn’t think he played that well in that game,” Norvell said. “It was a challenge to him. He’s got to learn and build confidence through that experience.” 

Instead of being down on himself, Francis used the performance in the 40-24 loss to improve as a player. This built his confidence and taught him what the expectations were for a starting corner at the U of M. 

When Francis stepped on the field against the Connecticut Huskies, he seemed more prepared for the speed and physicality of the game -- that led to an interception and three total tackles in the blowout win. 

“I took it as like, ‘Okay, I can bounce back and be a dominant player on the field,’” Francis said. “So, I went into the film room a little more and just started going out there with a little more confidence and just played football.” 

Another solid outing in Saturday’s 31-30 loss to UCF followed. Knights wide receiver Davis Gabriel torched the Memphis defense for 128 yards, but no other receiver gained over 60 yards in the game. 

The loss became another learning experience for Francis and the young Memphis team. The players met and each one took accountability for the mistakes that led them to a 4-3 start to the season. 

“That was a big loss for a us,” Francis said. “We needed to win, but coming back in we’re just working hard. We know who we are. We know what we need to do. We had a talk as a team. Everybody took accountability for themselves and everybody came together to start working even more. (We talked about) bringing the energy that we had and to play Memphis football again.” 

Quarterback Drew Lock of Missouri (3-3, 0-3 SEC) looms over the Tigers schedule this weekend. It’s the second week in a row defensive coordinator Chris Ball’s defense will face a signal-caller mentioned in the Heisman Trophy consideration. 

Through six games, the Missouri gunslinger threw for 1,629 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Lock completes 58.7 percent of his passes (88th in the nation) with a quarterback rating of 132.5. Over Missouri’s three-game losing streak, Lock, a projected first-round pick, threw one touchdown and five interceptions. 

The Memphis secondary prepares for Lock by watching film and going through their usual routine. Francis knows the challenge this defense faces in Columbia on Saturday, but he feels ready. 

“He’s a good quarterback,” Francis said. “He can throw the ball from anywhere on the field. He can make the boundary and the field throws down the field to anybody he looks at. He’s a really good quarterback.”