If Memorial’s offensive goal is to score 40 points per game, the Titans will have to rely on their defense.

“Fifty or 60, if we can,” defensive tackle Da’Juan McMillan said. “It’s crazy this year. We’ve got a whole new head coach, we’ve got a new d-line … it’s nasty.”

Nasty best describes how the front four have frustrated opposing offenses so far. But no matter how many points the Titans score, first-year head coach Brian Morgan will take any victory.

“At the pace we move at, it’s a very reasonable goal to reach out, and they’ve done a good job the last two weeks, at least,” he said.

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Through the first two regular season games, the Titans (2-0) have met their own offensive challenge, posting 48 on Deer Park and 47 on Houston Madison.

Memorial has made it a point on defense to give the ball back to the offense, and its defensive line has been a big reason why.

The d-line — which starts seniors Lazarus May and McMillan, junior Keoni Evans and junior Jonathan Artis (if not sophomore Jordan Thomas) from left to right — has totaled 12 sacks in the two games and helped the Titans hold both teams to 205 or fewer total yards. McMillan is orally committed to the University of Houston, and May has earned four Division I offers.

“We’re a lot faster than any other offensive line [or] team we’re going against,” said May, who shares the team lead in sacks with Evans at four apiece. “We’re a lot stronger. It’s really easy in everything we do.”

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One goal the d-line has set to help the offense is not giving up a first down. Deer Park and Madison have combined for 21 first downs, however, against the Titans, whose 25 first downs entail their offensive efficiency.

“Straight three-and-outs,” May said. “Always striving for three and outs.”

Morgan touts the d-line’s depth as well, as 6-foot-4, 255-pound sophomore Thomas rotate at right defensive end. Senior offensive right guard Malik Blake also sees time as a defensive tackle, as do sophomore Donaven Jackson and junior DeVonte Martin.

McMillan is a big presence on the d-line as well with a 6-foot-2, 260-pound frame, more than 20 pounds slimmer from his junior season.

“We’ve got seven or eight guys that are really good players that I think a lot of people would like to have,” Morgan said. “The crazy thing is, when you watch film, we can get a lot better at a lot of things, too. They’ll get better as the season goes on, but we have a lot to work on.”

The Titans’ defensive line isn’t limited to stopping the run or pass. The group scored two touchdowns against Madison, forcing the Marlins into shanking three punts and blocking another that was returned for a touchdown.

Actually, the blocked punt return is just the official scoring description. Evans grabbed the ball before Madison’s punter could kick it away and took it back 33 yards for the second of two defensive scores. David Moore returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown earlier.

“I don’t know if it was just reaction, really,” Evans said. “I don’t know, I just caught it. When I took it off his foot, I took it and ran with it. I knew I couldn’t get walked down. I had seen the ball, I attacked, and I made the play.”

May and Evans lead the Titans with four sacks apiece. May has eight tackles.

McMillan and Thomas each have two sacks.

“We practice the way we play, and we play how it’s showing, and, yes, it is showing how it worked out to be,” Artis said.

One motivating factor for the d-linemen has been trying to give the school its first football state championship and Port Arthur’s first since 1955, when Lincoln won the Prairie View Interscholastic League 3A title. (Thomas Jefferson won the Port Arthur ISD’s last UIL title in 1944.) Memorial is only six months removed from winning its first team state title in boys basketball.

“It motivated us a lot,” McMillan said. “… [The boys basketball team] had their accomplishments, but people still sleep on us. They don’t know how we’re coming this year. Like, they don’t know how we’re stacking up the numbers against everybody, because, you know, it’s a slight chance we’ll be at state this year.”

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews