Memphis football stays in AAC title hunt, outscores USF 59-50 in back-and-forth shootout
Everything worked for Memphis football's offense against South Florida.
So much so that it didn't really matter who was on the field for the Tigers. With 45 points already on the board in the early fourth quarter, quarterback Seth Henigan took a hard hit and left the game for a play. What happened next? Tevin Carter came in and promptly threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Roc Taylor.
It wasn't pretty, and Memphis' defense was a liability, but the Tigers (7-2, 4-1 AAC) survived on Saturday with a 59-50 win over the Bulls (4-5, 2-3), whose defense struggled even more than the home team's. It was another "found a way" win for Memphis, which has now won three straight and is very much alive in the American Athletic Conference title race.
The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense, and the defenses didn't exactly cover themselves in glory. South Florida QB Byrum Brown was 31-of-39 passing for 357 yards and five touchdowns, while Henigan was 23-of-40 passing for 349 yards and four touchdowns.
Memphis' defense found some answers after Carter's touchdown pass, and the Tigers held on for the win.
Here are our takeaways from the game.
It was a shootout from the jump
South Florida has the fastest offense in the country, and the Bulls have been able to put up points under first-year coach Alex Golesh. Memphis was in a shootout against North Texas last week, but that didn't develop until the second half when the Mean Green erased a 24-point deficit. This shootout started almost immediately, with both teams scoring with ease throughout the first half. That continued in the second half, as Memphis struggled to contain Brown and the Bulls' offensive attack.
Seth Henigan picked up where he left off last week
Henigan was locked in from the get-go, throwing for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. He also rushed for a first-half touchdown, and Memphis had everything going right offensively. That was a welcome sight after last week's performance, where he led a last-minute touchdown drive to potentially salvage Memphis' season. Tigers fans have been looking for major signs of improvement all season for the third-year starter, but he's been excellent over the last two games.
The question postgame will be about Henigan's health. He left the game after suffering what looked like a shoulder injury, then returned and left once again. Carter finished the fourth quarter at quarterback.
Memphis' defense struggled again
The Tigers have been searching for defensive consistency over the past few games, but they didn't find it on Saturday. South Florida's high-octane attack had no problems moving the ball early and often, and the game quickly developed into a shootout. Memphis' offense kept pace with the Bulls, but the Tigers' defensive issues were exposed in the first half. The secondary struggled for a second-straight week, as Brown completed his first 12 passes and had his way early.
The Tigers are still on track
It hasn't been pretty over the last three weeks, with inconsistent play and more than a few scary moments. But Memphis is where it needs to be heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. The Tigers knew they'd have to win out after losing to Tulane on Oct. 13, and so far they've taken care of business. There's still a ways to go, and there are plenty of areas for concern, but the only stat that matters right now is the score.
Next up
Memphis heads back on the road for a meeting with AAC newcomer Charlotte on Nov. 11. After that, it's a return to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for a showdown with SMU.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis stays in AAC title hunt, beats USF for 3rd straight win
