Memphis football overcame some shaky moments and an uneven defense performance to beat North Texas on Saturday 52-44 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
It was encouraging for the offense and discouraging for the defense, but the bottom line is it was another win for the Tigers in a season where they can't afford another loss.
Here are our overreactions from the win.
Memphis fixed its offense
The Tigers' offensive problems have been a major talking point throughout the first half of the season. They couldn't get anything going offensively after the first quarter against South Florida, and that echoed a problem that had persisted all season.
North Texas' defense has been bad all season, so Saturday was a golden opportunity for the Tigers to get something going offensively. They started strong, like they did against South Florida, and then slowed down.
After punting on five straight drives, the offense kicked back into gear, though. Quarterback Seth Henigan connected with Demeer Blankumsee for a 62-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 35-31 lead, the kind of play fans have been looking for all season.
DT Sheffield is the best receiver in the AAC, and one of the best in the country
D.T. Sheffield was dominant on Saturday, announcing himself to the Memphis crowd with a 75-yard touchdown run on North Texas' first play of the game. He followed that up with a 75-yard touchdown catch on the next Mean Green play.
He couldn't match his 75-yard average the rest of the game, but he wasn't done wreaking havoc on the Memphis defense. Sheffield was electric throughout the game, finishing with eight catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the kind of performance you'd expect from a superstar wide receiver, and Sheffield looked like he was exactly that during Saturday's game. Expect to see his name pop up plenty more the rest of the season, and maybe for years to come.
The Tigers can still go to the College Football Playoff
There were plenty — plenty — of tense moments. For long stretches, it looked like the Memphis defense had no answers for the North Texas offense, but the Tigers came up with enough stops to give their offense a chance to win the game.
And they did just that, thanks to a dynamic performance from Mario Anderson and an encouraging game for Memphis' passing attack. Blankumsee, Roc Taylor and Koby Drake all had good games, something that has been rare season.
Memphis is 6-1, and there's still a path for the Tigers to get to the AAC title game. That path includes Army and/or Navy losing, sure, but it definitely exists. A loss pretty much would have ended those chances.
So, for at least another week, Memphis is still in the thick of it.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football fixes its offense, and other overreactions from win over North Texas
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