The long TD pass that unlocked Memphis football's offense, what it means for rest of season

Memphis football's season was slipping away.

Late in the third quarter of Saturday's game against North Texas, the Tigers had just given up the lead. They'd also gone five drives in a row with five identical results: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt.

It was the kind of stretch that has been increasingly common this season, where Memphis has spent portions of games and even full games without getting much going on offense. It had become more of an expectation than an anomaly , now that the season was halfway through.

This game was always going to be different, though. The Mean Green (5-2, 2-1 AAC) have one of the top offenses in the country, and they were likely going to put up points. They'd done just that, and star receiver DT Sheffield had just scored his third touchdown of the day to put his team up 31-28.

Three plays into the next Tigers drive, quarterback Seth Henigan lofted a ball 40 yards down the middle of the field. It was the kind of pass fans grew used to seeing Henigan throw during his first three years with the program. It was the kind of pass they'd grown used to seeing Demeer Blankumsee, the speedy receiver running under it, haul in.

Blankumsee caught it, then sped away from the North Texas defense for what equated to a walk-in touchdown. It was the Tigers' longest passing touchdown of the season.

"It feels pretty good, just to put on display what we know we can do and what we haven't done week in and week out this season," Henigan said.

It might've been the most encouraging play of the game. Memphis (6-1, 2-1) eventually held on for a 52-44 win, the kind of shootout game that was standard last season but has happened only one other time this year. It was the best game of the season for the passing attack, and Henigan hopes it's the start of a trend .

"That was kind of the case last year as well," he said. "Heading into the midpoint of the season, we knew we were capable of being a great offense. And the back half of the season is when we turned it on and we were a pretty elite offense. So, obviously, I hope that trend happens again."

He's right about last season. Henigan averaged 282.8 yards per game in the first half of the season, then raised that to 303.6 the next six games. He threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State.

He was on pace for the worst statistical season of his career in the first half of this season, averaging only 257.8 yards per game and throwing just nine touchdowns in that span.

Saturday's win could be the start of a rejuvenated offense . It was sorely needed against North Texas, because the Memphis defense struggled to contain the Mean Green offense for most of the night.

"We always believe in the offense," said linebacker Chandler Martin, the defensive captain. "It's just good to know that we've got Seth and Roc (Taylor) and Mario (Anderson) and all those guys just being able to produce for us. Honestly, we weren't bringing our A game today."

Coach Ryan Silverfield has joked a few times this season that he'd win every game 2-0 if he could. The Tigers came close to that last week, when they beat South Florida 21-3 with a defensive touchdown that helped extend their streak of scoring 20 or more points in consecutive games.

"Last week, our defense won the football game," Silverfield said. "This week, the offense did what they needed to do to find a way to win the football game."

The question is: Will they do that for the rest of the season?

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The long TD pass that unlocked Memphis football's offense, what it means for rest of season