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Memphis football's offense has done it running and passing. Now is time to put it together
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- Memphis football's offense has done it running and passing. Now is time to put it together
HOUSTON — Memphis football did exactly what it was supposed to do.
On the road in a sleepy environment at a poorly attended Rice Stadium, the No. 25 Tigers (8-1, 4-1 American Conference) essentially ended the game against Rice after only a few minutes.
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Safety Kamari Wilson knifed through the Rice offense, landing a huge hit that doubled as his best impression — in this city, on Halloween night — of a tombstone piledriver that led to a fumble and a quick touchdown that put Memphis up 14-0. It was academic from there and ended in a no-stress 38-14 win against the Owls (4-5, 1-4) on Oct. 31.
There were still plenty of encouraging signs, namely the fact that Memphis won another game where it did not rely on the vaunted running game that carried the Tigers to a 6-0 record. Memphis has shown it can win games in multiple ways, and that'll be critical over the final three games of the season.
That stretch starts when the Tigers face Tulane (6-2, 3-1) on Nov. 7 (8 p.m., ESPN) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
"Man, we're excited," Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield said. "We're going to have to have a great week of preparation. Tulane's a fantastic football team."
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Why Memphis has relied on passing game
The Tigers rushed for 119 yards against UAB, 129 against USF and 130 against Rice. Those totals are all well below where they'd been earlier in the season.
Running back Sutton Smith carried the Tigers over the first few games of the season. Fellow back Greg Desrosiers took the baton after that, rushing for a career-high 204 yards against FAU. But things have changed in the last three games.
"Teams are blitzing us more than they have ever shown on film," Silverfield said. "We've got to figure out why that is. But if we can find ways to hit on the deep ball and make them pay for that, then we will. (Quarterback) Brendon Lewis obviously is doing a great job making decisions with the football, which is huge, taking care of the ball. I have a feeling those two will continue to get going in the run game and we've got to find ways to clean it up and execute at a higher level."
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Memphis' offense is still humming for the most part, though. Cortez Braham has emerged as the clear No. 1 receiver, and he's come up with key play after key play in high-pressure situations. Lewis is spreading the ball around and used 11 different receivers against the Owls.
Lewis left the game with an injury for the second time in three weeks, but his running ability has also been critical to the Tigers' success. He had 87 yards on 12 carries against Rice, including a touchdown run for the game's opening score.
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Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey has clearly been trying to find more inventive ways to get the ball into Smith's hands. He lined up and caught a pass as a receiver and also got the ball on a jet sweep-type play against Rice. Memphis also has a new weapon near the goal line in running back Frank Peasant, who rushed for three touchdowns against the Owls. All the ingredients for a complete offense are there.
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Against Tulane, ECU, Navy and whatever comes after that, the key is putting it all together.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How Memphis football's offense can take another step in next 3 games
