It was fair to wonder in the fourth quarter of Memphis football's 21-3 win over USF, if the Tigers' streak of scoring 20 or more points in a game was coming to an end.

They had jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Tigers had not scored since then.

Then, like they have so many times this season, the Tigers' defense took care of business. Kobee Minor hit Joshua Porter near the USF goal line and Chandler Martin fell on the ensuing fumble in the end zone. That gave Memphis more than 20 points, extending the longest streak in the country to 33 games.

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It was another win in which Memphis (5-1, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) looked out of sync on offense but used a dominant defensive performance to cruise to a win. That has been the story throughout this season, save for the loss against Navy when it was the opposite — the offense couldn't do enough to overcome a dismal defensive performance in that 56-44 loss.

"The offense started off, obviously, clicking on all cylinders and then came to a major lull," coach Ryan Silverfield said after the game. "Got to find ways why we're doing that and ways to get that fixed."

Halfway through the season, the Tigers are still in the thick of the AAC title race. They almost certainly need to win out to have any shot at reaching the AAC title game, and to do that, they'll need more potency from their offense.

Saturday's game had it at the start. Quarterback Seth Henigan moved the Tigers down the field with ease on the opening drive, hitting Demeer Blankumsee for a 31-yard touchdown. It was Blankumsee's first touchdown catch of the season and only the second touchdown catch of the season by a Memphis starting receiver.

The Tigers added to the lead two drives later, when Henigan connected with running back Mario Anderson for another score.

Then things dried up. The next nine drives included six punts, a missed field goal and an interception, and the offense didn't generate any points for the rest of the game. Henigan was 28-for-40 finished for 208 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Tight end Anthony Landphere was his leading receiver, grabbing six passes for 64 yards.

Landphere has been a consistent target for Henigan this season, as opposing defenses have tried to limit explosive plays to Blankumsee (three catches for 40 yards) and leading receiver Roc Taylor, who had three receptions for 42 yards on Saturday.

"We need our playmakers to make plays," Silverfield said. "Let's just call it what it is. We'll continue to do our best to put them in the right position with our play-calling."

Saturday's game stood in stark contrast to last year's meeting with USF: That game ended 59-50, though also in favor of Memphis, but featured a pair of shambolic defensive performances. This game, however, isn't an anomaly for the Tigers this season. After routinely getting into shootouts in 2023, they have been in only one game with more than 55 combined points this fall.

There's almost certainly going to be another game where Memphis needs to put up lots of points. Last year's offense always seemed up to the task. This year's offense, even with so many of the same players, hasn't been able to prove it yet.

But the Tigers, for all of their faults, are still 5-1 at the season's halfway point.

"You can go home and coach everything but a loss," Blankumsee said.

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

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis' season will come down to midseason offensive adjustments