Houston Football: 3 takeaways from disappointing loss to Memphis
By Zach Bigalke
2. A stout Houston defense was exposed after looking unbeatable
The entire reason why Houston managed to build a big first-half lead was as much because of its defense as because of what the Cougars offense pulled off. The strong front seven forced Memphis to become one-dimensional on offense, as they struggled to move the ball on the ground. Once that advantage evaporated, Houston crumbled under the weight of expectation.
Through the first half, the Cougars forced a fumble and an interception that killed off any momentum Memphis might have built up. Then they forced the Tigers to try a long field goal before halftime, which Major Applewhite iced thrice with timeouts before freshman kicker Riley Patterson missed.
But Mike Norvell’s team adjusted expertly at the intermission, charging out of the gate to pull back the deficit. Prolific quarterback Riley Ferguson finished the night with 471 yards and a touchdown, recovering from his early interception to fuel the comeback. It was the second time in 2017 that Ferguson topped 400 passing yards.
The Tigers ended up pulling off victory on the road thanks in large part to the fact that they cracked the riddle of the Houston offense. Unable to maintain the defensive intensity for 60 minutes proved fatal for the Cougars as they fell Thursday night.