Memphis Football: 3 takeaways from big road win over SMU

Memphis football pulled away in the second half for a big road win in Dallas over SMU. What did we learn about the Tigers and the AAC West?

The game between Memphis and SMU on Friday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus in Dallas effectively served as an elimination game for the AAC West title. The matchup went in favor of the visitors, as the Tigers ran away in the second half with a 28-18 victory to move to 7-4 on the season.

If SMU had won at home, they would have remained ahead of Houston in the AAC West standings thanks to their head-to-head win over the Cougars. Instead, they are now below .500 and must beat Tulsa on the road on Thanksgiving weekend just to reach bowl eligibility.

Instead, Memphis set up next week’s duel against Houston as a de facto division championship game with their win over SMU. The winner of that contest will get one more game against the AAC East winner.

What did the result of Friday’s AACtion tell us about these teams and about the West generally? Keep reading for three takeaways about the victory by the Cougars over their Texan counterparts.