The Memphis Tigers had to hear all week about how good the North Texas offense is heading into last Saturday’s game. 

The Mean Green walked into Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium near the top of the country in scoring offense, total offense and passing offense. The commentary around North Texas is what many were saying about Memphis’ offense last year, and is what people expected Memphis to be heading into this season.

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But the Tigers (6-1, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) haven’t been as explosive as last year. They also haven’t needed to be in most games, because the defense has significantly improved.

Saturday, however, was not one of those games.

The defense couldn’t hold North Texas to the 15.8 points Memphis opponents were averaging this season. The offense responded by lighting up the scoreboard in a 52-44 victory, marking the Tigers’ most points scored this 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,” quarterback Seth Henigan said. “And just playing complementary football, like I’ve said the last couple of weeks.

“Every game is its own story, to a certain extent, and the story of this game was it was going to be an offensive battle. They had a good offense, so we were going to be required to score points. I feel like we did a pretty good job as the game progressed.”

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Running back Mario Anderson Jr. had his best game on the FBS level.

The first-year transfer from South Carolina who began his college career at NCAA Division II Newberry rushed for 183 yards and his four touchdowns, tying a school record for most rushing touchdowns scored in a single game. It was his fourth 100-yard game of the year and his fourth with at least two TDs, including three in a Sept. 21 loss at Navy.

Henigan also threw his longest touchdown pass of the season, a 62-yard deep ball to receiver Demeer Blankumsee. He also connected with Jyaire Shorter on a 38-yard pass.

The Tigers completed six passes of 20 yards or more. That’s not including a deep pass to an open Roc Taylor that would have likely been a touchdown of 50-plus yards if the ball hadn’t dropped through his hands.

Henigan, the winningest quarterback in Memphis history, recorded more than 300 passing yards (319) for the third time this season. He reached that milestone in eight games last year.

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Taylor and Koby Drake are the only Memphis receivers to reach 100 receiving yards in a game this season. Both did so in the Navy game.

The Tigers had three receivers flirt with 100 receiving yards Saturday. Blankumsee led the team with 96 yards, and Drake had 82 by halftime. Taylor finished with 72.

“We hit some explosive pass plays. … And guess what? We still left a lot of plays out there,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. 

After Memphis scored on two of its first three possessions one week earlier against South Florida, the offense never found the end zone again.

The Tigers cooled off near the middle part of the game Saturday with five straight punts. Instead of letting that make the offense go completely cold, though, Memphis finished with three touchdowns and a field goal in its final four drives.

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That’s the type of offensive production the Tigers, who next face Charlotte this coming Saturday (11 a.m., ESPNU), need if they want to meet a preseason media poll’s expectation that they’d win the league.

Memphis is now past the halfway mark of the season and the top of the AAC is more crowded than expected. Even if the Tigers run the table the rest of the way, they’ll need at least one loss by undefeated Army or two losses by undefeated Navy to earn a championship game berth. 

Saturday could be the spark that ignites the offense for the second half of the schedule.

“That was kind of the case last year, as well, heading into the midpoint of the season,” Henigan said. “We knew we were capable of being a great offense, and then the back half of the season is when we turned it on and we were a pretty elite offense.

“Obviously, I hope that trend happens again, and this is a starter. So we just have to build on it and put the same performance on week-in and week-out; be consistent and continue to limit the penalties and limit the negative plays. … I think, as a whole on offense, we should be happy that we’re trending in the right direction.”