CHARLOTTE, NC — Jermane Hayes cut inside like he was about to run a slant, and Collin Gill believed him.
Gill, a Charlotte defensive back, bit on the fake and stepped up to try to defend it. Hayes, a Memphis receiver, immediately planted his foot and sped toward the opposite end zone. Gill turned and tried to catch him, but it was to no avail.
Hayes eventually scampered for a 93-yard touchdown that gave Memphis a lead it would never relinquish in an eventual 59-8 beatdown of the 49ers on Oct. 3. It was a complete performance by a Tigers team that hasn't had many of them this season, and it showcased what Memphis (4-1, 1-0 American Conference) can do to overmatched opponents.
"We catch about 500 balls minimum a day," Hayes said. "Either we get with
the (QBs) or by ourselves. Everything's extreme confidence. We just run fast, get to our routes, do what we've got to do."
Hayes has emerged in the past two games as a top target for Marcus Stokes, routinely showcasing a flair for getting open down the field and chopping away at defenders with underneath completions. He had eight catches in the win over UT Martin on Sept. 19 and then had six for 123 yards and a score against Charlotte (0-5, 0-1).
The win was a complete display by the receiver room as a whole, and it was one of the only games this season where Memphis found ways to sustain drives without relying on the running game.
"I think we're starting to see the receivers show some more consistency," Memphis coach Charles Huff said. "I think we're starting to see the quarterbacks have some trust in the receivers because of that consistency. And we're going to need that moving forward."
Star running back Jaylin Carter rushed for 76 yards on 15 carries, but he didn't play in the second half, when the game was already out of hand. The Tigers have built their offense around a strong run game, but the pass game has stood out the past few games.
Part of that was because Boise State was so intentional about stopping the run, so Memphis had no choice but to throw the ball down the field. There was more balance in the offense against UT Martin and against Charlotte; 13 players caught passes against the 49ers.
"You see it in our offense," said Stokes, who was 20 of 25 for 318 yards and five touchdowns. "We get better every week. It's our entire team. We learn from our mistakes, and we just keep moving forward."
Memphis is in a stretch of its schedule against mostly overmatched opposition. The Tigers' past two games have come against an FCS team and an 0-5 FBS team, so it's hard to take much from the way they are playing. Next up is a home matchup against a UAB team that was picked to be near the bottom of the American but has shown signs of life.
After that are games against Tulane and East Carolina, two teams that have struggled so far this season.
But while it's hard for everyone outside the program to figure out where exactly Memphis is at this point in the season, the Tigers are only focused on improvement.
"Our whole entire offense, we each keep getting better every single week," Stokes said. "Communication part is getting better, the in-play is getting better, the mental part is getting better. And I feel like that's the most important thing. And I feel like if we just keep doing what we're doing every week, getting one percent better every week and showing it on the field, we're going to be in good hands."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis football's passing game has been biggest positive in 2 blowout wins
