Memphis, TN – Contributed – The Arkansas State football team (0-1, 0-0 SBC) battled in the season opener at Memphis (1-0, 0-0 American), but a second half surge by the opposition made the difference in a 42-24 decision on Saturday night inside the Liberty Bowl.
Quarterback Trey Owens ended the day with 21 completions on 30 attempts and tallied 325 yards through the air plus a touchdown. Hunter Summers led all A-State receivers with 98 yards on five catches, and Kenyon Clay led the Red Wolves’ rushing attack with 50 yards plus a touchdown.
Brandon Greil and Dontrae Henderson split two interceptions on the defensive end.
Clune Van Andel broke the defensive stalemate that dominated a majority of the first quarter by converting a 48-yard field goal attempt. It was the Grand Rapids, Michigan, native’s 16th successful field goal attempt from 40-plus yards during his collegiate career.
The Red Wolves countered the Tigers’ response in the second quarter with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in the first FBS rushing touchdown for Timothy Carter and a 10-7 advantage. Both sides continued to exchange touchdowns, as Owens’ 75-yard touchdown throw to Kenyon Clay put A-State back in front by three points.
Memphis received the ball with 3:26 remaining in the opening half and added another touchdown on a nine-yard quarterback keeper by Marcus Stokes with 40 seconds left on the clock. A-State entered the intermission trailing 21-17.
The opposition scored a touchdown on their fourth consecutive drive via a 13-yard run from Jaylin Carter and forced a stop on the defensive end. The Red Wolves’ defense forced a three-and-out, and a 40-yard pass from Owens to Hunter Summers put the offense within striking distance.
Owens connected on another pass before finding Chauncy Cobb for an 18-yard touchdown that narrowed the gap to 28-24. A 75-yard touchdown run for Carter nullified the effort and resulted in an 11-point deficit entering the fourth quarter.
The A-State offense pushed into Memphis territory multiple times in the final 15 minutes of action, but would be unable to chip away at the deficit. The Tigers added one more touchdown on the ground with 3:36 remaining in the game, locking in the final score of 42-24.
Next Up
A-State returns to Jonesboro for the home opener against West Georgia on Sept. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN+. The radio broadcast of the game can be heard across the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network, including the flagship station 107.9 KFIN in Jonesboro.
