Fresh off the high of a season opener road win over UNLV, the Tigers would open the home slate on a scorcher of a day as they welcomed Arkansas State for a rivalry game to open the newly renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Saturday’s matchup between Arkansas State and Memphis would be their first meeting since the 2023 season; Memphis came into the game on a five-game winning streak dating back to the 2013 season. On the Arkansas State side, the Red Wolves came into the matchup with the Tigers looking for a massive statement win as the program is heading in the right direction but could use that extra shot in the arm to carry that momentum into the 2026 season. 

A sloppy first quarter, with a turnover each on both sides, would lead to Arkansas State taking a 3-0 lead after the first quarter due to a 46-yard field goal from Clun Van Andel. 

Memphis would open the second quarter with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off by a direct snap to Jaylin Carter that took it in for a Tigers touchdown to retake a 7-3 lead over Arkansas State. Arkansas State would respond with a long 8-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Kenyon Clay finding the end zone to retake a 10-7 lead over the Tigers. Memphis would respond with a touchdown to make it 14-10, but a 1-play, 75-yard touchdown pass would give Arkansas State the lead right back at 17-10 with 3:26 remaining in the half. Marcus Stokes would find Jermane Hayes in the corner of the end zone wide open to cap off a 10-play, 75-yard drive to retake the lead at 21-17 with 40 seconds remaining in the half. 

On either sideline, the first half was about as sloppy as it can get. After last week’s dominating performance, the Memphis defense gave up 234 yards of total offense and 17 points. Not much better for Arkansas State, as they gave up 250 yards and 21 points. 

Memphis would open the second half with a bit of a spark as the Tigers would extend the lead with another Jaylin Carter rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 28-17 with 12:19 remaining in the third. In what seemed like a scoring drive for Arkansas State, Zach Ruffin would pick it off to give the Tigers the ball back with 7:30 remaining in the third. Arkansas State once again forced a punt, then turned it into a scoring opportunity, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 28-24. From there, Jaylin Carter once more found the end zone for the Tigers with a 74-yard rushing touchdown to extend the Tigers’ lead to 35-24 with 3:25 in the third. 

Before the start of the 4th quarter, the University of Memphis announced an attendance of 45,632, meaning a complete sellout of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for the first time since the renovations.

 

Jaylin Carter would add his 4th touchdown of the night in the 4th quarter with a 24-yard run that extended the Tigers’ lead to the eventual final score of 42-24. 

Despite another slow start, the Tigers got the job done in the second half by using the depth on the roster to wear down Arkansas State. It also helped that Jaylin Carter did his thing with four touchdowns; Memphis controlled the ground game with Carter’s 183 rushing yards,and Manny Covey’s 103 yards on the ground. As for Marcus Stokes, stuff happens; he still finished his night with two touchdowns, 12 for 15, and 188 yards through the air. On the other side of the ball, it was the secondary that finished the night with four interceptions, with Dylan Smith leading the way with two of those. 

Going forward, the Tigers have to figure out how to start games better; otherwise, next week in Boise might be a long day at the office. When Memphis figures out how to start and finish strong, then that’s when that gap gets closed, and the conversation shifts to winning the American Conference and earning a bid to the College Football Playoffs. At the end of the day, a 42-24 win over a regional rival is all that matters, and the Tigers send the fans home after a day of celebration and excitement for the future of Memphis football. 

Photo Credits- Memphis Athletics