SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 21, 2013
Memphis 31, Arkansas State 7: Freshman Marquis Warford rushed for a career-high 173 yards and senior Brandon Hayes added 114 as the host Tigers ran over the Red Wolves.
Memphis (1-2) rushed for 329 yards as Warford and Hayes became the first school duo to rush for 100 yards in the same game since the 2006 season. The Tigers tied a school mark with seven sacks while holding Arkansas State (2-2) to 255 total yards.
Memphis finished with 505 offensive yards for its first 500-yard performance since 2008 against Southern Mississippi. Paxton Lynch was 17-for-26 for 176 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers.
Warford (133) and Hayes (73) combined for 206 first-half rushing yards as the Tigers built a 24-7 halftime edge. Hayes scored on a 6-yard run three minutes into the contest and Lynch hit Alan Cross on a 6-yard scoring pass midway through the quarter before Arkansas State got on the board on Fredi Knighten’s 15-yard pass to J.D. McKissic.
Jake Elliott kicked a 23-yard field goal with 9:52 left in the half to give Memphis a 17-7 lead and Sam Craft scored on a 5-yard run four-plus minutes later for a 17-point advantage. Warford added a 16-yard scoring run late in the third quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tigers DE Martin Ifedi had 4.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks. … Arkansas State was just 4-for-15 on third downs. … The 100-yard outing was the third of Hayes’ career while Memphis’ ground output was its best since producing 379 yards against Tulane in 2008.