Memphis 47, Arkansas State 35

1234T
MEM (3-0)31332847
ARST (0-3)1477735

Final

7:00 PM ET, September 18, 2004
Indian Stadium
NOT KNOWN, ZZ

Memphis scores 21 points in final three minutes

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Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs3022
Total Yards531507
Passing356418
Rushing17589
Penalties7-4914-98
3rd Down Conversions9-198-15
4th Down Conversions1-10-0
Turnovers24
Possession29:3029:31
Individual Leaders
Memphis Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Wimprine22/4135631
Williams0/1000
Arkansas State Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Noce29/4041843
Memphis Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Williams31144116
Wimprine827012
Gaither3904
Arkansas State Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Warren219009
O'Neal421010
Stegall21005
Memphis Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Avery458029
Gideon440213
White385046
Douglas384136
Arkansas State Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Wood8101127
Walker889165
Dejohnette475129
Stegall396146
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERMEMARST
TD13:30CHUCK WALKER 65 YD PASS FROM NICK NOCE (ERIC NEIHOUSE KICK)
Drive info: 2 plays, 74 yards.
07
TD6:58JEROME STEGALL 28 YD PASS FROM NICK NOCE (ERIC NEIHOUSE KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 74 yards.
014
FG4:52STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 19 YD FG
Drive info: 7 plays, 78 yards.
314
SECOND QUARTERMEMARST
TD14:55TAVARES GIDEON 12 YD PASS FROM DANNY WIMPRINE (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Drive info: 9 plays, 68 yards.
1014
TD11:19JASON WOOD 27 YD PASS FROM NICK NOCE (ERIC NEIHOUSE KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 80 yards.
1021
FG9:39STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 41 YD FG
Drive info: 5 plays, 41 yards.
1321
FG2:27STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 24 YD FG
Drive info: 13 plays, 53 yards.
1621
THIRD QUARTERMEMARST
FG9:48STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 30 YD FG
Drive info: 13 plays, 58 yards.
1921
TD6:53JOSH WILLIAMS 30 YD DEFENSIVE FUMBLE RETURN (ERIC NEIHOUSE KICK)1928
FOURTH QUARTERMEMARST
TD8:25ROBERT DOUGLAS 32 YD PASS FROM DANNY WIMPRINE (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 84 yards.
2628
TD4:01LEVI DEJOHNETTE 18 YD PASS FROM NICK NOCE (ERIC NEIHOUSE KICK)
Drive info: 11 plays, 76 yards.
2635
TD2:45TAVARES GIDEON 9 YD PASS FROM DANNY WIMPRINE (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 71 yards.
3335
TD2:22TIM GOODWELL 10 YD DEFENSIVE FUMBLE RETURN (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)4035
TD0:59DEANGELO WILLIAMS 16 YD RUN (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Drive info: 4 plays, 31 yards.
4735

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) -- Two big defensive plays and frantic fourth-quarter comeback gave Memphis (No. 25 AP) its first win as a ranked team.

Tim Goodwell forced a fumble and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown with 2:22 left and the Tigers scored 21 points in the final three minutes for a 47-35 comeback victory over Arkansas State on Saturday night.

Goodwell, who dislodged the ball from Arkansas State quarterback Nick Noce, gave the Tigers (3-0) their first lead of the game, 40-35.

Then it was Scott Vogel's turn. He intercepted a deflected pass with 1:59 left to set up DeAngelo Williams' 16-yard scoring run with 59.7 seconds remaining. Williams ran for 144 yards.

"That is our game," said Tigers coach Tommy West, whose team moved into the Top 25 for the first time last week. "We got beat on a lot of man coverage and blitzing but we are a pressure football team and in the end it worked out for us.

"It is a great win for us and it feels good to win as I am sure it hurts to lose one like this for them. They played well."

Memphis is 3-0 for the first time since 1973.

The win was far more difficult than expected. The Indians (0-2) were three-touchdown underdogs who had been routed in their two previous games by Missouri and LSU.

On the second play of the game, ASU's Nick Noce hit Chuck Walker with a 65-yard scoring pass. The Indians added to that lead with 6:58 left in the quarter when he hit Jerome Stegall with a 28-yard touchdown pass.

"It was a disappointing loss, no doubt about that," Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts. "We played hard. They laid it on the line and that is all you can ask out of them. To play with effort and focus.

"We had opportunities to win the ballgame but we didn't get it done."

Noce passed for a 418 yards and four touchdowns, both school records, and Antonio Warren had 90 yards rushing for the Indians.

Wimprine had 356 yards passing and three touchdowns, two of them to Tavares Gideon.

Before Goodwell's touchdown, the Tigers had trimmed the Indians' lead to 35-33 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Wimprine to Gideon with 2:45 left.

Arkansas State had built a 35-26 lead on Noce's 18-yard touchdown pass to Levi Dejohnette with 4:01 left.

Until the closing minutes, the Indians had an answer each time the Tigers would draw close.

After Stephen Gostkowski's fourth field goal cut the lead to 21-19 with 5:05 left in the third quarter, Arkansas State linebacker Josh Williams returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown to rebuild the lead.

On the second play of the game, Noce hit Chuck Walker with a 65-yard scoring pass.

The Indians added to that lead with 6:58 left in the quarter when Noce hit Stegall with a 28-yard touchdown pass.

Gideon caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Wimprine on the first play of the second quarter to trim the Indians' lead to 14-10.

The Indians responded with Noce's third scoring pass, a 27-yarder to Jason Wood.

Memphis was able to narrow the margin to 21-16 at halftime on a pair of field goals by Gostkowski. He hit from 41 yards and 24 yards.

The game was played before an Indian Stadium record crowd of 30,427.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Saturday, September 18th
Louisiana-Lafayette 20 Final
Kansas State 40
Florida Atlantic 27 Final
Middle Tennessee State 20
North Texas 21 Final
Colorado 52
Utah 48 Final
Utah State 6
Memphis 47 Final
Arkansas State 35
Arkansas 49 Final
Louisiana-Monroe 20
Troy 18 Final
New Mexico State 22
Washington State 49 Final
Idaho 8