Memphis Football: 3 takeaways from season-opening win over Arkansas State

Brady White threw four touchdowns and Memphis football started the Ryan Silverfield era with a win against rival Arkansas State.

For the second time in less than a year, the Memphis Tigers played in the headline Saturday night matchup on national TV in front of a sold-out crowd, beating Arkansas State 37-24 at the Liberty Bowl. The only difference was that this time the attendance was limited to under 5,000 fans.

Despite that, the Tigers continued their winning streak at home dating back to 2018 with a strong second-half performance by creating turnovers and controlling the clock against the underdog Red Wolves.

The big story coming into the game was how the offense of Memphis would function without star running back Kenneth Gainwell after he opted-out of the season, citing concerns over the coronavirus. The good news was senior quarterback Brady White appears ready to lead the offense for another season after throwing for 275 yards and four touchdowns to three different players. Among these, tight end Sean Dykes burst onto the scene with 10 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Arkansas State struggled once again on defense. The Red Wolves gave up 227 rushing yards on the night. Other questions remain as the side heads back to Jonesboro to regroup.

Here are three takeaways from the game between A-State and Memphis.