Gainwell’s big runs help Memphis move to 5-0

MONROE, La. — Brady White threw three touchdown passes, Kenneth Gainwell ran for 209 yards and two scores and Memphis beat the University of Louisiana at Monroe 52-33 on Saturday.

Gainwell is the first freshman in program history to top 200 rushing yards in a single game and needed only 14 carries to do it, giving him an average of 14.9 yards per rush.

Memphis (5-0) built a 29-10 lead in the second quarter before the Warhawks (2-3) got back in it, reducing their deficit to 39-33 with when Caleb Evans threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Josh Pederson with 6:31 remaining.

On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, though, Gainwell ran for a 68-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 12 points. On the Warhawks’ next play after the follwing kickoff, La’Andre Thomas intercepted Evans and ran it back 33 yards for another score.

Evans passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 112 yards on 18 carries and two scores, and teammate Josh Johnson ran for 119 yards on 19 carries.

The Warhawks outgained Memphis 575-535 in total yardage but were penalized 11 times for 114 yards.

› MTSU 24, Marshall 13

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Asher O’Hara threw for 261 yards and ran for 76, and Jovante Moffatt had two interceptions as Middle Tennessee State University beat Marshall in the Conference USA opener for both teams.

The winning Blue Raiders and the Thundering Herd both moved to 2-3 overall.

With the game tied at 10-all, O’Hara’s 4-yard touchdown run capped a 6-play, 53-yard drive that put the Blue Raiders ahead for good with 3:42 left before halftime. He later capped the scoring with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Zack Dobson with 12:43 to play.

Moffatt picked off Isaiah Green on Marshall’s first play of its second drive, then intercepted Green again on the Thundering Herd’s secondto-last possession of the game. Green threw for 365 yards and a touchdown but had three interceptions.

› UT-Martin 38, Eastern Kentucky 28

RICHMOND, Ky. — Lamarcus Young’s early 41-yard touchdown run sparked the University of Tennessee at Martin on the road, but it took a second-half revival to secure the Ohio Valley Conference victory.

The Skyhawks (3-2, 2-0) trailed 7-0 late in the first quarter when Young broke downfield for a touchdown. Ryan Courtright’s 22-yard field goal gave the visitors a 10-7 edge, and a 9-yard touchdown run by Jaimiee Bowe stretched it again with 1:27 left in the first half.

Eastern Kentucky (3-3, 1-1) scored again just before halftime to close to 17-14 and UT-Martin fell behind 21-17 midway through the third quarter, but quarterback John Bachus III answered with a short touchdown run to put the Skyhawks back on top for good. T.J. Jefferson’s 44-yard fumble recovery for a score made it 31-21 with 2:48 left in the third.

Bachus had 167 passing yards for the Skyhawks, and Peyton Logan ran for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Parker McKinney threw for 313 yards and two scores for the Colonels.

› Jacksonville State 31, Tennessee State 23

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Jacksonville State spotted the Tigers a 17-point lead and trailed by six late in the third quarter, but the Gamecocks put together two long touchdown drives late to win.

The Gamecocks (4-2, 1-1) went ahead 24-23 with an 11-play, 65-yard series capped by Zerrick Cooper’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Josh Pearson with 2:43 left in the third, and they sealed the victory with a 10-play, 85-yard set that finished with Michael Matthews’ 10-yard touchdown run with 7:18 to play in the game.

Cooper finished 25-of-39 passing for 305 yards with three touchdowns and ran for 44 yards on nine carries, Matthews totaled 67 rushing yards on just eight carries and Pearson had seven catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers (1-5, 0-2) were led by Te’kendrick Roberson with 93 yards on 15 carries and Chris Rowland’s six catches for 113 yards.

› SE Missouri State 43, Tennessee Tech 37, 2 OT

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Zion Custis had a 13-yard touchdown run for the winning points, and Southeast Missouri State (3-2) won its OVC opener.

Custis finished the game with 117 yards on 18 carries and the final score, Mark Robinson had 77 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries and Kristian Wilkinson made five catches for 124 yards.

For the Golden Eagles (4-2, 1-1), Bailey Fisher finished 26-of-54 passing for 290 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, completing passes to nine teammates. Metrius Fleming led them with nine catches and 108 yards, and David Gist had 96 yards on just four catches.

› Berry 55, Sewanee 0

SEWANEE, Tenn. — The eighth-ranked Division III Vikings scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and cruised to the Southern Athletic Association rout of the winless Tigers.

Berry (5-0, 3-0) ran for 325 yards, including 130 with two touchdowns by Isaiah Dawson, and Mason Kinsey had 147 receiving yards with a TD. Sewanee (0-5, 0-3) had a combined passing line of 21-of-34 for quarterbacks Cooper Hancock and Alex Darras, but they totaled only 85 and 78 yards through the air.

The Tigers’ Jackson Menefee was in on nine tackles, and Pierce Johnson had eight and blocked a field-goal try.