MEMPHIS — Memphis running back Sutton Smith rushed for a career-high 147 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown with 4:51 left, to lead the Tigers to a 32-31 victory over Arkansas on Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
When the Southeastern Conference’s Razorbacks got the ball back, their closing effort was thwarted when Mike Washington Jr. fumbled deep in Memphis territory. The fumble was forced by Chris Bracy, who also recovered the ball at the 7-yard line with 1:22 remaining.
That preserved the victory for Memphis (4-0), which has been among the best programs in the American Conference in recent years and went 11-4 in 2024 while capping its season with a bowl victory against another power conference program, Big 12 member West Virginia. They also won on the road against Atlantic Coast Conference member Florida State early in that season.
“To be honest, I didn’t even know I punched it out until I saw it on the ground,” said Bracy, who explained he ran out of the pile after grabbing the ball so there would be no question he recovered it.
Officials still reviewed the play before awarding the ball to Tigers, who ran out the clock.
“At that point, the game was over,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said of the fumble. “… I saw it on the ground, and I was hoping at some point his knee was down.”
Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis passed for 199 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for 103 yards and two scores.
Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green threw for 325 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions as the Razorbacks (2-2) lost for the second straight week, having flirted with a road upset of Ole Miss — which moved up four spots to No. 13 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll — before losing 41-35 to the Rebels.
The Razorbacks are home for their next game, but the visiting team is 24th-ranked Notre Dame (1-2), which reached the College Football Playoff national championship game last season.
Saturday’s game in Memphis was a bit of a neighborhood showdown, with the two teams’ fan bases separated only by the Mississippi River, but this was only the sixth meeting between the programs and the first since 1998.
“I think right when it hit me that we won this ballgame, it was huge,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. “It’s huge for the city of Memphis. I think a lot of people had doubts.”
After feeling their way through the first quarter, the Razorbacks opened up their offense, mixing the passing attack with the rushing of Braylen Russell. Rohan Jones scored on a 62-yard pass on the visitors’ opening possession and later on a 5-yard run.
Touchdowns from both teams late in the first half, including a 38-yard pass from Lewis to Cortez Braham Jr., pulled Memphis within 28-17 at the break.
Arkansas was held to a field goal and 223 yards of offense in the second half, but the Razorbacks led for the bulk of the game until Memphis overtook them late in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers have won 32 of their past 33 nonconference games, and they scored at least 20 points for the 44th straight contest, the longest active streak in the nation. The last time the Tigers scored fewer than 20 points was in a 31-13 loss to Houston on Nov. 19, 2021.
They open their American Conference schedule next Saturday at Florida Atlantic (1-2).