Arkansas State vs. SMU final statistics
DALLAS, Texas (9/23/06) - The Arkansas State football team (1-2) could not pick up a win in its first road game of the season, falling 55-9 to the SMU Mustangs (2-2) Saturday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mustang quarterback Justin Willis connected with tight end Ryan Kennedy on three first-half touchdown passes as SMU built a 38-6 halftime lead.
Willis and Kennedy put the Mustangs on the board early when they connected on a six-yard touchdown pass with 13:30 remaining in the opening quarter.
ASU answered on its second possession with a 69-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Corey Leonard to Patrick Higgins. Following the 84-yard drive, the extra point was blocked, and the Indians trailed 7-6 with 8:49 to play in the first quarter.
Willis stretched the Mustang lead to eight with 1:44 remaining in the opening frame when he completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Sanders and wideout Zach Sledge provided the Mustangs' third touchdown pass of the night when he took a pitch from Willis, then found wide receiver Bobby Chase alone behind the Indians defense for a 74-yard score with 14:20 remaining in the second quarter.
ASU threw an interception on its next possession and SMU was set up at the Indians' 27 after a 26-yard return. Willis threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Kennedy to make the score 28-6 with 12:15 left in the first half.
Willis and Kennedy hooked up again just over three minutes later on a 10-yard scoring play that left ASU facing a 35-6 deficit, and Thomas Morstead capped the first half with a 50-yard field goal as time expired, sending ASU to the locker room trailing 38-6.
ASU tailback Reggie Arnold churned out 49 yards on the Indians initial possession of the second half, helping the Indians drive to the Mustang 36, but an ASU fumble was recovered by SMU's Joe Sturdivant at the ASU 40. The turnover led to a 27-yard field goal from Morstead that extended the Mustang lead to 41-6 with 10:12 remaining in the third quarter.
ASU took advantage of a 30-yard completion from Hewitt to Higgins on the Indians' second possession of the third quarter, setting up a first-and-goal at the Mustang seven, but the drive stalled at the SMU three and the Indians settled for a 20-yard field goal by Josh Arauco that cut the Mustang lead to 41-9 with 3:57 remaining in the period. ASU added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to set the final at 55-9.
Arnold led the ASU rushing attack with 89 yards on 16 carries, while Leonard completed 6-of-14 passes for 110 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, and Hewitt completed 7-of-14 passes for 83 yards with one interception.
Darren Toney returned four kickoffs for 101 yards for the Indians, and Marcus Brown led the ASU defense with five tackles.
