Arkansas State vs. Memphis

Arkansas State and Memphis have 32 meetings on file, the first in 1953; officially, Memphis leads 21–⁠7–⁠3; as played, 21–⁠8–⁠3 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Memphis 7–⁠3, and Memphis has won the last 6. The NCAA vacated Arkansas State’s win (2006); it doesn’t count officially. This page counts every game as it was played.

Scheduled 2027 at Arkansas State; 2028 at Memphis; 2029 at Arkansas State. As the programs’ Wikipedia articles list them (CC BY-SA).

Official series
Memphis leads 21–⁠7–⁠3
Arkansas State wins on file
8
Memphis wins on file
21
Ties
3
Earliest on file
1953
Longest streak
10 Memphis
Current streak
6 Memphis
Last 10 meetings
Memphis 7–⁠3
Most recent
2026

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1950s1–⁠0
1970s1–⁠0
1980s2–⁠4–⁠2
1990s0–⁠7–⁠1
2000s2–⁠4
2010s2–⁠1
2020s0–⁠5
Average margin
14.5 points; 8 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Arkansas State
3–⁠4 Arkansas State’s record at home
At Memphis
17–⁠5–⁠3 Memphis’s record at home
Shutouts
2

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Arkansas State’s biggest win2011: Arkansas State 47, Memphis 3by 44 points
  2. Memphis’s biggest win1993: Memphis 45, Arkansas State 3by 42 points
  3. Upset1982: Memphis 12, Arkansas State 0Memphis had a 23% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1989: Arkansas State 17, Memphis 13Arkansas State had a 28% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2013: Memphis 31, Arkansas State 7Memphis had a 29% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsArkansas StateSeriesMemphis
1997–⁠2000Joe Hollis0–⁠4Rip Scherer
2003–⁠2008Steve Roberts2–⁠3Tommy West
2021–⁠2023Butch Jones0–⁠3Ryan Silverfield

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Arkansas State’s side (Hollis 0–⁠4 against Scherer). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Arkansas State and Memphis, 1953 on1300150017001960197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Seth Henigan Memphis22 of 33, 417 yards, 5 TD2021 Passing
Nick Noce Arkansas State29 of 40, 418 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT2004 Passing
Brady White Memphis26 of 36, 275 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT2020 Passing
Calvin Austin III Memphis6 catches, 239 yards, 3 TD2021 Receiving
Jaylin Carter Memphis19 carries, 183 yards, 4 TD2026 Rushing
Jeff Foreman Arkansas State8 catches, 198 yards, 1 TD2021 Receiving

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

Every game

Sep 5, 2026Memphis 42, Arkansas State 24at Memphis
Sep 9, 2023Memphis 37, Arkansas State 3at Arkansas State
Sep 17, 2022Memphis 44, Arkansas State 32at Memphis
Sep 11, 2021Memphis 55, Arkansas State 50at Arkansas State
Sep 5, 2020Memphis 37, Arkansas State 24at Memphis
Sep 21, 2013Memphis 31, Arkansas State 7at Memphis
Sep 8, 2012Arkansas State 33, Memphis 28at Arkansas State
Sep 10, 2011Arkansas State 47, Memphis 3at Arkansas State
Sep 27, 2008Memphis 29, Arkansas State 17at Memphis
Sep 27, 2007Arkansas State 35, Memphis 31at Arkansas State
Oct 14, 2006Arkansas State 26, Memphis 23vacatedat Memphis
Sep 18, 200425Memphis 47, Arkansas State 35at Arkansas State
Sep 27, 2003Memphis 38, Arkansas State 16at Memphis
Sep 16, 2000Memphis 19, Arkansas State 17at Arkansas State
Sep 18, 1999Memphis 31, Arkansas State 26at Memphis
Oct 31, 1998Memphis 35, Arkansas State 19at Memphis
Oct 11, 1997Memphis 38, Arkansas State 9at Memphis
Oct 15, 1994Memphis 15, Arkansas State 6at Memphis
Oct 9, 1993Memphis 45, Arkansas State 3at Memphis
Oct 17, 1992Memphis 37, Arkansas State 7at Memphis
Sep 21, 1991Memphis 31, Arkansas State 21at Memphis
Sep 1, 1990Memphis 24, Arkansas State 24at Memphis
Sep 9, 1989Arkansas State 17, Memphis 13at Memphis
Sep 10, 1988Memphis 9, Arkansas State 7at Memphis
Oct 31, 1987Memphis 21, Arkansas State 21at Memphis
Sep 13, 1986Arkansas State 30, Memphis 10at Memphis
Sep 1, 1984Memphis 17, Arkansas State 2at Memphis
Nov 19, 1983Memphis 14, Arkansas State 14at Memphis
Nov 27, 1982Memphis 12, Arkansas State 0at Memphis
Oct 4, 1980Memphis 24, Arkansas State 3at Memphis
Sep 27, 1975Arkansas State 29, Memphis 10at Memphis
Nov 7, 1953Arkansas State 20, Memphis 0at Memphis

Every game is listed as played on the field; a win the NCAA later vacated is marked “vacated”; the official series above counts them the NCAA’s way.