JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) -Corey Leonard threw for three touchdowns - all in the second half - to lead Arkansas State to a 35-31 comeback victory over Memphis on Thursday.
The Indians (2-2) rallied from a 31-6 halftime deficit, shutting out Memphis (1-3) in the second half.
Leonard, a redshirt sophomore, finished with 74 yards rushing and was 16-of-37 passing for 255 yards. Last year, he hit a 53-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass on the final play to defeat Memphis 26-23.
The Tigers, coming off a 56-20 loss to Central Florida, had the Indians reeling from the start. They hit a 56-yard pass on their first play and had the ASU defense off stride the rest of the half, in a game that was originally scheduled to be played Sept. 8 but was postponed after several lightning delays.
The Indians' comeback began with Kevin Jones' 89-yard punt return with 8:15 left in the third quarter. Leonard threw scoring passes of 10 yards to Vernon Caitlin, 27 yards to Levi Dejohnette and 1 yard to Preston Brown that put the Indians on top for the first time in the game, with 4:31 remaining.
