College football scores, NCAA top 25 rankings, highlights from Week 1 games: Memphis, Army, Marshall impress

Final: Memphis 37, Arkansas State 24

Memphis needed a late defensive stop to keep Arkansas State from making things interesting. But in the end, the Tigers did what was expected: the defending AAC champions beat their Sun Belt foe by double-digits. Brady White completed 27 of 37 passes for 280 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT. It was an encouraging sign for Memphis after star running back Kenneth Gainwell opted out of the season.

Final: UTEP 24, Stephen F. Austin 14

Stephen F. Austin is coming off a 3-9 season but put up an impressive fight. However, the Lumberjacks fell just short. And with that, UTEP has matched its win totals from 2018 and 2019. The Miners are 1-0!

UTEP is clinging to a 17-14 lead vs. Stephen F. Austin in the fourth quarter. ICYMI, the SFA players made a statement against social injustice in the first quarter: https://www.cbssports.com/coll...

Final: North Texas 57, Houston Baptist 31

These teams destroyed the 73.5-point total, and North Texas covered the spread. Bailey Zappe of Houston Baptist attempted 62 passes(!). His final line was 39-62, 480 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 INTs. Both teams had 11 players catch passes.

Half: UTEP 17, Stephen F. Austin 14

The Lumberjacks are putting up a good fight vs. UTEP, but the Miners scored 14 unanswered to close the first half.

Half: Memphis 21, Arkansas State 14

Arkansas State is giving Memphis a game. But was to be expected. The Red Wolves are a perennial bowl team in their seventh season under coach Blake Anderson. The Tigers are led by first-year head coach Ryan Silverfield and recently lost their top playmaker in RB Kenneth Gainwell. Memphis gets ball to start the 3rd quarter.

Half: North Texas 23, Houston Baptist 10

Don't look now, but Houston Baptist is making it a game. North Texas led 20-0 early. The Huskies (that's Houston Baptist's nickname) are 18-56 in their existence as a football program. But they're putting up a fight after falling behind early. Houston Baptist QB Bailey Zappe has already thrown it 35 times. Completed 23 of them for 244 yards and a touchdown.

North Texas off to a roaring start in one of the night's undercard matchups.

Final: SMU 31, Texas State 24.

Would imagine the Mustangs are fine with TCU postponing next week's game. They pulled out a W in this one, but there's plenty to work on. SMU next plays at North Texas on Sept. 19.

This second half has certainly not been decisive for SMU, but the Mustangs just pulled ahead 31-21 with a field goal at the 2:20 mark. They probably won't cover, but it looks like they're going to win.

Half: SMU 14, Texas State 14

Texas State QB Brady McBride looked a little shaky for much of the half. But Jeremiah Haydel helped him out big-time with a sick one-handed catch to tie it up at 14-14 entering halftime. SMU with some work to do in the second half to cover the 24.5 point spread.

GOOD NEWS! After the first two games were decided by a combined margin of 101-0, Texas State looks like it's going to hang with SMU for a little while. No score as the midway point of the second quarter approaches.

Final: Army 42, MTSU 0

Army's final scoring drive traveled 99 yards on 21 plays and ate 12:26 off the clock. That pretty well sums this one up. The Black Knights dominate with their triple option attack. MTSU could have made it somewhat respectable if not for self-inflicted blows: turnovers, clock management woes, etc.

Final: Marshall 59, Eastern Kentucky 0

Worth noting this was EKU's first game under a new coach in Walt Wells. Hard to go up against an FBS opponent in your opener when you're in a new system and had a truncated offseason. But Marshall still deserves plenty of credit for how fluid it looked offensively. Grant Wells was great in his first start at QB, and Luke Zban went 6-6 in relief.

Army's offense is getting lots of love, and deservedly so. But its defense looks awfully stout as well. This is MTSU's third turnover of the day (a fourth was reviewed and reversed).
https://twitter.com/CBSSportsN...

Army-MTSU first half takeaways with Army up 21-0
1. Army had a scoop and score get overruled and turned into an MTSU incompletion with 6:24 left in 2Q. Army would have gone ahead 28-0 if the call had stood. Instead, MTSU used the second chance to put together its only real drive of the half. 2. MTSU then drove inside the Army 5-yard line before a botched snap and some of the worst clock management you'll ever see in your life led to the end of the half with MTSU still sitting on 0 points. 3. Army's triple option is going to bleed the clock quite efficiently in the second half.

Marshall-EKU first half takeaways with Marshall up 38-0: 1. Cool to see EKU staff wearing the shirts that say "Say Their Names." 2. Marshall redshirt freshman QB Grant Wells is having a monster debut. Incumbent starter Isaiah Green entered the transfer portal in July, clearing the way for Wells, who is a local kid, to take the role. He's 13-20 with 280 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INTs. Completions to 8 players and all 4 TDs have been to different players.

You can have the scout team run it all practice long, but as MTSU is learning...nothing compares to facing the triple option for real.

END 1Q: Army leads MTSU 7-0 and is driving.

Army converted an MTSU fumble into the game's first score.

Marshall is making quick work out of Eastern Kentucky. 21-0 now. Grant Wells is 7-for-7, 161 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs in his starting debut.

FYI for those looking for the Army-MTSU channel as kickoff nears on CBS Sports Network:

Uh-oh. Hodge is one of Marshall's top defensive players and a potential all-conference performer. Thundering Herd already down a couple of defensive starters.

Pretty good opening series for Marshall redshirt freshman QB Grant Wells. Thundering Herd go straight down the field and take a quick 7-0 lead on EKU.

MTSU-Army countdown at 30 minutes. Here are MTSU's starters for that one:

Here. We. Go. Marshall and EKU about to get going.

This should honestly be a no-brainer for everyone.

A noteworthy development ahead of Marshall-Eastern Kentucky. Both players were projected starters for the Thundering Herd.

An hour out from the day's first game: Eastern Kentucky and Marshall. Real Hatfield-McCoy vibes with the geography of that one.

Less than two hours until MTSU-Army on CBS Sports Network.