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Quarterback Ryan Aplin accounted for three touchdowns and Arkansas State forced seven Middle Tennessee turnovers in a 51-24 Sun Belt Conference victory Tuesday night.
Aplin passed for two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Arkansas State (4-5, 4-2 Sun Belt). The Red Wolves finished with 493 total yards.
Middle Tennessee (3-5, 2-2 Sun Belt) trailed only 23-17 at halftime, but the Blue Raiders turned the ball over on five straight possessions in the second half. MTSU quarterback Dwight Dasher threw four interceptions to tie a career high.
Aplin completed 16 of 27 passes for 245 yards. Derek Lawson ran for 104 yards and a touchdown for the Red Wolves, and Jermaine Robertson added 79 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Arkansas State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions to take a 20-10 lead. Linebacker Demario Davis intercepted a pass on the third play from scrimmage to set up Aplin's 4-yard touchdown run. Robertson scored on 7-yard run to cap a 71-yard drive, and Aplin found Taylor Stockemer on a 37-yard touchdown pass to open the second quarter.
Dasher scored on a 29-yard run to pull Middle Tennessee within 20-17 in the second quarter, but Arkansas State scored the next 24 points. Brian Davis' 22-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the second quarter gave the Red Wolves a 23-17 halftime lead.
Demario Davis' second interception of the game set up Arkansas State's first touchdown of the third quarter. After lining up at wide receiver, backup quarterback Phillip Butterfield threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Frampton, who finished the game with six receptions for 138 yards.
Aplin threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Blake in the third quarter and Lawson scored on a 17-yard run in the fourth to give Arkansas State a 44-17 lead with 9:35 left in the game.
Dasher completed 19 of 37 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, and he was also the Blue Raiders' rushing leader with 96 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
