The Memphis Express dominated its home opener.

For three quarters.

Mike Singletary’s team fell behind late and lost 20-18 to the Arizona Hotshots Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. In a matchup of teams many regarded as the best and worst the Alliance of American Football had to offer after just one week of existence, the Express (a week after getting shut out) dominated for three quarters and led 18-6 in the fourth quarter.

But the Hotshots (2-0) got a 45-yard touchdown run from Justin Stockton and a four-yard touchdown pass from John Wolford to Tim Cook to pull out the victory.

"(Memphis) gave us fits with their defense," Arizona coach Rick Neuheisel said. "I've coached with (Express defensive coordinator) Dennis Thurman a long time and he's very good. He had some tricks up his sleeve and basically stymied us.

"But I found out a little bit about my team. I kinda suspected we had that kind of grit and resolve and we came roaring back."

Here are some key takeaways from Saturday’s game.

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Hackenberg shows improvement

Not much. But anything was better than the former Penn State star’s showing in his Express debut at Birmingham last week.

Hackenberg was 10-of-23 for 87 yards and an interception against the Iron.

Against the Hotshots, the former second-round pick of the New York Jets completed 14 passes for 102 yards with no picks. He also made some contributions with his feet, rushing seven times for 39 yards and a touchdown while exhibiting impressive toughness.

Singletary was impressed by Hackenberg's resolve.

"The thing I saw tonight was courage," he said. "He took some hits out there and made some decisions out there running the ball. I believe that tonight his teammates followed him. I'm very proud of his courage and his ability to take some big hits, bounce back and continue to play. Hopefully, we continue to build on that."

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The most pivotal rush attempt of Hackenberg's night came on fourth-and-1 at the Hotshots' 46-yard line with 3:35 to play. Arizona took a 20-18 lead less than four minutes earlier, and the Express let Hackenberg attempt a quarterback sneak.

Despite a strong push, officials marked him short of the line to gain, and a Memphis challenge did nothing to change the ruling.

"I thought I had it," Hackenberg said. "I moved pretty good forward. But the spot was the spot and the call was the call. We had to live with that."

Zac Stacy’s still got it

Even at 27, without having played competitive football before the season opener since Nov. 12, 2015.

The former St. Louis Rams back, who scored seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2013 but had just one game with more than 10 carries since Oct. 5, 2014, has been the best offensive player for the Express through two games by a country mile.

Stacy was effective despite being used sparingly in Memphis’ season-opening loss against the Birmingham Iron: 12 rushes for 58 yards and zero targets.

Stacy was elusive against the Hotshots, using strong burst and a quick twitch to rack up 51 yards on 14 carries in the first half. He made history in the first quarter, scoring the first touchdown in Express history on a 9-yard run that put them up 9-0.

Perhaps making Stacy’s performance even more impressive, it came against an Arizona defense that held the Salt Lake Stallions to just 88 rushing yards a week ago. As a team, Memphis racked up 90 yards in the first half alone.

Stacy finished with 101 yards on 19 carries, becoming the first player in AAF history with a 100-yard rushing game.

"We came up short tonight," he said. "The only stat I worry about is wins and losses. Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish it out tonight. So it's gut-check time for us. We've got eight more opportunities left, so we're going to see what we're made of here."

Neuheisel rides with Wolford

Wolford threw for just 194 yards and two touchdowns a week after torching the Salt Lake Stallions for 275 yards and four touchdowns.

The former Wake Forest star also threw the two interceptions of his AAF career – one to Channing Stribling, the other to Jeremy Cutrer.

The first half, in particular, was a struggle for Wolford. He was sacked twice, threw both of his interceptions and completed just 8 of 15 pass attempts for only 57 yards and no touchdowns before halftime.

Neuheisel, whose head coaching career began at Colorado before stops at Washington and most recently UCLA, said Wolford's issues weren't lost on him nor his coaching staff.

And with former Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight waiting in the wings, some began whispering in Neuheisel's ear.

"As is always the case, there's always a lot of opinions about quarterbacks," Neuheisel said. "And there were a couple guys who came to me and said, 'Hey, maybe we let him sit and put Trevor in.' Because Trevor is obviously very capable. And we've still really aspirations for Trevor and (third-stringer) Jack Hennigan as well.

"But there was nothing in his demeanor that showed any panic. There was nothing in his demeanor that showed any self pity. Or, lack of confidence. And I said, 'I'm riding with this guy.'"

Defensive bright spots

Hey, Express fans: Enjoy Channing Stribling and Anthony Johnson while you can.

Because if their performances in the first two games of their Express careers are any indication of what’s to come, the NFL will come calling sooner rather than later.

Stribling – a corner who, granted, seldom lined up against Arizona’s best receiver, Rashad Ross – totaled six tackles, defended three passes and intercepted one of John Wolford’s passes.

Johnson had four tackles from his defensive end spot, including a sack.

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Up next

Memphis goes back on the road to face the Orlando Apollos at 7 p.m. Saturday.