There was a singular moment that occurred during Arkansas State’s victory over Stony Brook that gave me a greater belief in this Red Wolves team. It happened during a complete breakdown in pass coverage, with a Seawolves quarterback connecting with a wide open receiver who made a jail break for the goal line. There wasn’t a soul who could stop him. The Stony Brook touchdown was assured. Except nobody told corner back Samy Johnson, who crossed the opposite end of the field with supernatural velocity, as though he were hurled by a ancient god. Six yards from the goal line, Samy and the Stony Brook receiver collided, and the score was – momentarily – delayed.

It wasn’t really necessary for Johnson to expend so much energy. The victory was well assured, and besides, stopping the receiver’s progress would still leave the Seawolves in a position from which it was near impossible not to score. (In fact, Stony Brook would indeed score a couple of plays later.) The only purpose for Samy Johnson to make the play was pride.

And that gave me hope for this team. Stony Brook hadn’t scored the entire game, and Samy Johnson took umbrage with the Seawolves making one last attempt. There is fight left in these Red Wolves.

Meanwhile, Arkansas State may have found their new starting quarterback, true freshman Jaylen Raynor – of whom Butch Jones is quick to remind us that he is a true freshman. Fair enough. The kid will make mistakes. Except that in little more than one quarter of play, Raynor had 78 yards and a TD on 4/6 passing. For added value, he tacked on 57 rushing yards on nine attempts. He projected a confidence behind the offensive line that simply hasn’t been there with his two contemporaries, making plays with his feet when designed or when necessary, plus completing the throws that seemed to have eluded both Jaxon Daily and JT Shrout (re: a beautiful 42 yard completion to Jeff Foreman).

Raynor was far from the only freshman who dazzled (albeit against soft competition). Running back Cedrick Hawkins, the former star of Stuttgart, averaged nearly 9 yards per carry on his six 4th quarter attempts. Wide receiver Tennel Bryant, benched against Memphis after a productive outing against Oklahoma, caught a couple passes. Little Rock’s Brandon Greil saw action at safety, and Benton’s Walker Davis got a few reps on the offensive line. The future looks big and fast for Arkansas State.

Important to note, the membrane that separated the Red Wolves from the end zone has been repeatedly punctured, with Hampton, Arkansas’ Ja’Quez Cross doing the honors. Did Cross’ 168 yard, two touchdown performance cement his roll as the bell-ringing running back? It would seem that the combination of Cross and Raynor would give the Red Wolves the best shot of beating Southern Miss on Saturday, but you never know what level of over-think may occur between now and then.

In the meantime, when the darkness threatens to overtake your life, remember Samy’s Epic Rundown. In the end, it didn’t mean much, except that it might mean everything.

Graphic: my own