Arkansas State Soundly Drums Massachusetts 52-28

The Red Wolves weren’t going to give the Minutemen a second to breathe. Led by an overwhelming performance from true freshman quarterback Jaylen Raynor (20/25, 385 yards and six touchdowns), Arkansas State pounded the University of Massachusetts for the most impressive offensive game in the Butch Jones Era.

Ja’Quez Cross (48 yards, 1 TD) opened the scoring with a 11 yard TD run, but his services were hardly needed for the rest of the game as Raynor – given plenty of time from his massive offensive line – connected with nine receivers, dealing a pair of TD passes to Jeff Foreman (2 catches, 65 yards, two TDS) and 105 yards and a TD to Adam Jones. Emmanaul Stevenson, Courtney Jackson and Regan Ealy also caught touchdown passes.

Dominic Zvada hit a 44 yard field goal late in the first quarter to give the Red Wolves a 17-0 lead. However, the Minutemen seemed to rise from the dead when Greg Desrosiers Jr. run for 60 yards for a score, but Raynor and the offensive responded immediately with a 39 yard touchdown pass to Foreman.

Zak Wallace (11 carries for 54 yards) and later Brian Snead served as the offensive batting ram, gaining the hard yards that put the Red Wolves in scoring position again and again. By the end of the game the Red Wolves had amassed 556 yards of offense, and the defense collected an interception(Eddie Smith), four sacks and nine tackles for a loss.

The Red Wolves return to action next week at Troy to take on the Trojans.