At one point in the third quarter, with the offense yet to reach the end zone against longtime defeated foe ULM, the Red Wolves staff decided to dial up a reverse flea flicker that generated a great deal of kinetic energy for a measly two yard gain. Even the dazzle was without much razzle. The play was slow developing, chunkily executed, and didn’t fool the Warhawks in the least. If running the play was in response to outside criticism regarding the offense’s bland play calling, it did nothing to assuage those notes.

After 60 minutes of football, the Red Wolves didn’t score a single offensive touchdown, bounced a field goal attempt off its own lineman, was successful just four times on fifteen third down attempts, allowed six sacks, provided another opposing QB his best game of the season, and fell to the Warhawks for the first time since 2009, when Steve Roberts was on the sidelines.

Since putting up a noble fight against now #14 Iowa State in Week 3, Arkansas State has woefully regressed on every side of the ball. The offense never recovered from a 21-point first quarter from Kennesaw State. The defense couldn’t overcome A-State’s offense anemia against ULM. After five weeks of football, the team isn’t finding its synergy or gaining its rhythm: the team has flat out gotten worse.

How can this happen? Defensively, the Red Wolves have a case for leniency: the program features a new defensive coordinator and a near total turnover on personnel. Offensively, the program has fewer excuses. The offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf, has been on campus since 2019. Jaylen Raynor is something rare in college football – a third year starter. Starting wide receiver Corey Rucker has been with the team for five years. There should be enough experience and wisdom to get the team across the goal line at least once against ULM.

The offensive line’s performances on Saturday raises both eyebrows. The six sacks it allowed is equal to the number of sacks the Warhawks managed against UTEP and soon-to-be Division III Saint Francis combined. Jones attributed some of the failures to Raynor’s pocket management (yet another alarming concern), but also bear in mind that the Red Wolves lead running backs (Kenyon Clay and Devin Spencer) combined for just 53 ground yards. Raynor, who ran well at the beginning of the season, was credited with negative 39 yards. The fact of the matter remains that Coach Jones’ mission to increase size and talent inside the trenches has not come to fruition. The team finds itself overmatched at the line of scrimmage by programs as unseasoned as my aunt’s potato salad.

The last two games have seen Red Wolves defeats to a first-year and second-year head coach. One defeat came at the hands of a program elevated just two years prior from FCS. The second loss came to a program that is constantly threatened to be budgeted out of existence. In Year Five of the Butch Jones mission to overhaul Arkansas State, the team is 1-4 without a win over an FBS program. The team ranks 125th nationally in Total Defense, and 93rd in Total Offense. Everything the team does on both sides of the ball looks exceedingly difficult. Red Wolves football has simply not improved, and is not a pleasant thing to watch.

Perhaps this is as good as it gets. College football is formatted and organized to benefit about a dozen teams. Even the school in northwest Arkansas is learning that despite all their wealth, they cannot accumulate enough gold to buy a winning team. These days, most red-blooded schools have to win with moxie and pluck. As of the First of October 2025, the Red Wolves have neither. It’s a shame.

IMAGE: My own