Last year, Arkansas State notched 8 wins, including a bowl victory over Bowling Green. Five games deep into the 2025 season, the Red Wolves are 1-4, have been soundly shamed by their in-state rival and a team that it hasn’t lost to since 2009, gave up four consecutive touchdowns in a first quarter, gave up three consecutive touchdowns in a first quarter, and is freshly included on the most recent installment of ESPN’s Bottom Ten. Good work to everybody involved!
As mentioned before, the Red Wolves recorded eight wins last year, but not among the victims is this week’s opponent, Texas State, who clobbered Arkansas State last season 41-9 in San Marcos. This was terrible revenge for the Red Wolves pounding the Bobcats 77-31 the year before. This horrendous circle of violence ends upon the conclusion of Saturday’s contest because who knows when these teams see each other next.
Listen to my thoughts on this game on Raising Howl.
“Something is Rotten in the State of Jonesboro”
It’s not the mosquito carcasses plastered onto every pickup truck grill between Newport and Bay. Rather, it is the offense and defense wafting out of Centennial Bank Stadium. The team ranks 125th nationally in Total Defense, and 93rd in Total Offense, which is Totally Bad. There is no moment during game time that offers satisfaction to the Red Wolves fan – unless he or she is fond of three-and-outs and season-best performances from the opposition’s quarterback. If that’s the case, weirdo, I advise you to seek counseling.
It wasn’t always this way. The Red Wolves did score 42 points in the season opener, and actually moved the ball well against Arkansas in Week 2. Since then, the Red Wolves offense has been held to 16 points twice and the defense still hasn’t figured out how to stop the edge run (currently ranked 124th in that regard). Not that we’re any better against the pass! ULM quarterback Aiden Armenta entered last week’s game against Arkansas State averaging 87 passing yards a contest; he recorded 185 yards and two passing TDs on the Red Wolves defense. Meanwhile, the offense didn’t score one touchdown in 60 minutes of play. Last year, quarterback Jaylen Raynor threw three touchdowns on the Warhawks.
At Tuesday’s presser, Coach Butch Jones was clearly frustrated with the team’s play and maybe with the criticism, too. He cited the usual factors – “lack of eye discipline”, not playing “complimentary football” or being “eleven for eleven,” and missing assignments. He said the team is only playing winning football in bursts. He accepted some of the blame, but pointed out that a coach or assistant never recorded a pass or tackle in a college football game. All of that’s true! Yet, after five years of Coach Jones at the helm, the regression from even the veteran players on the team is maddening.
Meanwhile, Everybody Seems Pretty Jolly in San Marcos
The Bobcats are 3-1 and currently sport the conference’s #1 offense and fourth-best defense. How fun! Former Red Wolf Lincoln Pare currently ranks third in the conference for rushing yards (363) and wideout Beau Sparks is the SBC’s second leading receiver with 5 touchdowns. Defensively, Kalil Alexander has been a monster at defensive end, accruing 12 tackles and two sacks. Brad Johnson, entering the season without much of a resume, is among the Sun Belt’s most efficient quarterbacks. Head coach GJ Kinne must see nothing but toothy grins when he’s polishing his belt buckles.
If the Bobcats have an achilles paw, it might be their run defense. Texas State gives up about 190 yards on the turf per game, including 245 yards to both UTSA and Arizona State. However, once you learn that Arkansas State’s run game is among the most anemic in the Sun Belt, your hopes of seeing big runs vanish into despair’s sad ether.
So How Do the Red Wolves Win This Game?
You don’t pay me to say “beats me” so I’ll give this a go. I honestly don’t know what “eye discipline” means, but whatever it is, the entire team better get a double shot of it fast. After being Arkansas State’s punching bag for years, the Bobcats are more than happy to met out as much pain to the Red Wolves as they’re capable of mustering, so everybody on the A-State sideline needs to be one million person focused on winning football.
Offensively, it starts with Jaylen Raynor. Since leading the Red Wolves in rushing yards with 86 versus Iowa State (while tacking on 222 passing yards), the dual threat quarterback seems hesitant to move beyond the line of scrimmage. Against ULM, he recorded a jaw dropping negative 37 yards and was dripped six times for sacks. Coach Jones mentioned the sophomore quarterback’s pocket management needing some work, so maybe it gets worked out by Saturday.
Raynor was quick to defend his offensive line during the Tuesday presser, but nobody has allowed more sacks in the Sun Belt than Arkansas State outside of Troy. If the running backs and tight ends need to be conscripted in providing another layer of protection for Raynor, so be it.
That means the wide receivers must find an additional gear and help their QB out. At this time, Chauncy Cobb is the only receiver who is regularly open; everyone else is Saran Wrapped to a defender. Is it a lack of speed? Boring routes? Eye discipline? I haven’t the foggiest. If it takes asking Cobb for his secret formula, do it.
Defensively, the Red Wolves haven’t been bad at providing pressure in the trench, though the team currently ranks just 11th in sacks. The team has found success creating turnovers, ranking third in conference for fumbles recovered. However, too often opposing receivers are running by corners only to find themselves completely alone in an ocean of unprotected space. Opposing running backs soon discover that if they can get to the edge, nobody is there to stop them from turning the corner. I haven’t solutions to fix these things because I’m no Bill Walsh.
Whether or not you subscribe to his maxims, Coach Jones is absolutely right: the team needs to play “11 for 11” football. Too many times, the breakdown is the result of one guy missing a tackle or neglecting a gap. If the Red Wolves are to give the Bobcats a game, there is no room for slackers on either the offense of defense.
Bobcat to Body: Treylin Payne, Senior Linebacker
The Red Wolves must charge-up their run game, and that means putting a body on the Bobcats’ leading tackler, 6’0″ 215 Treylin Payne. In the before-mentioned 2023 victory over Texas State, the Red Wolves run game piled up 284 yards and punched in seven touchdowns. If everybody hits their marks, perhaps we can see a repeat of that performance on Saturday.
The Threads
All black to commemorate the death of the Arkansas State vs Texas State rivalry, I presume.
Final Analysis
The Red Wolves are a mess, there’s no shrugging that off. The good news is, you can tidy up a mess, especially when you are preparing to have guests. The Red Wolves haven’t seen The Cent since Week 3, and some own-bed sleeping and some home-cooking might be what Arkansas State needs to restore their lost mojo.
Also, Boobcats Shirts are still for sale.
MAIN IMAGE: AI Monstrosity
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