Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Nov. 30, 2024 – Arkansas State football (7-5, 5-3 SBC) rallied late, but the offensive firepower from Old Dominion (5-7, 4-4 SBC) was too much in a 40-32 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Centennial Bank Stadium.
Jaylen Raynor finished the contest with 22 completions for 261 yards and three touchdowns while Corey Rucker led the team with 115 yards receiving. Following a 12-yard reception at the 13:28 mark in the first quarter, Rucker passed J.D. McKissic (2012-15) to become A-State’s all-time leading receiver.
On the ground, Zak Wallace posted a team-leading 89 yards on 15 carries along with a touchdown. Ja’Quez Cross was not far behind at 52 yards on nine attempts, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Justin Parks and Charles Willekes registered 11 tackles on the night, which is the former’s fourth of the season and the latter’s third double-digit tackle performance, respectively. Bryan Whitehead recorded a sack for the third consecutive game and had multiple tackles for loss for the third time this season.
After Old Dominion forced a punt on the Red Wolves’ opening drive, Quinn Henicle broke off a 92-yard touchdown run on the Monarch’s first play from scrimmage. A redzone turnover allowed Old Dominion to move ahead 14-0 following a 13 play, 90-yard drive capped by a one-yard run from Aaron Young.
Facing a 4th and 8 on the Monarchs’ 36-yard line, Raynor found Rucker for a touchdown with 1:04 left in the opening quarter. Old Dominion pushed the lead back to double-digits when Young scored on a 24-yard rush. The Scarlet and Black responded before halftime with a 68-yard drive that resulted in a 15-yard touchdown reception for Manny Stevenson Jr., his first of the season.
Both sides opened the second half with a touchdown, but two quick scores from the Monarchs opened up a 40-21 deficit at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter. A-State responded with a touchdown on a 10-yard rush from Wallace while Rucker converted the two-point attempt, cutting the deficit to 11 with one quarter remaining.
Clune Van Andel put the Red Wolves within one possession on a 26-yard field goal with 6:03 remaining, but Old Dominion received the ball at the 5:59 mark and proceeded to drain the clock.
The Scarlet and Black conclude the 2024 regular season with seven wins, the most since going 8-5 (5-3 SBC) in 2019. A-State is bowl game eligible for the second consecutive season, with a destination and opponent to be determined on Dec. 8.
