Boone, NC – (Contributed) – Resilient all season, the Arkansas State football team (6-6, 4-3 SBC) rallied from a six-point deficit late in the fourth quarter and clinched bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season in a 30-29 victory over App State (5-7, 2-6 SBC) on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
A-State joins 17 active Group of Six programs to be bowl eligible in at least three consecutive seasons and are bowl eligible for the 13th time as an FBS member. The Red Wolves join Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina as the only teams with multiple wins in Boone dating back to 2003, and are the lone team among the trio to hold a winning record (2-1).
The Scarlet and Black recorded a third consecutive road win to achieve the feat for the first time since 2015.
Jaylen Raynor led the Red Wolves offense with 32 completions on 47 attempts for a total of 363 yards and three touchdowns. The junior upped his career touchdowns total to 49, which stands as the fourth most in program history.
Chauncy Cobb recorded a team-high 117 receiving yards while Corey Rucker (2) and Tyler Fortenberry (1) accounted for three touchdown receptions. Rucker tied Omar Bayless for the program’s career touchdown record at 26.
Kenyon Clay registered a team-leading 52 rushing yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 42 seconds left in the contest. A-State tallied 448 yards of total offense, including 85 rushing yards, on 81 plays.
Defensively, Aaron Alexander led the team with a career-high 16 total tackles and eight solos while Demarcus Hendricks posted two tackles for loss. Alexander recorded the most tackles by an A-State player since Darreon Jackson had 16 tackles against Coastal Carolina on November 16, 2019.
The Mountaineers capped a 10 play, 50-yard opening drive with a field goal at the 11:15 mark. The Red Wolves remained scoreless until Clune Van Andel converted a 24-yard field goal 8:39 later as the opening quarter concluded with a score of 3-3.
The opposition responded with another 10-play drive that culminated in another field goal early in the second quarter, but a turnover on the ensuing drive allowed App State to start on the A-State 37 yard-line. J.J. Kohl threw a touchdown pass on the first play to make the score 13-3 with 9:44 on the clock.
Momentum shifted towards the Scarlet and Black’s favor late in the first half, as Raynor completed six consecutive passes and capped an eight play, 71-yard drive with a touchdown throw to Rucker. Jordan Sample recovered a muff at the Mountaineers’ 13 yard-line on the following kickoff and Raynor found Fortenberry for another touchdown pass with 1:19 remaining.
App State covered 49 yards in 22 seconds before ending the half with a 45-yard field goal, making the score 16-16 entering halftime.
A-State surrendered a touchdown on the Mountaineers’ first drive of the third quarter but countered with a 75-yard drive highlighted by a 22-yard pass from Raynor to Cobb. Raynor registered his third touchdown pass and Rucker notched his second touchdown reception as the Red Wolves forced a 23-23 tie with 2:42 remaining in the quarter.
App State capitalized on the Scarlet and Black’s third turnover of the contest, breaking the stalemate with a field goal at the 11:39 mark of the fourth quarter. A-State did not respond in their next two possessions, allowing the opposition to drain the clock before posting another field goal with 1:37 to go.
Trailing 29-23, Raynor completed three passes for 21 yards before connecting with Fortenberry on a 19-yard completion. A 34-yard completion to Rucker followed and set up 1st and Goal from the App State one yard-line.
Clay reached the endzone with 42 seconds left and Van Andel notched the extra point to push the Red Wolves ahead 30-29. The Mountaineers covered 44 yards in 38 seconds to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt, but it would miss to the right as time expired.
NEXT UP
A-State will learn its bowl destination and opponent on Dec. 7.
