Photo by Ibuki Hinohara | Photo Editor

Arkansas State kicked off the regular season with a game at home this Saturday. The Red Wolves took on the reigning Ohio Valley Conference regular season champions in the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. 

Quarterback Jaylen Raynor came out and set the tone early, being extremely aggressive and taking shots downfield. Raynor found wide receiver Chauncy Cobb for a 45 yard reception on the first drive of the game. The Red Wolves then capitalized on that drive with running back Ja’Quez Cross punching in a 7 yard rush to take a 7-0 lead. 

After this commanding start by the Red Wolves offense, it did not take much time for the Redhawks to come back and respond with a touchdown of their own. Redhawks QB Jax Letherwood marched up the field, with Redhawks RB Brandon Epton Jr. eventually getting in the end zone with an 8-yard rush to tie it up at 7-7.

The second quarter was where the Red Wolves started to find some rhythm. Raynor was getting everyone involved, sharing the ball well all night, continuing to stay aggressive and test the SEMO secondary. The Red Wolves regained a lead on a screen play to Cross, who got into the endzone for the second time in the half. 

The defense adjusted well as time progressed in this game. During the second quarter Arkansas State linebacker Terry Kirksley forced a fumble which was recovered by the Red Wolves defensive end Demarcus Hendrix. The Red Wolves backfield was very spread out, with three different running backs getting in the endzone. Cross, RB Devon Spencer, RB Kenyon Clay combined for 119 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. 

A-State head coach Butch Jones said the team played “winning football at times.” After the game Coach Butch emphasized that this was a new team. “We were able to get off the field on third down, particularly in the second half. They were beating us a little bit on 4 and 5 yard runs which you can’t do, then we started to really control the sticks in the second half,” Jones said. Coach Jones also gave a lot of credit to his quarterback. “The way Jaylen distributed the football, I think he made the routine plays and that is something that we have really been talking with him about,” Jones said.

Jaylen Raynor was 26/32 with 345 passing yards. He also had three passing touchdowns and averaged 10.8 yards per throw. Raynor had no trouble sharing the ball, with 10 different receivers catching a pass on the night. On the ground, Raynor used his athletic ability to create looks while escaping the pocket. Red Wolves fans have a lot to look forward to after this dominant performance. 

Next week, the Red Wolves will be taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks. This will be the first time this in-state showdown has happened in college football history. The Red Wolves and Razorbacks will be facing off this Saturday on September 6 at 4 p.m. 

Categories: Sports