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Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – It took till the final seconds for the Red Wolves to pull off the big victory against the Georgia State Panthers by the score of 38-32.
Over the last 2 years, Arkansas State certainly deserves a nickname like “heart attack howlers.” This game was no exception as the Panthers didn’t quit after being down two scores early in the fourth quarter. But A-State prevailed in another tight one score game.
The heroics came from the defense, making a last stand and causing their quarterback of the second half, Ayden Pereira, to make not one but two mistakes in a row to allow A-State to celebrate a victory. I thought it was very interesting that GSU plays two quarterbacks with Pereira and Cameron Brown under center. Brown did a yeoman’s job in the first half, completing eight of 10 passes for 65 yd and one touchdown but did not play in the second half. Pereira played the second half throwing for 163 yards on 12/19 passing. The Panthers also rushed for 201 yards with Qwantavius Wiggins rushing for 99 yards.
But those last second heroics would not have been possible if not for our very talented quarterback Trey Owens. He was 21 of 32 for 301 passing yards and two touchdowns. But not only did he pass well, he ran well also. He accounted for two rushing touchdowns and 36 total rushing yards. I truly have to believe that if Arkansas State can keep winning and Owens can keep having performances like this, he could be the Player of the Year in the Sunbelt. He was an amazing recruiting “get” for the Red Wolves. I have said before that he reminds me an awful lot of a very good A-State quarterback Justice Hanson, who played some years back for the Red Wolves after transferring from Oklahoma.
A lot of credit also has to be given running back Kenyon Clay who rushed for 77 yds on 11 carries. It’s really good to have Kenyon back because he adds an element of power.
And how about Jaylen Bonelli who had seven receptions for 150 yds. He got a full-time start as a result of Hunter Summers being not available due to his arrest for domestic violence. I really don’t know how any player can be so misguided to believe that they are invisible and are not going to suffer consequences for doing bad things such as as allegedly hurting another human being. Enough on that!
Also, Nazeviah Burris (who???) stepped in as the next man and caught 6 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Dang …. the Red Wolves have great receivers up and down the depth chart. A great quarterback and a stable full of wide receivers that can catch the ball when given the opportunity are a very good combination for a scoring offense.
It wasn’t all roses for the Red Wolves though. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, Arkansas State had the Panthers down by two scores and then allowed them to come back and make the outcome doubtful. The last time I was able to breathe easy in a game was against West Georgia. Otherwise, each game has come down to who made the mistakes in the 4th quarter.
The Sunbelt is very even in talent and football with the possible exception of James Madison, who is leaving the Sunbelt for the AAC. It was a wacky Saturday in football across the league with Louisiana Monroe beating Troy and Southern Miss beating Louisiana. Both teams were picked to lose by fairly large margins.
I still have my concerns regarding the Red Wolf defense. ASU’s defensive line looked tiny compared to Georgia State’s offensive line. Too often, Wiggins broke free and ran for solid yardage behind that large, and as Coach Butch would say, violent offensive line.
But can Arkansas State finish with four wins and the most victories during the regular season of Coach Butch Jones tenure. It’s possible! The biggest hurdle for doing that in my opinion is Louisiana Tech. The bulldogs just put a goose egg on Old Dominion and beat them very handily Saturday night. The Red Wolves will have to play them at their stadium, and it isn’t easy to win at that dump.
But the good news is that the Red Wolves have a week off to get better before facing Louisiana Monroe. Monroe, who won at Troy tonight, is bound to be feeling pretty good about themselves. The Red Wolves absolutely can’t have a letdown against them in two weeks.
A bowl game is now definitely in reach and I, as well as you, would be truly disappointed if we can’t win two of the last four. And as screwy as this West division of the Sunbelt is, a 6-2 team could possibly represent the West in the conference championship game.
And that, my fellow Red Wolf fans, is the goal.
About the Author: Bob Troutt is a lifelong Jonesboro resident, Arkansas State University journalism graduate and longtime member of one of Northeast Arkansas’ most prominent newspaper families. A veteran of The Jonesboro Sun and a lifelong A-State fan, Troutt has spent decades watching—and caring deeply about—Arkansas State football.