Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – The Arkansas State football team (5-6, 4-3 SBC) reached the Louisiana (5-6, 4-3 SBC) two yard-line with less than five seconds remaining but fell short on the final play in a 34-30 setback Thursday night at Centennial Bank Stadium.
Jaylen Raynor converted 25-of-43 passes for 256 yards, and Corey Rucker led the team in receiving yards with 120, his 16th career game with 100-plus receiving yards. Devin Spencer led the Red Wolves in rushing, posting 71 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.
AG McGhee tallied a career-high 12 tackles while Cody Sigler registered one fumble recovery for a touchdown to go along with a career high six tackles. Chauncy Cobb led the special teams with his second kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
As a team, the Red Wolves posted 394 yards of total offense, including 138 yards on the ground, on 78 plays. The defense secured 10 tackles for loss worth 52 yards, which includes five sacks worth 42 yards.
Clune Van Andel put the first three points of the game on the board with a 21-yard field goal and a strip-sack by Noland Asberry allowed Sigler to make a 27-yard return to the endzone and make the score 10-0 at the 7:57 mark of the first quarter. The Ragin’ Cajuns responded with back-to-back touchdowns off turnovers to regain the advantage, but Van Andel sent a 41-yard field goal through the uprights and closed the gap to one point, 14-13, in the second quarter.
Louisiana matched with a 41-yard field goal of their own before A-State countered with Cobb’s 93-yard kickoff return to claim a 20-17 lead. However, a 65-yard return on the ensuing kickoff allowed the opposition to start from the Red Wolves’ 33 yard-line.
The Ragin’ Cajuns scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper six plays later, putting the Scarlet and Black behind by four points, 24-20, with 3:38 remaining in the first half. A 28-yard pass from Raynor to Tyler Fortenberry opened what became an 11 play, 75-yard drive that spanned 2:40 and culminated in a one-yard touchdown rush for Devin Spencer.
Neither side scored again before the clock hit 0:00, allowing A-State to enter intermission with a 27-24 advantage.
Louisiana outscored the Red Wolves 7-0 in the third quarter, beginning with a touchdown at the 6:29 mark. A-State reached the opposing 25-yard line but turned the ball over on downs, and the Ragin’ Cajuns capitalized by moving the ball 42 yards before settling for a 50-yard field goal with 13:35 to go in the fourth.
The Scarlet and Black avoided a three-and-out on the ensuing possession by converting on fourth down and proceeded to move 59 yards to the Louisiana six yard-line. Raynor’s pass intended for Tyler Little fell incomplete, resulting in Van Andel’s third field goal of the night from 24 yards out to make the score 34-30 at the 6:46 mark.
Three punts followed before A-State regained possession with 2:26 on the clock. After 14 plays, the Red Wolves reached the Ragin’ Cajuns two yard-line with three seconds on the clock.
Raynor rushed to the right on the final play but was unable to break the plane as the clock hit 0:00.
NEXT UP
A-State concludes the 2025 regular season at App State (4-6, 1-5 SBC) on Saturday, Nov. 29. Kickoff from Kidd Brewer Stadium is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (CT), and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
