Lafayette, LA – Contributed – The Arkansas State football team (2-3, 0-1 SBC) fought to the last second at Louisiana (4-1, 1-0 SBC), but fell short in a 23-20 decision on Saturday night at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.
Trey Owens completed 20 passes on 31 attempts and tallied 206 yards plus a touchdown. Chauncy Cobb caught eight passes for 65 yards while Jaylen Bonelli secured his second touchdown reception of the season. Solomon Baggett led the team in rushing with 12 carries and 51 yards alongside a touchdown.
Joe Drew led the team with 10 tackles, recording 10 or more in his third consecutive contest. Makai Shahid recovered his first career fumble, and it marked the eighth turnover forced by A-State in 2026.
The Ragin’ Cajuns recorded the only points of the first quarter at the 1:59 mark, when quarterback Lunch Winfield rushed for two yards and a touchdown. The Red Wolves’ response did not come until Clune Van Andel connected on a 25-yard field goal late in the second. The A-State defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive and the offense marched 47 yards on nine plays before Owens found Bonelli for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds left.
The opposition would not be able to respond before time expired, resulting in a 10-7 lead at intermission.
The first drive of the second half culminated in a 38-yard field goal for Louisiana and the Scarlet & Black countered with a successful 21-yard attempt from Van Andel. After A-State surrendered a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, Owens found Cobb for 29 and 14-yard gains before an 18-yard completion to Tyler Little spotted the ball deep in the redzone. Baggett capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run to create a 20-17 advantage.
The Ragin’ Cajuns threatened again in the next drive, but two tackles by Ryan Reese plus an incomplete pass forced a 25-yard field goal that tied the game with 5:38 to go. The Red Wolves were unable to counter before Louisiana marched 73 yards on 13 plays and scored a field goal as time expired.
Next Up
The Red Wolves return to Centennial Bank Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. to face South Alabama. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN2, and the radio broadcast of the game can be heard across the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network. A-State is offering Upper East General Admission tickets for just $8.70. Tickets can be purchased by visiting AStateRedWolves.com/tickets.
