TXST FOOTBALL
The Bobcats start conference play on the road as Texas State travels to Jonesboro for a showdown against the rival Arkansas State Red Wolves.
The Red Wolves enter the game with a 1-4 overall record with their only win of the season coming against Southeastern Missouri State. Last week against Louisiana Monroe, Arkansas State fell to the Warhawks 28-16 in their first loss to ULM since 2009 Arkansas State finished the 2024 season with a 7-5 regular record, tied for second in the Sun Belt West Division with Texas State and South Alabama.
In the Bobcats showdown with the Red Wolves, Texas State stomped Arkansas State 41-9 to capture their fourth win of the season.
The Red Wolves qualified for a bowl game and played in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. There Arkansas State defeated Bowling Green 38-31 to capture their eighth win of the season.
Junior quarterback Jaylen Raynor has been leading the way for the Red Wolves offense, passing for 1,203 yards through five games along with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Raynor has also rushed for 104 yards on 56 carries and two touchdowns.
Raynor’s main target has been Chauncy Cobb, who leads the team in receiving with 27 catches for 367 yards. Corey Rucker is second in receiving with 19 catches for 232 yards and one touchdown.
In the ground game, running back Devin Spencer leads the team in rushing with 39 carries for 188 yards and one touchdown. Kenyon Clay is second in rushing with 51 carries for 166 yards and one touchdown.
On defense, safety Brandon Greil leads the team in total tackles with 29 along with 12 solo tackles and one interception. Linebacker Nigel Nelson is second in total tackles with 28.
The history of the Texas State-Arkansas series dates back to 2013 when the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt Conference after spending a year in the Western Athletic Conference in their inaugural season of FBS competition.
Since 2013, Texas State and Arkansas State have played 12 consecutive times.
Arkansas State won the first ever meeting between the two teams in 2013, winning 38-21 before Texas State won their first game against the Red Wolves 45-27 in the 2014 season.
Arkansas State then rat- tled off five straight wins against Texas State, from 2015 through the 2019 season with the average score being 38.4 in favor of the Red Wolves and 13.4 for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats snapped their five-game losing streak against the Red Wolves in arguably the most exciting game of the series during the 2020 season.
Combining for 1,159 yards of offense and 92 total points, Texas State defeated Arkansas State 4745 after running back Calvin Hill scored the game winning touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in the game.
Bobcat quarterback Brady McBride passed for 443 yards and five touchdowns, becoming just the fifth quarterback in program history to pass for over 400 yards and the second to pass for five touchdowns in a single game.
Texas State then racked up two consecutive wins against Arkansas State, beating the Red Wolves 24-22 in their first ever win in Jonesboro during the 2021 season before winning again 16-13 in the 2022 season.
The Red Wolves snapped their three-game losing streak to Texas State during the 2023 season with a 7731 win over the Bobcats in the highest scoring game of the series.
Kickoff for Texas State-Arkansas State is set for Saturday Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
