Red Wolves win X Box Bowl
Corey Rucker’s name is written in Arkansas State record books in ink. The program’s all-time leading receiver turned in a vintage performance during his final game to help the Red Wolves beat Missouri State, 34-28. Arkansas State’s name will be written in sharpie as the inaugural champions of the X-Box Bowl.
Rucker put a feather in his cap in the early moments of the game. With minutes to play in the first quarter, quarterback Jaylen Raynor uncorked a pass deep down the left sideline. Rucker was wide open and scampered into the end zone for a 71-yard score. The play made him the 24th player to ever record over 4,000 yards receiving in FBS.
He would finish the game with six receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown, but it could have been so much more. Late in the game, he had two chunk plays taken off the board by penalties. The first was a magnificent display of physicality and willpower to earn a first down on third and long. He bulldozed over Bears defenders en route to the sticks before a flag flew ten yards behind him. Had the two plays counted, he might have broken the Arkansas State bowl game receiving record (Taylor Stockemer had 185 yards in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl).
Early on, it looked like Arkansas State was primed to run away with the game. They led 24-7 at the end of the first half. Raynor was on fire, passing for three touchdowns to three different receivers. By the end of the third quarter it was 31-7.
Missouri State blitzed back with an all-out assault in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jacob Clark threw for 180 yards in the game’s closing act. Like Raynor in the first half, he connected with three separate receivers for a trio of touchdowns to bring his total on the day to four. He did it all in 15 minutes.
When Clark completed a bomb to Luke Dash to 59 yards, it looked like the Bears had legitimate life. But just as Dash was breaking towards the goal line, he was dragged down from behind by Arkansas State safety Brandon Barnes. With three minutes left on the clock, a touchdown would have given Missouri State a chance to get the ball back. Barnes’ tackle bled just enough time off the clock to force an onside kick.
Any hope of a miracle comeback effort came up short after the onside kick failed. For one panicked moment, the ball bounced off wide receiver Reed Linder’s chest. It died in between his legs but he was able to corral the ball before a defender pounced.
Linder, a junior, has not caught a pass in his career with the Red Wolves, but the ball he came away with was the most important (almost) catch of Arkansas State’s season.
The Red Wolves started the season 1-4, but howled back with a four game win streak to put themselves in bowl contention in the season’s final weeks. One-point wins against Texas State, South Alabama and Appalachian State were instrumental in Arkansas State’s eventual bowl triumph.
“I think we have great culture in Jonesboro, Arkansas,” head coach Butch Jones told ESPN postgame.
The season was not without turbulence. Arkansas State could have just as easily finished 3-7 as 7-6. But they didn’t. The Red Wolves were resilient all season. When they needed to make a play in a tight game, they did it. Whether it was Raynor’s scramble score against Texas State, Clune Van Andel’s kick against South Alabama, Kenyon Clay’s plunge against Appalachian State to send Arkansas State to the X-Box Bowl or Barnes’ tackle to win it – the Red Wolves almost always found a way.
That resolve won’t be forgotten in Jonesboro anytime soon.
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