JONESBORO, Ark. — South Alabama tied Arkansas State 7-7 midway through the second quarter on Saturday, but the Red Wolves scored the next 31 points on the way to a 38-14 Sun Belt Conference victory.
The loss dropped the Jaguars to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in league play. Arkansas State improved to 5-4 and 2-3.
Hansen Leads Red Wolves
Arkansas State quarterback Justice Hansen accounted for 357 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 26 of 37 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 25 yards and caught a 22-yard pass.
Justin McInnis caught seven passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, and Warren Wand ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
How It Happened
Arkansas State scored late in the second quarter to take a 14-7 halftime lead. The Red Wolves then pulled away with two touchdowns in the third quarter. The first drive was helped by a reverse throwback pass to Hansen that gained 22 yards into the South Alabama red zone, and Arkansas State scored three plays later.
South Alabama later went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Arkansas State 19 and was stopped. Three plays after that, on third-and-7, Hansen threw to McInnis near the right sideline, and McInnis raced 78 yards for a touchdown.
Trailing 38-7, South Alabama put together a 10-play, 68-yard drive, capped by Cephus Johnson’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamarius Way.
Quarterback Injuries
Evan Orth started at quarterback after clearing concussion protocol following an injury suffered against Troy on Oct. 23. Orth completed 7 of 15 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown before leaving with an injury in the third quarter. Johnson went 5-of-7 for 30 yards and a touchdown in relief.
Tra Minter ran 17 times for 88 yards, and Johnson added 28 yards on 12 carries. Minter also led the team with four receptions, for nine yards, and Kawaan Baker had a team-high 40 receiving yards on three catches.
Nigel Lawrence led the defense with 17 tackles in his return to the lineup. Lawrence had been out with an injury and was disqualified in the first quarter of the Troy game. Bull Barge added 13 tackles.
Campbell: “I Didn’t Get Us Ready”
“I thought we played hard in the first half and kept ourselves in the game,” head coach Steve Campbell said. “We had a couple of chances, but we gave up seven right before the half. It was a big series for us offensively when we didn’t convert the third-and-one and punted it. Arkansas State was able to drive down and score right before the half and that hurt, then we had the penalty on the kick return that could’ve evened up things for us heading into the locker room. They took the first drive [for a score] to open the second half and I didn’t get us ready coming out after halftime. We couldn’t really get anything going until our last drive.”
Campbell pointed to some positives. “We didn’t have as many penalties as we have in the past… We had a late hit on the quarterback and another 15-yard penalty on Arkansas State’s two first-half touchdown drives…. We didn’t turn it over. Those are some positive things that our young guys can build off of.”
Road Struggles
- South Alabama has never won in Jonesboro.
- The Jaguars are 0-5 on the road this season.
- South Alabama has allowed 245 points in its five road games, losing by an average of 32.6 points.
Up Next
South Alabama returns to Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile on Saturday to host Louisiana-Monroe for homecoming. The Warhawks are 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the Sun Belt after a 44-25 win over Georgia Southern, a result that put them in control of the West Division.
