Tag: August 31 2019

CBC takes down Avila in Kansas City

August 31, 2019

By CBC SPORTS INFORMATION

KANSAS CITY – Carrying some momentum from a win on Thursday night, Central Baptist College men’s soccer took on Avila University this afternoon. CBC (3-1) got goals from Ryan Lee (FR/North Little Rock) in the first half and Nicholas Reed (JR/Morrilton) in the second half and held on to beat Avila (1-1) 2-1.

Lee’s goal gave him the team lead for the season and Reed, a defender, scored again to seal it. Andrew Montoya (SO/Rogers) was brilliant between the sticks yet again.

MUSTANG NOTES

  • Lee’s goal came in the fourth minute off an assist from Tyler Maynard (SR/White Hall) that finished a counter attack
  • Reed’s goal came from Lee in the 68th minute and gave CBC a 2-0 lead at the time
  • Montoya made six saves for his third victory of the season

EAGLE NOTES

  • Jake Gaynor scored in the 88th minute to cut the lead in half
  • Chris Guldenpfennig made three saves

UP NEXT

The Mustangs are now off until Sept. 6, when they play Evangel in Springfield, Mo., with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

Golden Goal sinks No. 13 John Brown

John Brown’s Anne Metz. Photo by John Brown University Sports Information
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August 31, 2019

By JOHN BROWN SPORTS INFORMATION

SILOAM SPRINGS – Rayssa Souza’s overtime goal, her second on the match, broke a 1-1 draw for Oklahoma Wesleyan and turned a promising match in which the Golden Eagles carried momentum through full time into the No. 13 John Brown University women’s soccer team’s first loss of the season on Saturday (Aug. 31) afternoon at Alumni Field.

In the final match of the annual John Brown University Classic, a tale of two halves unfolded as the sides each dominated a frame apiece. The visiting Eagles (1-1-0), stinging from a 4-0 setback to No. 19 Science & Arts (Okla.) on Thursday, came out a much more confident side as OKWU peppered the John Brown goal with eight shot attempts before the intermission.

Wesleyan nearly struck in the fourth minute when a dreadful deflection inside the JBU box rolled to the visitors’ leading scorer from a year ago, Marjolen Nekesa. Nekesa all alone, fired a shot to the bottom left post, but junior Caitlyn Logan answered the question with a brilliant diving save to keep the match scoreless.

After another Logan save, and an Anne Metz header attempt off a corner, which turned out to be a sign of things to come, Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute when Daniela Ortiz’s feed from the right wing to a wide open Souza for a one-touch to the back of the goal.

Both teams attempted one more shot apiece before the bathroom break where the Golden Eagles (2-1-0) regrouped for quite a different second half.

In the second frame, the hosts enjoyed a 10-4 advantage in the shooting column, and in the 55th minute, Metz leveled the match when her head redirected a Sienna Nealon corner kick from the left flag off Wesleyan keeper Aryza Olague’s hands, the crossbar, and finally over the goal line.

Metz, now with a goal in consecutive matches, and senior Kristen Howell now share the Golden Eagle scoring race with a pair of strikes each.

John Brown would continue to push the pace as sophomore Alair Love and junior Vanessa Reynoso would lead the effort three and two shot attempts, respectively. Olague had to make three saves as seven Golden Eagle offerings missed the frame or were blocked.

Just 3:15 into extra time, an unfortunate defensive clearing skipped right to OKWU’s Taylor Gross, who immediately fired a pass that split the JBU back line and sprung Souza in on Logan all alone. Souza ended the match with a shot to the bottom left corner in the 94th minute.

John Brown finished the match with a 15-13 shooting advantage, but Wesleyan owned an 8-6 margin in shots on target. Logan was dinged with her first loss of the season despite making a season-high six saves. OKWU’s first half tally broke the Blue and Gold’s shutout streak at 214:58.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles return to Alumni Field for its fourth consecutive home match on Saturday (Sept. 7) when it welcomes Columbia (Mo.) for the 7 p.m. match. John Brown dealt the Cougars a 1-0 loss last season in Columbia, Mo. on senior Jastin Redman’s second-half strike.

Hendrix Women take Early Bird Invitational

August 31, 2019

By HENDRIX SPORTS INFORMATION

CLARKSVILLE – Men’s and women’s cross country teams opened up the 2019 season by taking part in Ozarks’ Early Bird Invite at Clarksville Saturday morning.

On the men’s side, the Warriors finished in second place as freshmen Gideon Drake finished in eighth-place individually with a 19:09.3 mark in the 5K (3.11 miles) field.

On the women’s side, Hendrix topped Philander Smith and host Ozarks to win the meet. Senior Mackenzie Gearin finished first and recorded a 14:02.3 mark in the 3K (2 miles) field while sophomore Rachel Allen finished second and recorded a 14:33.0 mark.

MEET INFORMATION
Event: Early Bird Invite
Date(s): Aug. 31
Host: University of the Ozarks | Clarksville
Site: U of O Cross Country Course

WARRIORS’ TIME AND PLACES
Men
– Gideon Drake – 8th place – 19:09.3 
– Michael Miller – 11th place – 19:28.6
– Connor Escajeda – 14th place – 21:00.6
– Ian Campbell – 20th place – 15:52.9

Women
– Mackenzie Gearin – 1st place – 14:02.3
– Rachel Allen – 2nd place – 14:33.0
– Victoria Ortega – 3rd place – 14:51.5
– Tali Ramirez – 7th place – 15:55.1
– Liesl Krone – 10th place – 17:03.4
– Bailey Brya – 12th place – 17:42.7

UP NEXT
The Warriors will return to Conway Sept. 7 to take part in the Central Arkansas Invite across town.

Hendrix completes Opening Weekend sweep

August 31, 2019

By HENDRIX SPORTS INFORMATION

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – One day after knocking off the no. 14 nationally-ranked Washington University-St. Louis Bears, the Warriors remained in St. Louis, for the final two games of the Bear Invite.

First up, the Warriors battled Webster before taking on Westminster (Mo.) in the first doubleheader of the season. The Warriors took an early 2-0 set lead but it took all five sets for Hendrix to defeat the Gorloks. In the final game of the day, Hendrix cruised to a 3-0 set sweep of the Blue Jays to sweep the opening weekend of the season. The Warriors currently sit at 3-0 on the young season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final:Hendrix 3, Webster 2  [25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 19-25, 15-9]| Hendrix 3, Westminster (Mo.) 0 | [25-20, 25-9, 25-13)
Records: Warriors 2-0, Gorloks 1-2    |    Warriors 3-0, Blue Jays 1-2
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Get Social: Twitter | @HendrixWarriors | @HCscoreboard

GAME 1 VS WEBSTER
HOW IT HAPPENED
– After Hendrix trailed 9-2 early in the opening set, a 7-0 run gave the Warriors its first lead of the match at 11-10. 
– Leading by a point, a 6-0 run allowed for a commanding 22-16 lead for Hendrix.
– Hendrix won the first five points of the second frame and won 12 of the first 14 points in the set. 
– Lauren Dwyer recorded four kills in the second frame, Sadie Walker tallied three, Mallory Carty, Kiersten Huitt and Allison Long recorded a pair of kills while MaKenzie Presley accounted for one.
– After hitting .024 in the first two sets, Webster took the next two sets to even the match at two sets apiece.
– The Warriors won the first four points of the fifth frame to force a Gorlok timeout.
– Leading 8-3, Huitt and Dwyer recorded a block assist before each player recorded a kill on the next two plays to take the commanding 11-3 edge.
– After a 5-0 Webster run, the Warriors scored four of the next five points to record another five-set victory; capped off with a block assist from Carty and Sesalie Satterwhite.
– Satterwhite notched her second double-double in as many days after accounting for 18 digs and 15 assists.
– Molly Kingston recorded a career-high 20 digs and five assists in five sets played in.
– Dwyer also accounted for a double-double after registering 17 digs and 15 kills while McGrath recorded 17 digs in the win as well.

GAME 2 VS WESTMINSTER (MO.)
HOW IT HAPPENED
– After being knotted up at 2-all, the Warriors never trailed in the opening set as Hendrix took the set, 25-20, and hit .400.
– In the second set, Hendrix trailed 3-1 early on, but an impressive 15-1 run by Hendrix gave the Warriors the 21-6 advantage as the Warriors hit a game-high .485 and limited the Blue Jays to an even .000 as Hendrix took the set, 25-9.
– In the third and final frame, the Warriors hit. 484 with 16 kills and only one errors as Hendrix swept Westminster (Mo.) for its third-straight win to open up the season.
– Satterwhite accounted for 21 assists and five digs in the win while Claire Smith added 20 assists, three kills and a dig while hitting .600 herself.
– Dwyer added 14 kills and six digs while hitting .500.
– McGrath recorded 15 digs while Kingston registered 14 as the Warriors continued its dominance in Missouri this weekend.

WHAT WAS SAID
“Coach MC Rogers and I have been challenging the team to play with confidence and never give up,” coach Brittany Newberry said. “They did that this weekend. In addition, we are a more experienced team this year and that helped us achieve a three-game sweep for our first tournament. We grew a lot this weekend and I couldn’t ask for a better start to the season.”

UP NEXT
The Warriors will remain on the road with a pivotal road trip to Illinois next weekend in another tournament. Hendrix will face University of Chicago Friday at 7 p.m. from Bloomington before facing no. 13 Illinois Wesleyan Saturday at 10 a.m. and Otterbein 12:30 p.m.

UAFS Cross Country Teams enter Season with High Hopes

August 31, 2019

By UAFS SPORTS INFORMATION

FORT SMITH – Mason Rhodes, the head coach of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith men’s and women’s cross country teams, has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2019 season; 14 of them to be exact.

“We’ve added 11 freshmen and three transfers to our squads,” said Rhodes. “We wanted to grow both the size and scope of talent on our teams, which is exactly what we’ve done. I’m excited about this year’s recruiting class.”

Now in his second year of leading the Lion’s programs, Rhodes said he was looking for a particular quality in this year’s class of recruits.

“I wanted kids who aren’t afraid to challenge themselves in the classroom and on the course,” said Rhodes. “Our student-athletes are fierce competitors, but they’re also focused on earning a degree. What they learn in this program and at this university will allow them to be successful in the professional world.”

This new class of recruits joins a talented group of returners on both squads.

“On the women’s side, we’re looking for big things from senior Kandace Young,” said Rhodes. “She broke our school record last year by running an 18:36 at the 5k distance. Her goal this year is to drop that even lower. We only have three returners on our men’s side: Will Phillips, Oliver Perez and James Glidewell. All three are coming off a very strong showing in the spring and are focused on ending their running careers on a high note.”

The experience of the returning Lions will be especially important with the university’s switch to the Lone Star Conference.

“The Lone Star is very similar to the Heartland Conference in regards to cross country,” said Rhodes. “Although we didn’t show as well as we wanted in 2018, I think we’ll be competitive this year. We have a strong core of returners. With the addition of our new talent, we may surprise some people as to how good we can be.”

The UAFS Lions will start the season by hosting the UAFS Invitational Sept. 7 at the site of the former First Tee of Fort Smith, 6100 Golf Course Loop. This will be only the second time UAFS has hosted a cross country meet.

“We’re partnering with the Fort Smith School District to build a running course at that site,” said Rhodes. “It will serve both the university and school districts. The UAFS meets will begin that morning with the women’s competition at 8 a.m. Our men will compete immediately afterwards and be followed by both high school and junior high races. If you love cross country, this is the meet for you.”

A complete UAFS cross country schedule and roster is available at uafslions.com. 

UAPB opens season at TCU

August 31, 2019

By UAPB SPORTS INFORMATION

FORT WORTH – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football team as the Golden Lions will play at TCU Saturday.

HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, ATTEND:

The Golden Lions held their final walkthrough Friday morning and will now finalize preparations through meetings and rest prior to kickoff.

“I think the guys are really focused,” said UAPB head coach Cedric Thomas. “In looking at them based on the walkthrough and the pertinent information in I’s being dotting and t’s being crossed, they have a good wherewithal of what this high-powered team is going to give them. We’ll just continue to iron out the small details between now and Saturday night.”

Both teams are coming in off winning finishes to the 2018 season. UAPB won in the Lone Star State with a 15-10 at Texas Southern on November 17. TCU won its final two games to earn a bowl bid and ended 2018 on a three-game win streak with an overtime victory in the Cheez-It-Bowl on December 26.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve hit someone else other than ourselves and get the chance to compete against another opponent,” Thomas said. “Competitors love to compete, and Saturday presents another opportunity to do so. For these seniors, we’re on this countdown to their journey be done as college players. We’re going to celebrate each gameday opportunity and it starts in a couple of hours.”

SEASON TICKETS STILL ON SALE FOR UAPB HOME GAMES: Season tickets for the six-game Golden Lion home football schedule are on sale o Season tickets are on sale now for the six-game home schedule. General admission tickets can be purchased online at uapblionsroar.com/tickets starting at only $60.

Reserved chairback and benchback seats, as well as the five-game family pack and first responders’ discounts can be purchased in person at the UAPB ticket office at Simmons Bank Field Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Single game tickets go on sale Monday, Sept. 9.

For more information, call 870-575-8601 or email Brenda Jones at [email protected].

Little Rock opens Cross Country Season in Memphis

August 31, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock will begin the 2019 cross country season under the lights when the Trojans head to the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic. The women’s race will begin at 9:20 p.m. while the men’s race is expected to start at 10 p.m.

Three Things to Know

  1. Someone Bring the Coffee
    While most cross country races are in the mornings (and the teams usually train in the morning), this race will have a much different feel with such a late start. The women start at 9:20 p.m. and the men at 10 p.m. – nearly 12 hours later than a normal cross country race starts.
  2. Coaching Debuts for Little Rock’s Team
    Saturday’s meet will not only mark the start of the 2019 season for both the men’s and women’s programs but all will mark the debut of two new coaches on the Little Rock coaching staff. Meg Joiner, a former track athlete from Oakland University, is starting her first year working with the women’s distance runners at Little Rock while Alan Webb, Olympian and American record holder in the mile, is working with the men’s distance runners.
  3. Experience Returns
    Little Rock’s men’s team returns three runners that scored in last year’s Memphis Twilight Classic – Ricardo Banks, Emilio Medina and Carter Reynolds – for the Trojans. Banks was second on the team with a 22:13.80 time while Medina ran 22:45.55 and Reynolds clocked 22:49.99 to finish third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile on the women’s side, Hunter Pual (19:14.83) and Vianney Sanchez (19:41.34) were the second and third-placing runners for the Trojans, respectively. Both sides lost their top finisher from last year’s race.

For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook and Twitter.

Arkansas State-SMU Game Notes

By ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

GAME 1: Arkansas State (0-0) hosts SMU (0-0)

Aug. 31, 2019 | Allison Field at Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro | 6 p.m.

Radio: EAB Red Wolves Sports Network (107.9 FM, flagship)Matt Stolz (pxp), Tim Allison (analyst), Brad Bobo (sideline)

Television: ESPN+Roger Twibell (pxp), Pete Cordelli (analyst), Rich Zvosec (sideline)

Live Stats: AStateStats.com

Live Game Notes: twitter.com/AStateGameDay

ON TAP: Arkansas State will open its season at home for the fifth time over the last seven seasons, hosting SMU at Centennial Bank Stadium this Saturday, Aug. 31.  The game will appear on ESPN+, and every Red Wolves football game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in the Northeast Arkansas area.  The live radio broadcast can also be accessed on the official A-State Athletics web site (AStateRedWolves.com) and the A-State Athletics app.

THE PRINCIPALS:  The Red Wolves play both their home and season opener Saturday against American Athletic Conference member SMU.  A-State was picked in the Sun Belt Conference preseason coaches’ poll to finish second in the league’s west division.  SMU, coming off a 5-7 season, was picked to finish fourth in the AAC’s west division in the league’s preseason media poll.

HEAD COACH BLAKE ANDERSON: Blake Anderson, a 19-year coaching veteran at the NCAA FBS level who also coached in an NJCAA National Championship game, was named the Red Wolves’ 30th all-time head coach on Dec. 19, 2013.  Anderson led the Red Wolves to Sun Belt Conference championships in 2015 and 2016, as well as five consecutive winning seasons and five bowl-game appearances (2018 Arizona Bowl, 2017 Camellia Bowl, 2016 Cure Bowl, 2015 New Orleans Bowl, 2014 GoDaddy Bowl) during his first five seasons leading the program.  Under his direction, the Red Wolves have set nine new single-season records, including average yards total offense (494.8 ypg in 2017), total offense (6,174 yards in 2014) and points scored (520 in 2015).

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS: The Arkansas State Athletics Department family was saddened to learn of the passing late Monday night, Aug. 19, of Wendy Anderson, wife of sixth-year head football coach Blake Anderson.  Wendy’s courageous battle with cancer will continue to serve as an inspiration to many across the nation, and the outpouring of support far and wide for the Andersons and the A-State family has been overwhelming.  Coach Anderson has taken a leave of absence to be with his family during this difficult time.

DUGGAN NAMED INTERIM HEAD COACH: Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator David Duggan was named A-State’s interim head coach on Monday, Aug. 19, until Blake Anderson decides to resume his activities as head coach.  A-State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Terry Mohajir remains in communication with Coach Anderson both on a personal and professional level and has stated that A-State “will obviously respect and honor any amount of time he needs before he feels he can return.”

INTERIM HEAD COACH DAVID DUGGAN: Currently serving in the interim head coach role at A-State, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator David Duggan is in his first season with the Red Wolves.  While he holds a 10-9 all-time record as a head coach in NFL Europe and possesses 26 years of collegiate coaching experience, he will be the acting head coach in a college football game for the first time when A-State plays SMU Aug. 31 in its season opener.  He came to the Red Wolves after spending the previous three seasons at Western Michigan, where he helped lead the program to a pair of bowl games, a Mid-American Conference championship and a combined 26-13 record.  His initial year saw the Broncos post an undefeated 13-0 regular-season record, a final No. 12 ranking and a berth in the Cotton Bowl, where it dropped a narrow 24-16 decision to Wisconsin.

THE ARKANSAS STATE-SMU SERIES: The Red Wolves and Mustangs have met just three times before, playing a home-and-home series in 2006 and 2007 as well as the first contest of the current home-and-home arrangement in 2017.  SMU leads the series 2-1 after claiming 55-9 and 44-21 victories in Dallas in 2006 and 2017, respectively.  The Red Wolves’ picked up their lone win in the series in 2007, when it defeated the Mustangs 45-28 in Jonesboro.

A-STATE vs AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE: Arkansas State holds an all-time 29-37-5 record against current members of the American Athletic Conference. While the Red Wolves are set to face a team competing as a member of the league at the time of the game for just the fifth time in school history, this will be third consecutive season they have played an AAC foe.  Their four previous games against the AAC came in 2013 when they fell 31-7 at Memphis, 2016 when they defeated UCF 31-13 in the Cure Bowl, 2017 when they dropped a 44-21 decision at SMU and last season when they topped Tulsa 29-20 on the road.  A-State has also played the following current AAC teams, although they weren’t members of the league at the time of the games:  Cincinnati (1-1), East Carolina (0-2) and Navy (0-1).  The Red Wolves hold an all-time 3-2 record versus Tulsa and 23-29-5 record against Memphis.

FOR STARTERS: A-State snapped a three-year skid in season openers last year when they defeated Southeast Missouri State 48-21.    Since moving to FBS status in 1992, the Red Wolves have posted just a 6-21 record in season openers.  In addition to its 2018 season-opening win, A-State began the 2014 (37-10 vs Montana State), 2013 (62-11 vs. UAPB), 2008 (18-14 at Texas A&M), 2006 (14-6 vs. Army) and 1995 (21-17 vs. Utah State) campaigns with wins.

HOME OPENERS: Arkansas State claimed a 48-21 win over Southeast Missouri State last season in its home opener and has won its first game at Centennial Bank Stadium in 12 of the last 14 seasons dating back to 2005.  The Red Wolves stand 32-13 all-time in home openers at the stadium and are also 18-8 in such games since moving to FBS status in 1992.

HOME SWEET HOME: Arkansas State has strung together 14 consecutive years (2005-18) with a winning record at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to 2005.  The Red Wolves are now 64-15 (.810 winning percentage) since the 2005 season and have won 39 of their last 47 home outings.  The Red Wolves actual on-field record all-time at Centennial Bank Stadium is 156-78-1 since it opened in 1974.  A-State’s six home wins in 2011 were its most since 1985.  The 2011 season also marked the last time the Red Wolves went undefeated at Centennial Bank Stadium.

AN A-STATE VICTORY WOULD . . . :  even its all-time record vs. SMU to 2-2 . . . mark the 13th time over the last 15 seasons it has won its home opener . . . give the Red Wolves a win in their season opener in back-to-back years for the first time since 2013 and 2014 . . . move its all-time record vs the American Athletic Conference to 3-2 . . . give David Duggan his first collegiate victory as a head coach.

PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT: Including five first-team and six second-team selections, the Arkansas State placed a league-high 11 different players on the 2019 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.  Representing Arkansas State on the first team were senior wide receiver Kirk Merritt, junior tight end Javonis Isaac, junior defensive end William Bradley-King, junior defensive lineman Forrest Merrill and junior cornerback Jerry Jacobs.  Earning a spot on the second team for the Red Wolves were senior wideout Omar Bayless, junior center Jacob Still, senior defensive lineman Kevin Thurmon, senior safeties Darreon Jackson and B.J. Edmonds and senior punter Cody Grace.  A-State’s 11 selections tied Appalachian State, which had 10 players comprise its 11 picks, for the most in the conference.  The Red Wolves’ 11 players on the preseason all-conference team are their most since 2016, when they also had 11.  They have now earned at least 11 selections four of the last six seasons as well.

WATCH ME, WATCH ME: A-State has 10 players on at least one major watch list for the 2019 season, including six who play on the offensive side of the ball (Logan Bonner, Dahu Green, Javonis Isaac, Kirk Merritt, Marcel Murray, Jacob Still), three on the defensive (Tajhea Chambers, Darreon Jackson, Jerry Jacobs) and one on special teams (Cody Grace).  The Red Wolves have at least one player on 11 different watch lists.

EIGHT STRAIGHT: Arkansas State has secured a winning record in a school-record eight consecutive seasons (2011-18).  The next longest streak was six straight seasons from 1912-17.  The Red Wolves have piled up 67 victories from 2011-18 for its most over an eight-year span in the program’s 105-year history.

ELITE COMPANY: Arkansas State is one of just four teams in the nation to win five conference titles and appear in eight bowl games since 2011, joining Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma.  The Red Wolves won the Sun Belt title in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 and hold the 15th longest active streak in the nation for bowl game appearances with eight.

105TH SEASON: Arkansas State will kick off its 105th season of football Aug. 31 at home against SMU.  A-State holds a 473-487-37 record since the inaugural season and has played in 16 bowl games.  A-State did not field a team from 1942-44 due to World War II.  Arkansas State also didn’t have a team in 1918 as World War I was ending.

A-STATE vs THE SUN BELT: Arkansas State has won 51 of its last 63 Sun Belt Conference games (.810 winning percentage) to run its all-time record in the league to 83-48.  The Red Wolves hold their most all-time victories against ULM with 26.  A-State has defeated every team in the conference since the football league was formed in 2001.  Along with ULM and Louisiana, A-State is one of three teams that have been a part of the conference since its inaugural football season.

SUN BELT CHAMPS (5 of 8): While Arkansas State last won the Sun Belt in 2016, it is still the only Group of 5 program and one of just four FBS programs in the nation to win five conference championships over the last eight years (2011-18).  The only other teams to do so are Alabama (SEC), Clemson (ACC) and Oklahoma (Big 12).  The Red Wolves most recently won back-to-back Sun Belt titles in 2015 and 2016, compiling a 15-1 league record over that span.  A-State also won the league title 2011-13, making it one of just two programs in league history with at least five SBC titles.

BOWL ELIGIBLE: Arkansas State has obtained bowl eligibility status each of the last eight years (2011-18) and 11 times over the last 14 seasons.  Arkansas State has become bowl eligible in 10 games or less each of those seasons.  Since moving to FBS status in 1992, the earliest A-State ever became bowl eligible was in 2011 when it was 6-2 through eight games.

BOWL STREAK: Arkansas State has made a school-record eight consecutive bowl-game appearances (2011-18), which is the third longest streak in the Group of 5 and ranks 15th in the nation among all FBS programs.

A LOOK BACK: With a 3-1 record, Arkansas State secured a winning record last season against non-conference opponents for the first time since 1995, when it went 3-2.  Additional, with wins against Tulsa and UNLV, the Red Wolves won back-to-back non-conference games against FBS opponents for the first time ever since moving to FBS status in 1992.300-PLUS:  Dating back to the 2010 season, Arkansas State has posted at least 300 yards total offense in 104 of its last 115 games (.904 percentage).  A-State has produced 300 yards in 59 of 64 games during the Blake Anderson era, including the last 25 in a row.400-PLUS:  Arkansas State has hit the 400-yard total offense mark 43 times over its last 64 games (67 percent) since 2014, which was Blake Anderson’s first season as head coach.  The Red Wolves have posted 400 or more yards total offense in each of their last seven games.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD: Including 20 of their last 39 contests, the Red Wolves have posted at least 30 points in 61 of their last 94 regular-season games (65 percent) dating back to the 2011 season.  The Red Wolves have won 48 of their last 54 games when scoring at least 30 points.

A LOSS ON THE PLAY: Dating back to the 2015 season, the Red Wolves have posted at least five stops behind the line of scrimmage in 39 of their last 42 games.  A-State has ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation each of the last three seasons in tackles for loss.

GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK: A-State has ranked among the top 27 teams in the nation in sacks four of the last five years, posting a combined 177 sacks over that span.  The Red Wolves have recorded at least one sack in 36 of their last 37 games dating back to the 2016 season.

Tusk V to make Debut against Portland State

By RAZORBACK COMMUNICATIONS

FAYTTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas, home to one of the nation’s longest tenured and most recognizable live mascot programs, will celebrate the debut of Tusk V, the official live mascot of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Born Saturday, April 19, 2018, at the Stokes Family Farm in Dardanelle, Arkansas, Tusk V is the son of recently retired, Tusk IV, a Russian boar which closely resembles the type of “wild band of razorback hogs,” first described by then Arkansas head football coach Hugo Bezdek in 1909. The following year, in 1910, University of Arkansas students voted to officially adopt the new nickname changing the mascot from the Cardinals to the Razorbacks.

Tusk V officially takes over official mascot duties after his father, Tusk IV, who retired at the end of the 2019 Razorback Baseball season.

Tusk V lives on the Stokes Family Farm near Dardanelle, Arkansas. The work of caring for V is shared between Keith and his wife Julie, their daughter Abbey, their son Chip and his wife Lori, five-year-old son (Keith and Julie’s grandson), Colt and two-year-old daughter(Keith and Julie’s grandson), Caroline.

Tusk V will make a two-hour trek up to Northwest Arkansas for every Razorback football game as well as select other Razorback athletics events throughout the year. Beloved by Razorback and opposing team fans of all ages, Tusk is always the center of attention when he makes an appearance at games or other special events. Through the years, he has traveled the state and throughout the region to appear at various locations including at bowl games, Razorback Clubs and even the Arkansas State Capitol.

Arkansas’ first live mascot, Tusk I was selected in 1997 and served as the Razorback mascot for eight years.

After spending four football seasons at the Little Rock Zoo, Tusk I was moved to the Tyson Foods Farm in Springdale in 2001. In 2002, Tusk I became the father to Tusk II. Tusk I passed away in 2004 and his son, Tusk II, was moved from the Tyson Farm to the Stokes Family Farm and served as the live mascot from 2005 until 2010.

Tusk III was the brother of Tusk II and both were second-generation Russian boars. Tusk III served for only one football season in 2010. Tusk IV is the son of Tusk II and took over as the official live mascot during the 2011 football season. He recently completed his seventh season.

In 2008, Razorback Athletics created the Tusk Fund to help provide financial assistance for the maintenance and upkeep of the live mascot program. Donations to the fund provide Tusk with improvements to his facilities and most of all, create a legacy program for guaranteeing the longevity of the Razorback live mascot program. Fans interested in supporting the Tusk Fund, can do so by clicking here.

The tradition of a live mascot predates the Tusk lineage, dating back to the 1960s with a series of hogs that have proudly represented Arkansas.

Razorback fans of all ages will have the opportunity to interact with Tusk V in HogTown beginning four hours prior to kickoff of each home game. Additionally, Tusk V will lead Coach Chad Morris and members of the Razorback Football team through the official Hog Walk which will take place two hours and forty minutes prior to kick through HogTown.

For more information on Tusk V, click here or follow @Tusk_UA on Twitter.

Razorbacks head to Tulsa for Hurricane Invitational

By JEFF SMITH/Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 20 Arkansas men’s cross country team will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend, opening its 2019 season at the Hurricane Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The season opener will feature the Razorbacks taking on three regional foes including Oklahoma, No. 7 Oklahoma State, and host No. 29 Tulsa. Arkansas will toe the line for the four-mile race at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Mohawk Soccer Complex. The meet will be scored as a normal team format and not as a dual meet.

The Razorbacks head into the new year ranked No. 1 in the South Central region, and No. 20 in the country, announced by the USTFCCCA earlier this week. A Southeastern Conference poll of the leagues head coaches was released Monday, projected Arkansas to finish third at the 2019 SEC Championships behind Ole Miss and Alabama.

The 2018 season concluded with Arkansas finishing runner-up at the SEC Championship, a first-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional, and a 25th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

While the Razorbacks lost Cameron Griffith and Ethan Moehn, who finished third and 14th, respectively, at last year’s SEC meet, Arkansas returns SEC Champion Gilbert Boit, Ryan Murphy and Graham Brown who finished first, ninth, and 17th in Auburn, Ala. last year with two of the three earning All-SEC honors. Arkansas also returns Matt Young, who was an All-Region performer for the Razorbacks at the South Central meet last season.

For more information on Arkansas track and field, including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.