Week 8 Preview - Arkansas State at South Alabama

Arkansas State is set to travel to Mobile to take on South Alabama for an important Sun Belt matchup. Both teams need a win in order to keep pace in the conference standings. This one should be a tale of two offenses, as the Red Wolves like to live through the air, while the Jaguars prefer to get it done on the ground.

Arkansas State

Arkansas State took down Texas State on Saturday, Oct. 4 in an absolute thriller. It was the final meeting between the two teams before the Bobcats move to join the Pac-12. After surrendering a late touchdown to Texas State running back Lincoln Pare, the Red Wolves were given a lifeline after the extra point attempt sailed wide.

Quarterback Jaylen Raynor marched his team down the field, and scampered into the end zone from four yards out with just seconds remaining on the clock. Clune Van Andel buried the extra point, giving Arkansas State a 31-30 victory. Given that there was a celebration of the undefeated 1975 Arkansas State football squad during the game, it felt like fate for the 2025 team to honor their predecessors with a win.

Raynor was magnificent down the stretch. His final 20 passes were completions and he accounted for 340 total yards. He played a role in all four touchdowns scored by Arkansas State. If the Red Wolves want to leave Mobile with their second SBC win of the season, they will have to rely on him to have another strong showing. Efficiency will be key. In both of their wins this season, Raynor completed over 75 percent of his passes. Raynor could also look to run in this matchup, as the Jaguars surrender an average of 199.5 yards per game on the ground.

The Red Wolves will also need to find a way to improve defensively. The defense has been an issue all season, and their 31.7 points allowed per game is tied with South Alabama for third-worst in the Sun Belt.

South Alabama

South Alabama was on the other side of heartbreak in their last game. The Jaguars traveled east to take on Troy, and lost 31-24 in overtime. It was a back-and-forth contest, with neither team leading by more than a score at any point. Quarterback Bishop Davenport connected with running back Kentrel Bullock with under two minutes to go to force overtime. Troy started overtime with the ball, and scored a touchdown to put the pressure on the Jaguars. Davenport and company could not find the end zone, dropping their record to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the Sun Belt.

Arkansas State has proven to be vulnerable defensively. They rank in the bottom-15 in both pass and rush defense across FBS schools. South Alabama will need to exploit those weaknesses in order to earn their first Sun Belt win of the season. Look for Bullock to be a key player for the Jaguars. He racked up 111 all-purpose yards against Troy, and is playing a rush defense that just surrendered 289 rushing yards against Texas State. Two Bobcats eclipsed the 100 yard mark on the ground. This game presents a perfect opportunity for Bullock to break out.

Davenport has also proven to be a dual-threat. He rushed for 99 yards against Troy, and could use his dual-threat capabilities to his advantage again on Tuesday. While he has not been the most prolific passer, he could use his legs to extend plays and give his receivers more time to find space downfield. He will need to find ways to put points on the board, as this game has all the ingredients to be a shootout.