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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
From a 70-7 loss to FBS: Why Missouri State jumped to college football's highest level
Although the thought of moving up to the highest level of college football had long percolated at Missouri State, it didn't start to formalize until the run-up to a game at Arkansas State in 2015. The Sun Belt Conference had just invited Coastal Carolina from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and member Arkansas State liked the idea of adding a peer only 200 miles away in Missouri's third-largest city (Springfield) to the conference too. There was enough mutual interest between Missouri State and the conference for preliminary talks. The matchup wasn't supposed to be a trial run for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), exactly, but it quickly became a four-quarter feasibility study into the Bears' immediate potential in the highest subdivision. Advertisement They lost 70-7. 'We just got the hell beat out of us,' said Clif Smart, then Missouri State's president. 'It was a humiliating, awful game. We went home from that going, 'We're not anywhere close to being ready.'' They are now. Or at least they'd better be. Missouri State became a Conference USA member this summer, joining Delaware as the newest programs in the 136-team FBS. The Bears' FBS debut is at USC on Aug. 30. It's a big jump for any team, going from recent home openers like Lindenwood and Lincoln University of Missouri to No. 16 SMU. But it seems especially ambitious for a losing program (.483 all-time winning percentage) with only one (shared) conference title and six winning seasons this century. To make it happen, the Bears needed more than the usual administrative commitment and hush-hush politicking to grab what they thought could be one of the last FBS spots available. They needed one of college sports' biggest lightning rods to show proof-of-concept that a basketball school in a basketball region can, finally, win in football. They needed Bobby Petrino. The Bears' glory days came in a 15-year stretch, mostly away from the gridiron and under a different name, Southwest Missouri State. From 1987-99, only four current mid-majors made the NCAA Tournament in men's basketball more than the Bears (six appearances): New Mexico, Murray State, Princeton and UMass. They hung with Kansas and UNLV, knocked off Clemson and upset Wisconsin and Tennessee to make the Sweet 16 as a No. 12 seed in 1999. 'Everybody was going to basketball games,' said Ned Reynolds, a Springfield sports broadcaster for the last 58 years. 'Everybody.' Though the program has fallen to 221-226 over the past 14 seasons, basketball still resonates. The Bears opened a new arena in 2008, and a budget working group ranked hoops ahead of football in a 2017 document obtained by the Springfield News-Leader. Advertisement The women's program is even better. The Lady Bears have made 17 of the past 33 NCAA Tournaments, led the nation in attendance in 1993 and made the Final Four in 1992 and 2001. Jackie Stiles was Caitlin Clark before Caitlin Clark, becoming the first woman to score 1,000 points in a season and graduating as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer (3,393 points, which still ranks fifth). Football flashed with back-to-back FCS playoff appearances in 1989-90 … then lost 191 of its next 320 games. The 70-7 debacle at Arkansas State was the program's worst loss in 94 years and showed the FCS/FBS gap in facilities, talent, commitment and everything else. As losing seasons mounted, fans weren't the only ones questioning the program's existence. School officials considered cutting it. 'Forget about FBS,' said Kyle Moats, who was Missouri State's athletic director from 2009-24 before going to Eastern Kentucky. 'We had a serious thought as to, are we going to continue to keep going this route.' The doubts led to the next turning point in late 2019. As the Bears stumbled through a 1-10 season, Moats got a call from Petrino, who was a year removed from being fired at Louisville. Petrino had high-level success with the Cardinals (77-35 over two stints) and at Arkansas (21-5 over his final two seasons) but also had high-profile exits at both stops. He wanted back in the game, and the Bears wanted to give him a chance to answer the program's existential question. 'Could you win at football at Missouri State?' Smart asked. Turns out, you can. Petrino brought the Bears to the FCS playoffs for the first time in three decades with back-to-back appearances and a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title before returning to the FBS as an offensive coordinator. 'All of a sudden, we believed — we actually believed — we could move to FBS and compete,' Smart said. Advertisement Which led to the next question. Should the Bears move to FBS if given the chance? That answer was easier. Missouri State was one of the largest schools still in the FCS. The projected cost — about $10 million up front plus another $5 million annually — was significant but could be offset at least in part by larger conference distributions and bigger paychecks from Power 4 opponents. Administrators viewed a more prominent football program as a valuable marketing tool to help meet their goal of growing enrollment from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2030; the school could gain exposure through nationally televised weeknight contests and the EA Sports video game while adding an enhanced element to campus life. Going all-in on basketball was a non-starter. Because power conferences now monopolize at-large NCAA Tournament spots, the Bears would be trading one one-bid league (the Missouri Valley) for another. 'The way college athletics is and the way it's been going for the last decade, football is certainly the one that is driving pretty much everything,' said Patrick Ransdell, who succeeded Moats as athletic director last summer. The final pieces came together in the spring of 2024. The conference realignment chain reaction that started with the SEC adding Texas and Oklahoma was whittling Conference USA down to five members. The league needed to backfill, and Missouri State was a geographic and institutional fit. Because school administrators envisioned the industry's biggest brands wanting fewer, not more, FBS teams in the future, they feared the window to jump was closing. 'If we're gonna do this,' Smart said, 'we gotta do this now.' Last May, the Bears earned and accepted an invitation as Conference USA's 12th member. Ready or not, they had arrived. It's easy to see why prognosticators peg the Bears to finish in the bottom half of the league in Year 1. Since 2014, every FCS regular that moved up to FBS won at least 59 percent of its games in the five full seasons before the jump. Even with Petrino's bump, Missouri State is at .456 (excluding the 2020-21 COVID campaign). *Since 2014, excluding 2020-21 season and Charlotte, which played only two FCS seasons before moving up. But the numbers don't tell the full story. The Bears played in what Ransdell called the SEC of the FCS. North Dakota State and South Dakota State have won the past four national titles, South Dakota was a top-four seed last year and Illinois State and Youngstown State have both reached the FCS finals since 2014. The Bears' only defeats last season were to three playoff teams (Montana, South Dakota State and North Dakota State) and an eight-point road loss to an FBS school (Ball State). Advertisement Third-year coach Ryan Beard — Petrino's son-in-law — reeled off eight consecutive wins last season and returns record-breaking quarterback Jacob Clark, a former top-500 national recruit at Minnesota. 'We feel like we can step in and compete,' Ransdell said. Even if they can, the Bears still face other difficulties off the field. With no dedicated football facility yet, the team meets in the auditorium of a nearby academic hall. The 17,500-seat Robert W. Plaster Stadium needs more than the new turf, new lights and deep pressure-washing it recently received in Phase 0 of a three-phase update. Budgets have not yet been finalized, but Ransdell estimated future costs at $50 million. Those upgrades will be easier if Missouri State can accomplish a final challenge: making the community care. Since 1994, the Bears have cracked the top 20 in FCS home attendance only five times. Their average crowds (9,663 last year) are typically closer to McNeese and North Carolina Central than Delaware or the Dakota schools. 'My theory is, it wasn't that people didn't want football,' said Smart, the university's president emeritus after retiring last year. 'They didn't like losing football. They didn't like bad football.' There are early indications Smart's theory is correct. Season ticket revenue is up $200,000. Students voted to approve a $140 increase in their athletic fees to help fund the move. The fact that the Bears were able to keep Clark — one of FCS' top passers after setting school records in passing yards (3,604) and touchdowns (26) last year — in the transfer portal era wasn't lost on school president Richard 'Biff' Williams. 'There's a culture that did that, but of course I'm sure there's some donors and some NIL and some things that helped him stay,' Williams said. 'I think that tells you kind of where our community and coaches and others are.' Advertisement Where they are now is a long way from where they were a decade ago against Arkansas State. What started with a devastating 70-7 defeat led to a proof-of-concept flash from Petrino and, finally, a trip to the Coliseum to face USC and a visit from a reigning College Football Playoff team, SMU, as a fellow member of the sport's top division. Will the school, the team and the community finally be ready? 'The sense that I get is, this is the Show-Me State,' said Reynolds, the longtime local broadcaster. 'Show us.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
2025 college football predictions: Why Arkansas State will win the Sun Belt Conference
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. College football die-hards will tell you that there is nothing quite like the Fun Belt. An unpredictable conference headlined by plenty of high-octane offenses representing a region of the country with an insane amount of talent coming through the ranks, the Sun Belt rarely disappoints, and 2025 was no different. James Madison, South Alabama, and Troy were supposed to headline the conference in 2024, but it was Marshall that came out of nowhere to win the title. A few weeks later, Marshall's head coach, Charlie Huff, took over at Southern Miss, and he brought seemingly his entire roster with him. That's just how things work in the Sun Belt. 2025 Sun Belt odds Team Odds James Madison +325 Georgia Southern +650 South Alabama +650 Texas State +650 Louisiana +650 Old Dominion 11/1 Troy 14/1 Appalachian State 16/1 Coastal Carolina 18/1 Southern Miss 18/1 Arkansas State 22/1 Marshall 25/1 UL Monroe 33/1 Georgia State 40/1 Odds via bet365 2025 Sun Belt preview, picks, and best bets The Favorite: James Madison James Madison is the deserving favorite in the Sun Belt going into Week 1. The Dukes have established themselves as the cream of the crop in the SBC, and they're an outside chance (13/1) to represent the Group of 5 in the College Football Playoff. Bob Chesney has done a terrific job in his first two years since moving over from Holy Cross, and he'll look to improve on a 9-4 season that was actually a bit disappointing compared to their preseason expectations. The number isn't enticing enough to play JMU, especially since things tend to get bonkers in the Fun Belt, but if you're building out a conference-winner-round-robin or parlay, they'd be a good leg to add. Fade: Southern Miss Every conference will have a preseason darling, and Southern Miss fits the bill for the Sun Belt. This number is getting out of hand. Not only has their win total gone from 3.5 to 5.5, but their odds to win the conference have been slashed in half, and it could keep going down by the time we get to conference play. The reason for the love in the market is that Charles Huff, the former head coach at Marshall, has arrived in Hattiesburg, and he's brought a ton of players over with him from Marshall, which won this conference last year. Old Dominion is also getting some love as an under-the-radar play for those looking to go against James Madison, but I'd much rather play a roughie in the SBC West, avoiding the Dukes. Best bet to win the Sun Belt Arkansas State to win the Sun Belt (30/1, BetMGM) The Red Wolves made a bowl game last year, but they were quite fortunate to do so, and that is cooling the hype around the betting market. Sharp bettors often look to fade teams that had the rub of the green in the previous season (and Arkansas State certainly did with its record in close games), but that can also cause the number to drift to a point where it becomes playable. That's what I think has happened here, with Arkansas State sitting as high as 30/1 and projected to be an also-ran alongside Georgia State and UL Monroe. I think that's pretty harsh on a team that has significant offensive upside with quarterback Jaylen Raynor and wide receiver Corey Rucker. Arkansas State Red Wolves wide receiver Corey Rucker. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Betting on College Football? The defense was terrible last year, but it'll have a completely new look in 2025, which is a good thing. Arkansas State also benefits from being in the West Division of the Sun Belt, which means they won't have to beat out James Madison to get to the title game. Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Fox Sports
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 Arkansas State Football Predictions: Red Wolves Ranked 103rd in RJ Young's Ultimate 136
College Football 2025 Arkansas State Football Predictions: Red Wolves Ranked 103rd in RJ Young's Ultimate 136 Published Aug. 10, 2025 9:40 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link This isn't your average college football ranking. My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list: Who do I think is good? Why do I think they're good? What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations? Here is a look at where Arkansas State lands in my Ultimate 136. Arkansas State ranking: 103 Last year's ranking: 65 Top player: WR Corey Rucker: All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team selection last season, recorded 1,053 receiving yards— the fourth-most in a single season in program history. [Arkansas State's 2025 schedule] RJ's take: The bones are good for Butch Jones' Red Wolves. He returns a 2,700-yard passer in Jaylen Raynor, a 1,000-yard receiver in Rucker and standout running back Ja'Quez Cross, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry on 115 rushes. From that vantage, the Red Wolves' eight-win success last year makes sense. ADVERTISEMENT Defensively, Jones has to nail evaluations on former Texas A&M-Kingsville EDGE Demarcus Hendricks and former West Alabama DT Cody Sigler, who combined for double-digit tackles for loss at the D-II level. [ Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here ] Arkansas State Win Total Odds: Over 5.5 (+118) Under 5.5 (-144) Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young , and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article. RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Football Arkansas State Red Wolves share
Miami Herald
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
App State Football Schedule 2025: Game Dates, Matchups, and Sun Belt Teams Missed
Aug 30 CharlotteSept 6 LindenwoodSept 13 at Southern MissSept 20 OPEN DATESept 27 at Boise StateOct 4 Oregon StateOct 11 at Georgia StateOct 18 Coastal CarolinaOct 25 at Old DominionNov 1 OPEN DATENov 8 Georgia SouthernNov 15 at James MadisonNov 22 MarshallNov 29 Arkansas State Who does App State miss on the Sun Belt schedule? Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, ULM Sun Belt SchedulesEAST App State | Coastal CarolinaGeorgia Southern | Georgia StateJames Madison | Marshall | ODU WEST Arkansas State | LouisianaSouth Alabama | Southern MissTexas State | Troy | ULM Related: App State Football Preview 2025: After A Shocking Losing Year, the Mountaineers Start Over © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
USA Today
25-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Broncos roster: WR Courtney Jackson (No. 89) could be a candidate to return kicks
Broncos Wire's 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at rookie wide receiver Courtney Jackson, No. 89. Before the Broncos: Jackson (5-11, 189 pounds) spent his final two college seasons at Arkansas State after spending 2019-22 at Syracuse University. As a member of the Orange, Jackson led the team in 2021 with 39 catches for 389 yards, earning an All-ACC mention from Pro Football Focus. Jackson transferred to Arkansas State in 2023, where he was a receiver and a punt returner. In 2023, Jackson had a 60-yard punt return and posted a 100-plus-yard receiving game against Texas State. In his Red Wolves career, Jackson had 81 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns. As a returner, Jackson had 31 opportunities to run the ball back, returning the rock for 438 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons. Broncos tenure: Jackson was part of Denver's initial wave of undrafted free agent signings after the 2025 NFL draft in April. Jackson will make his Broncos debut during preseason in August. Chances to make the 53-man roster: Long shot. As two-time Pro Bowler Marvin Mims became more of a dynamic threat at wide receiver late in the 2024 season, the Broncos may be looking to have additional options at kick returner for the 2025 season. Therefore, although Jackson faces long odds to make the active roster, his return ability will help his odds. He might be stashed on the practice squad as a backup receiver/returner. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
