Arkansas State Red Wolves football
Encyclopedia
The Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represents Arkansas State University
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football
competition. The team was originally founded in 1911, and, since 2001, Arkansas State has competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference
. Until 2008, the team's name was the Arkansas State Indians.
. In 1918, the team was temporarily disbanded due to the First World War. The 1941 season was the team's last before another hiatus for the Second World War, and Arkansas State lost all seven of their games by a margin of 308 points to 0.
From 1937 until 1952, Arkansas State competed as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association
(NJCAA). During the 1950s under coach Forrest England, ASU emerged as a bit of a regional football power, appearing in four post-season bowl games from 1951 to 1953. The Indians won the 1951 Refrigerator Bowl
, tied the 1953 Tangerine Bowl
and lost in both the 1952 Refrigerator Bowl and the 1951 Tangerine Bowl. The 1951 games were both played after the 1951 season.
In 1970, as a member of the Southland Conference
, Arkansas State was crowned the NCAA small college football
national champion as Arkansas State defeated Central Missouri State University in the Pecan Bowl
under head coach Bennie Ellender
to complete an 11-0 undefeated season. The Small College Division National Championship, in what is now known as NCAA Division II, capped three straight bowl appearances by the Indians. At the time, the division competed in four separate regional bowl games with the national champion chosen by the polls after the bowls.
in Shreveport
, Louisiana
was created (though ASU has never played in the game).
During the 1980s, under head coach Larry Lacewell
, Arkansas State played in the NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) and made four appearances in the playoffs, including a loss in the national championship game in 1986 to Georgia Southern
, 48-21.
. This was the school's first bowl game since the trip to the 1970 Pecan Bowl
and subsequent national college division championship. The Indians lost to The University of Southern Mississippi
in the game, which was played that year in the city of Lafayette
, Louisiana
due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina
.
Arkansas State has won a total of six conference championships - five Southland Conference Championships and one Sun Belt Championship.
, Tennessee
after a last second Hail Mary
touchdown to secure the win, 26-23, and end a ten game losing streak to the Tigers. The teams met again in 2007 at Indian Stadium, where the Indians rallied in the second half to beat the Tigers 35-31 after trailing 31-6 at halftime. The schools have met 54 times, with the Tigers leading the series 27-22-5.
up until 1998. The overall series went to the Bulldogs (25-12-0) during a time that the schools won a combined 14 Southland Conference championships. ASU won the first meeting in Jonesboro in 1956, 21-13. In 1998, Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State ended the series when Tech moved into the Western Athletic Conference
. The final game between the two was played in 1998 in Jonesboro and Tech won handily 69-21.
are another of Arkansas State's rivals. Arkansas State leads the overall series against Troy (6-5). The first game between the two schools was played in Jonesboro and ASU won the game 27-0. From 2004 to 2006, ASU won three straight against the Trojans. However in 2007, Arkansas State's winning streak over Troy University was snapped when the Trojans beat the Indians 27-0, one of the worst losses the Indians have ever had under head football coach Steve Roberts. The series is alternated every year between Jonesboro and Troy, Alabama.
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
competition. The team was originally founded in 1911, and, since 2001, Arkansas State has competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
. Until 2008, the team's name was the Arkansas State Indians.
Early years: 1911–1952
The school itself was founded in 1909, and, two years later, Arkansas State fielded its first football team in 1911. That season, they compiled a 1–1–0 record in two games against Paragould High SchoolParagould High School
Paragould High School is a public school serving grades nine through twelve located in Paragould, Arkansas. The campus is located at 1701 West Court Street in Paragould and is administered by Paragould School District...
. In 1918, the team was temporarily disbanded due to the First World War. The 1941 season was the team's last before another hiatus for the Second World War, and Arkansas State lost all seven of their games by a margin of 308 points to 0.
From 1937 until 1952, Arkansas State competed as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
(NJCAA). During the 1950s under coach Forrest England, ASU emerged as a bit of a regional football power, appearing in four post-season bowl games from 1951 to 1953. The Indians won the 1951 Refrigerator Bowl
Refrigerator Bowl
The Refrigerator Bowl was a college football bowl game played annually from 1948 until 1956 in Evansville, Indiana. The game was named for the local refrigerator production. With 3800 units a day being manufactured, Evansville at the time was known as the "refrigerator capital of the United...
, tied the 1953 Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
and lost in both the 1952 Refrigerator Bowl and the 1951 Tangerine Bowl. The 1951 games were both played after the 1951 season.
NCAA membership
In 1953, Arkansas State moved to the NCAA, and played as a member of the small college division through 1972.Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
, Arkansas State was crowned the NCAA small college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
national champion as Arkansas State defeated Central Missouri State University in the Pecan Bowl
Pecan Bowl
Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA...
under head coach Bennie Ellender
Bennie Ellender
-External links:*...
to complete an 11-0 undefeated season. The Small College Division National Championship, in what is now known as NCAA Division II, capped three straight bowl appearances by the Indians. At the time, the division competed in four separate regional bowl games with the national champion chosen by the polls after the bowls.
Promotion to Division I
In 1973 and 1974, the Indians played in NCAA Division II, before being promoted to Division I. Arkansas State recorded an undefeated season (going 11-0) in Division I in 1975 and was one of only two undefeated Division I football teams that year. Arkansas State was one of only four institutions to have gone undefeated and not win a National Championship at the Division I-A (now Division I FBS) level. Since Arkansas State was a member of the Southland Conference, and the league did not have a bowl game tie-in, Arkansas State was not selected for post-season play. As a result of this inequity, the Independence BowlIndependence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
was created (though ASU has never played in the game).
Larry Lacewell
-External links:...
, Arkansas State played in the NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) and made four appearances in the playoffs, including a loss in the national championship game in 1986 to Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern Eagles football
The Georgia Southern Eagles represent Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Southern Conference under head coach Jeff Monken. The Eagles have won an unprecedented six FCS national championships and eight Southern Conference championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award...
, 48-21.
Promotion to Division I FBS
During the 2005 football season, Arkansas State finished the regular season as Sun Belt Conference champions with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses and was invited to the New Orleans BowlNew Orleans Bowl
The New Orleans Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana since 2001. The game was sponsored by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from 2002 to 2004 and was officially called the Wyndham New...
. This was the school's first bowl game since the trip to the 1970 Pecan Bowl
Pecan Bowl
Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA...
and subsequent national college division championship. The Indians lost to The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...
in the game, which was played that year in the city of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Arkansas State has won a total of six conference championships - five Southland Conference Championships and one Sun Belt Championship.
Division History
Year | Division |
|---|---|
1937-1952 | NJCAA |
1953-1972 | NCAA College Division (Small College) |
1973-1974 | NCAA Division II |
1975-1977 | NCAA Division I |
1978-1981 | NCAA Division I-A |
1982-1991 | NCAA Division I-AA |
1992-2005 | NCAA Division I-A |
2006- | NCAA Division FBS |
Bowl games
| Year and bowl | Winning team | Losing team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 Refrigerator Bowl Refrigerator Bowl The Refrigerator Bowl was a college football bowl game played annually from 1948 until 1956 in Evansville, Indiana. The game was named for the local refrigerator production. With 3800 units a day being manufactured, Evansville at the time was known as the "refrigerator capital of the United... |
Arkansas State | 46 | Camp Breckinridge | 12 |
| 1952 Tangerine Bowl Tangerine Bowl Multiple events were named Tangerine Bowl:*The Tangerine Bowl is the original name of the college football bowl game that is currently called the Capital One Bowl. It was known as the Tangerine Bowl from 1947 to 1982.... |
Stetson | 35 | Arkansas State | 20 |
| 1952 Refrigerator Bowl Refrigerator Bowl The Refrigerator Bowl was a college football bowl game played annually from 1948 until 1956 in Evansville, Indiana. The game was named for the local refrigerator production. With 3800 units a day being manufactured, Evansville at the time was known as the "refrigerator capital of the United... |
Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers... |
34 | Arkansas State | 19 |
| 1954 Tangerine Bowl Tangerine Bowl Multiple events were named Tangerine Bowl:*The Tangerine Bowl is the original name of the college football bowl game that is currently called the Capital One Bowl. It was known as the Tangerine Bowl from 1947 to 1982.... |
Arkansas State | 7 | East Texas State | 7 |
| 1968 Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA... |
North Dakota State North Dakota State Bison football The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. From 2004 to 2007, the Bison were members of the Great West Football... |
23 | Arkansas State | 14 |
| 1969 Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA... |
Arkansas State | 29 | Drake Drake Bulldogs football The Drake Bulldogs football program represents Drake University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. Drake began competing in intercollegiate football in 1893.-Historic 1922 season:... |
21 |
| 1970 Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA... |
Arkansas State | 38 | Central Missouri State | 21 |
| 2005 New Orleans Bowl 2005 New Orleans Bowl The 2005 New Orleans Bowl featured the and the . Due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the game was played at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana instead of at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.... |
Southern Miss Southern Miss Golden Eagles football The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football program represents the University of Southern Mississippi in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Eagles are members of Conference USA and player their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi... |
31 | Arkansas State | 19 |
Postseason Games
| Year and bowl | Winning team | Losing team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 I-AA First Round | Arkansas State | 37 | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 10 |
| 1984 I-AA Quarterfinals Camellia Bowl - 1948, Lafayette, Louisiana :The Camellia Bowl was a post-season major college football bowl game played at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 30, 1948 between Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Wichita .... |
Montana State Montana State Bobcats football The Montana State Bobcats football program competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision for Montana State University. The program began in 1897 and has won three national championships... |
31 | Arkansas State | 14 |
| 1985 I-AA First Round | Arkansas State | 10 | Grambling | 7 |
| 1985 I-AA Quarterfinals Camellia Bowl - 1948, Lafayette, Louisiana :The Camellia Bowl was a post-season major college football bowl game played at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 30, 1948 between Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Wichita .... |
Nevada Nevada Wolf Pack football The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Western Athletic Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA... |
24 | Arkansas State | 23 |
| 1986 I-AA First Round | Arkansas State | 48 | Sam Houston State | 7 |
| 1986 I-AA Quarterfinals Boardwalk Bowl The Boardwalk Bowl is a post-season college football game held at the former Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The game featured an annual matchup between Pennsylvania Military College and the United States Merchant Marine Academy, known as the "Little Army–Navy Game"... |
Arkansas State | 55 | Delaware | 23 |
| 1986 I-AA Semifinals | Arkansas State | 24 | Eastern Kentucky | 10 |
| 1986 I-AA Championship Game | Georgia Southern | 48 | Arkansas State | 21 |
| 1987 I-AA First Round | Arkansas State | 35 | Jackson State | 32 |
| 1987 I-AA Quarterfinals Pecan Bowl Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA... |
Northern Iowa Northern Iowa Panthers football The first year of Northern Iowa Panthers football was in 1895. They have fielded a football team every year since then with the exceptions of 1906-1907 and 1943-1944... |
49 | Arkansas State | 28 |
Rivalries
In 2004, the Memphis Tigers defeated Arkansas State 47-35 before 30,427 fans, the largest crowd to ever watch a game at Indian Stadium. In 2006, Arkansas State beat Memphis at the Liberty Bowl Stadium in MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
after a last second Hail Mary
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
touchdown to secure the win, 26-23, and end a ten game losing streak to the Tigers. The teams met again in 2007 at Indian Stadium, where the Indians rallied in the second half to beat the Tigers 35-31 after trailing 31-6 at halftime. The schools have met 54 times, with the Tigers leading the series 27-22-5.
Louisiana Tech
The Indians enjoyed a rivalry with Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
up until 1998. The overall series went to the Bulldogs (25-12-0) during a time that the schools won a combined 14 Southland Conference championships. ASU won the first meeting in Jonesboro in 1956, 21-13. In 1998, Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State ended the series when Tech moved into the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. The final game between the two was played in 1998 in Jonesboro and Tech won handily 69-21.
Troy
The Troy TrojansTroy Trojans
The Troy Trojans were a Major League Baseball team in the National League for four seasons from 1879 to 1882. Their home games were played at Putnam Grounds , Haymakers' Grounds , and Troy Ball Clubs Grounds , all in the upstate New York city of Troy. Overall, the franchise won 131 games and lost...
are another of Arkansas State's rivals. Arkansas State leads the overall series against Troy (6-5). The first game between the two schools was played in Jonesboro and ASU won the game 27-0. From 2004 to 2006, ASU won three straight against the Trojans. However in 2007, Arkansas State's winning streak over Troy University was snapped when the Trojans beat the Indians 27-0, one of the worst losses the Indians have ever had under head football coach Steve Roberts. The series is alternated every year between Jonesboro and Troy, Alabama.