The App State Mountaineers played their final game of the season as they hosted the Arkansas State University Red Wolves. Both teams entered the game with bowl eligibility on the line, needing 1 win to secure a bowl game. The Mountaineers fell short, losing to the Red Wolves 30–29, eliminating their hopes of reaching a bowl game.
“A disappointing loss here at home tonight. I feel for our seniors — been through a lot to lose a game that close, and it’s gonna sting for a while,” head coach Dowell Loggains said in the post-game press conference. “I appreciated our effort and how hard we played. Just gotta play cleaner football to win that game.”
The opening quarter signaled early momentum for the Mountaineers, as freshman running back Jaquari Lewis broke free for gains of 23 and 18 yards, setting the tone for what initially appeared to be a productive offensive outing. A dropped pass stalled the drive, but freshman kicker Dominic De Freitas gave the Mountaineers the lead with a 43-yard field goal. Arkansas State responded with a long drive of its own, benefiting from a penalty on fourth-and-goal to maintain possession, but ultimately settling for 3 after a dropped touchdown. The quarter ended with the teams tied 3–3.
Early in the second quarter, App State capitalized again with another De Freitas field goal for a brief 6–3 lead. Arkansas State then attempted a fourth-down conversion but fumbled, allowing redshirt sophomore linebacker Brayshaw Littlejohn to recover and flip the momentum of the game.
(Natalie Lanpher)
Moments later, redshirt sophomore quarterback JJ Kohl connected with redshirt senior wide receiver Dalton Stroman for a 37-yard touchdown strike, extending the lead to 13–3. The Red Wolves found rhythm through the air, as quarterback Jaylen Raynor completed a deep 43-yard pass to wide receiver Chauncy Cobb, which eventually led to an 8-yard touchdown from wide receiver Corey Rucker. A missed extra point preserved App State’s advantage, but a late fumble by the Mountaineers shifted control.
Arkansas State made a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Fortenberry to move ahead 16–13. App State answered in the final seconds of the half, driving 49 yards in 2 plays to set up a 45-yard tying field goal by De Freitas as time expired, knotting the score at halftime 16–16.
Arkansas State opened the second half with a promising drive but missed a field goal wide, leaving the score unchanged. App State then executed a 7-play scoring drive, capped off by a Kohl touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Sam Mbake for a 23-16 lead.
The Red Wolves drew even late in the quarter after a targeting call against redshirt junior defensive back Elijah Mc-Cantos granted a new set of downs, and Mc-Cantos was ejected. A Red Wolves touchdown run tied the game 23-23 entering the fourth quarter.
The final quarter brought intensity and emotion for a season-defining game. Arkansas State struck early with a 37-yard pass to Cobb, but redshirt sophomore linebacker Colton Phares halted the drive with an interception, which granted App State valuable field position. The Mountaineers were not able to reach the end zone but reclaimed the lead on a 48-yard field goal, pulling ahead 26–23.
With under six minutes remaining, App State drained the clock on an 11-play march, ending in another De Freitas field goal for a 29–23 advantage.
Arkansas State, needing a touchdown, struck quickly. In just 52 seconds, the Red Wolves drove 7 plays to the end zone and converted the extra point for a 30–29 lead with only 42 seconds left in the game.
App State crossed midfield and faced fourth-and-1 with bowl eligibility on the line. Kohl found Mbake for the conversion, setting up a final attempt for a win. With three seconds remaining, De Freitas lined up for a 45-yard attempt that would have sent the Mountaineers to a bowl game. The kick sailed wide, and silence swept through Kidd Brewer Stadium as the kick fell short.
“He had some good kicks, but the thing that’s hard about football is you always remember your last play,” Loggains said. “This one’s going to sting for a little while for him, and he knows that we support him, we believe in him, we’re here for him, and the only thing that’s going to take that pain away is time.”
The Mountaineers conclude their season with a 5-7 record.
