Arkansas State coach Butch Jones credited his team’s preparation and resilience for Saturday’s 23-13 victory over Southern Miss but said the Red Wolves must improve offensively as they prepare for a Sun Belt Conference matchup against Georgia State.

Arkansas State (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) earned its first road victory of the season by forcing two turnovers, stopping Southern Miss on three fourth-down attempts and controlling the football for more than 40 minutes.

Jones said the performance reflected the team’s preparation leading up to the game.

“Anytime you can go on the road and win in our conference, it’s a good road win,” Jones said. “It wasn’t perfect in any way. A lot of things that we need to continue to improve upon and get better.”

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Arkansas State guard Crislyn Rose has been named the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors, while the Red Wolves were picked third in the league’s preseason coaches poll.

Rose, a fourth-year guard from Sachse, Texas, returns for her final season with the Red Wolves after earning second-team All-Sun Belt recognition in 2025-26.

She started all 37 games last season, averaging 11.2 points, 4.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds and one steal per game. Rose scored at least 20 points in six games and shot 81% from the free-throw line.

Her preseason recognition comes after helping Arkansas State complete one of its most successful seasons in program history.

The Red Wolves finished 27-10 overall and 14-4 in Sun Belt play, placing third in the conference standings before advancing to the semifinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Arkansas State received 165 points and one first-place vote in the preseason coaches poll, finishing just one point behind second-place Troy.

James Madison was selected as the conference favorite with 189 points and 11 first-place votes. Troy received 166 points, followed by Arkansas State with 165.

Marshall was picked fourth with 151 points and one first-place vote, while Louisiana Tech rounded out the top five with 148 points and one first-place vote.

Rose was joined on the preseason All-Sun Belt first team by Coastal Carolina forward Tessa Grady, Louisiana Tech forward Jordan Marshall, Appalachian State guard Daisia Mitchell and James Madison guard Bree Robinson.

James Madison led the conference with three preseason all-conference selections, while Louisiana Tech and Appalachian State each placed two players on the three teams.

Arkansas State will open the 2026-27 season on the road against Ball State on Monday, Nov. 2, at 5:30 p.m. The game is part of the MAC-SBC Challenge.

The Red Wolves will play their home opener Nov. 17 against Jackson State, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

2026-27 Sun Belt women’s basketball preseason coaches poll

First-place votes in parentheses.

1. James Madison (11) — 189

2. Troy — 166

3. Arkansas State (1) — 165

4. Marshall (1) — 151

5. Louisiana Tech (1) — 148

6. Old Dominion — 106

7. Coastal Carolina — 99

8. Southern Miss — 99

9. Appalachian State — 79

10. ULM — 77

11. Georgia Southern — 62

12. South Alabama — 61

13. Louisiana — 42

14. Georgia State — 26

Preseason All-Sun Belt teams

Preseason Player of the Year

Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State, guard

First Team

• Tessa Grady, Coastal Carolina, forward

• Jordan Marshall, Louisiana Tech, forward

• Daisia Mitchell, Appalachian State, guard

• Bree Robinson, James Madison, guard

• Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State, guard

Second Team

• Imani Daniel, Louisiana, forward

• Aniya Hubbard, Troy, guard

• Olivia Olson, Marshall, guard

• Zakiya Stephenson, James Madison, guard

• Joi Williams, Appalachian State, guard

Third Team

• Kayla Cleaveland, Georgia Southern, forward

• Grace McDonough, James Madison, forward

• Chrysta Narcisse, Southern Miss, guard

• Riley Stack, Old Dominion, forward

• Alexia Weaver, Louisiana Tech, guard

Arkansas State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026-27 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball championship, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches.

The Red Wolves received 182 points and three first-place votes to earn the preseason distinction for the second time in three seasons.

Arkansas State is coming off a 20-12 season under head coach Ryan Pannone, who guided the Red Wolves to an 11-7 conference record in his first year leading the program. The 20-win campaign marked the third consecutive season Arkansas State reached that milestone.

James Madison finished second in the preseason poll with 176 points despite receiving a league-high nine first-place votes.

Troy was picked third with 143 points, followed by South Alabama (136) and Marshall (125) to round out the top five.

Louisiana was selected sixth with 117 points, while Southern Miss finished seventh with 109 points and two first-place votes.

Arkansas State also placed two players on the preseason All-Sun Belt second team, with guards Tameron Ferguson and Layne Taylor receiving recognition.

Ferguson, a third-year guard from St. Cloud, Minnesota, and Taylor, a third-year guard from Farmington, Arkansas, were among 15 players selected to the league’s three preseason all-conference teams.

James Madison led the conference with three selections, while Arkansas State and South Alabama each placed two players on the teams. Eleven programs had at least one player recognized.

Southern Miss guard Isaac Taveras was named the Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year.

The fourth-year guard from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, averaged 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals last season.

Taveras scored in double figures in 19 of his 22 appearances, including five games with at least 20 points. He also helped Southern Miss win three games in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and advance to the semifinals.

Taveras was joined on the preseason first team by Old Dominion’s Adante’ Holiman, South Alabama’s Peyton Law, Georgia State’s Jacob Meyer and Marshall’s Noah Otshudi.

Arkansas State will begin its regular season Nov. 2, when the Sun Belt opens the fourth year of the MAC-SBC Challenge against Mid-American Conference opponents.

Twelve Sun Belt programs will host MAC opponents in the opening round of the challenge.

Conference play begins in December, with each Sun Belt program scheduled to play an 18-game league slate.

The 2027 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship will return to the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, March 2-8.

The conference will also conduct its annual men’s basketball media day Wednesday, Oct. 21, via Zoom.

2026-27 Sun Belt preseason coaches poll

First-place votes in parentheses.

1. Arkansas State (3) — 182

2. James Madison (9) — 176

3. Troy — 143

4. South Alabama — 136

5. Marshall — 125

6. Louisiana — 117

7. Southern Miss (2) — 109

8. Appalachian State — 105

9. Georgia Southern — 85

10. Georgia State — 79

11. Old Dominion — 76

12. Louisiana Tech — 64

13. Coastal Carolina — 58

14. ULM — 15

Preseason All-Sun Belt teams

Preseason Player of the Year

Isaac Taveras, Southern Miss, guard

First Team

• Adante’ Holiman, Old Dominion, guard

• Peyton Law, South Alabama, forward

• Jacob Meyer, Georgia State, guard

• Noah Otshudi, Marshall, guard

• Isaac Taveras, Southern Miss, guard

Second Team

• Tameron Ferguson, Arkansas State, guard

• Preston Fowler, James Madison, forward

• Dallas Gardner, Georgia Southern, guard

• Gage Lattimore, James Madison, guard

• Layne Taylor, Arkansas State, guard

Third Team

• Jacoi Hutchinson, Troy, guard

• Jamyron Keller, Louisiana, guard

• Jalen Langsy, South Alabama, guard

• Kyran Tilley, Louisiana Tech, guard

• K.J. Windham, James Madison, guard

Arkansas State didn’t need an explosive offense to earn its first road victory of the season Saturday night.

The Red Wolves forced two interceptions, stopped Southern Miss on three fourth-down attempts and controlled the clock in a 23-13 victory at Renasant Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss.

A-State improved to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt Conference play, while Southern Miss dropped to 1-5 and 0-2.

Here is the Red Wolf Report 3-2-1 breakdown of the victory.

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Arkansas State forced two interceptions, made three fourth-down stops and controlled the clock Saturday night to defeat Southern Miss 23-13 at Renasant Stadium.

The Red Wolves (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt Conference) earned their first road victory of the season behind three field goals from Clune Van Andel and rushing touchdowns from Kenyon Clay and Timothy Carter.

Arkansas State held the ball for 40 minutes, 8 seconds, compared with 19:52 for Southern Miss (1-5, 0-2), and ran out the final 7:21 to secure the victory before an announced crowd of 22,585.

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James Madison’s decision to leave the Sun Belt Conference for the American Conference has raised questions about the league’s future, but conference officials say they remain committed to the regional structure that has helped fuel its recent success.

The Dukes, who joined the Sun Belt in 2022, quickly established themselves as one of the conference’s top football programs. Their departure follows Texas State’s exit for the Pac-12, while Louisiana Tech joined the Sun Belt following Texas State’s departure.

In a statement released Oct. 12, Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill pointed to the conference’s success since expanding to 14 football-playing members.

“Since expanding to 14 football-playing members, the Sun Belt Conference has experienced the best four-year stretch in the conference’s 50-year history,” Gill said.

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Butch Jones knows the Red Wolves have work to do before traveling to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to face Southern Miss on Saturday.

After a frustrating loss Thursday night, Jones said Arkansas State must correct its mistakes, protect the football and improve its execution in critical situations. But he also believes the team’s response to adversity offers reason for optimism as the Red Wolves prepare for another Sun Belt Conference challenge.

“Big week for us to improve on our deficiencies that we need to improve on,” Jones said. “We know a lot of the issues that we need to correct, and there is anybody working harder to correct the issues.”

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Arkansas State coach Butch Jones said the Red Wolves must eliminate costly mistakes as they prepare for their next challenge against Southern Miss following a narrow loss to South Alabama.

Jones credited South Alabama and coach Major Applewhite for their physical play but said Arkansas State’s mistakes proved costly in a game the Red Wolves had an opportunity to push into overtime.

“You can’t turn the football over three times,” Jones said. “We gave up a catastrophic kickoff return for a touchdown. Couldn’t stop the run on defense. And then allowed them to go four for four on fourth-down conversions.”

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Arkansas State had the football, a tie game and 5:38 remaining Saturday night with an opportunity to put its Sun Belt Conference opener away.

Instead, the Red Wolves ran three plays, gained 3 yards and gave the ball back to Louisiana.

They never saw it again.

Tony Sterner kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired, finishing a 13-play, 73-yard drive that lifted Louisiana to a 23-20 victory over Arkansas State at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

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Butch Jones does not have to search very hard to find the biggest concern Arkansas State carries into Saturday night’s Sun Belt Conference opener at Louisiana.

It showed up repeatedly on film from last week’s win over Kennesaw State.

Tackling.

Arkansas State escaped with a 17-14 victory, but Jones estimated the Red Wolves surrendered approximately 128 yards after initial contact. Against a Louisiana offense built around a powerful quarterback, a big offensive line, physical running backs and a deep group of tight ends, those extra yards could become considerably more costly.

“If you do that against Louisiana in terms of not only the quarterback, but the tight ends and the running backs, they’re going to have a lot of leaky yards,” Jones said. “We had way too many leaky yards in the Kennesaw game. ... Against a team like Louisiana, you can’t do that.”

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Arkansas State spent the first month of the season trying to establish its identity. Now the Red Wolves will find out how that identity translates to Sun Belt Conference play.

A-State opens its conference schedule Saturday night against Louisiana at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium, facing a Ragin’ Cajuns team that has won three of its first four games and has been particularly difficult to move the football against.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

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Trey Owens did not need to throw for 400 yards or account for five touchdowns for Arkansas State coach Butch Jones to come away impressed with his quarterback Saturday night.

Instead, Owens did something Jones believes could be even more important to the Red Wolves’ long-term success.

He managed the game.

Owens completed 24 of 31 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, added a 2-yard touchdown run and, perhaps most importantly, did not turn the football over as Arkansas State rallied for a 17-14 victory over Kennesaw State at Centennial Bank Stadium.

“I thought Trey Owens really managed the game, stepped up for us,” Jones said.

For a quarterback still settling into his first season running the Arkansas State offense, Saturday represented another step in his development.

Owens did not force throws when plays broke down. He escaped pressure when necessary, threw the ball away rather than putting it in danger and helped the Red Wolves navigate a game in which possessions were limited and mistakes were magnified.

“I think Trey did a good job of not forcing the action,” Jones said. “There was a number of times where he was able to escape and throw the football away, and that’s how you manage a football game.”

That has become a recurring theme for Jones when discussing Owens.

The Texas transfer arrived at Arkansas State with physical tools, but Jones has repeatedly stressed the importance of playing quarterback beyond simply making throws. The position requires Owens to manage situations, understand when to take chances and when not to, and keep the Red Wolves out of the mistakes that can change games.

Saturday may have provided his best example yet.

Kennesaw State’s defense made Arkansas State work for everything it got. The Red Wolves finished with only nine possessions, and several promising drives were derailed by negative plays, penalties or missed opportunities.

Arkansas State still finished with 363 yards, and Owens completed 77.4% of his passes.

More importantly, A-State did not give the Owls a short field with a turnover.

“Monumental,” Jones said when asked about playing turnover-free football. “You can’t turn the football over.”

Jones said Arkansas State must be a team that does not beat itself, and Owens’ decision-making was a significant part of accomplishing that against Kennesaw State.

Owens’ night was not defined by one long touchdown pass.

Instead, he consistently took what Kennesaw State gave him.

Hunter Summers became one of his primary targets, including on a 14-yard touchdown in the second quarter that gave Arkansas State a 7-0 lead.

Jones said Kennesaw State initially gave Summers free access at the line of scrimmage, and the Red Wolves were content to take the available completions. Some of those throws came on run-pass options, while others were designed drop-back passes.

“Hunter did a good job and Trey did a good job,” Jones said.

Kennesaw State eventually adjusted its coverage in the second half, forcing Arkansas State to adjust with it.

Owens also showed he could respond when Arkansas State fell behind.

Kennesaw State took a 14-7 lead with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter after Boogie Woods II scored on a 6-yard run.

The Red Wolves answered immediately.

Owens directed a seven-play, 76-yard drive and finished it himself with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:19 left in the third quarter. The extra point tied the game at 14.

Arkansas State later took the lead on Clune Van Andel’s 33-yard field goal with 8:19 remaining.

Owens’ work was not finished.

After Kennesaw State missed a potential tying field goal with 2:59 remaining, Arkansas State needed to drain the clock against a defense that knew the Red Wolves wanted to run.

Owens’ responsibility shifted from moving the offense through the air to managing the clock and the huddle.

Jones noticed.

With the 40-second play clock winding down, Owens consistently waited until the final seconds to take the snap. Arkansas State had to get into the huddle, communicate the call, reach the line, make its adjustments and still avoid snapping the football too early.

Those seconds mattered because Kennesaw State still had its timeouts.

“When Trey snapped the ball with two seconds left on the 40-second clock, I thought our players did a really good job of managing the huddle when we got out of the huddle, getting lined up, making the calls, making the adjustments,” Jones said. “And Trey did a good job in terms of managing the offense all night.”

Arkansas State ultimately picked up three first downs and never gave the football back.

Solomon Baggett provided the most important conversion with a 12-yard run on third-and-6 with 1:52 remaining, but Owens was responsible for keeping the entire operation organized as the Red Wolves finished the game in victory formation.

It was a different kind of quarterback performance from the one Owens produced in the season opener at Memphis, when he threw for 325 yards, or against West Georgia, when he threw multiple touchdown passes for the first time at Arkansas State.

But it may have been just as important.

Jones praised Owens after the West Georgia victory for managing that game as well, emphasizing that Arkansas State’s offensive formula requires protecting the football and maximizing a limited number of possessions.

Owens also showed against West Georgia that he could quickly distribute the football against pressure. Jones praised his ball placement on perimeter throws and his ability to get the ball out quickly when the Wolves faced internal blitzes.

Kennesaw State provided another test.

The result was a quarterback who completed nearly 80% of his passes, accounted for both Arkansas State touchdowns and avoided the mistake that could have changed a three-point game.

There remains plenty for Owens and the offense to improve.

Jones pointed to pre-snap penalties and negative-yardage plays that repeatedly put Arkansas State behind the chains. He also said the Red Wolves must become more consistent at finishing drives with touchdowns.

Those issues will become even more important as Arkansas State enters Sun Belt Conference play.

But four games into Owens’ first season directing the offense, Jones is seeing progress in an area that does not always show up in a quarterback’s passing statistics.

Owens is learning how to manage games.

Saturday night, that helped Arkansas State win one.

Arkansas State coach Butch Jones saw something Saturday night he had been waiting to see from his football team.

The Red Wolves faced adversity and found a way to overcome it.

Arkansas State rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit, scored the final 10 points and closed the game with its offense on the field to defeat Kennesaw State 17-14 at Centennial Bank Stadium.

The victory evened Arkansas State’s record at 2-2 and completed the nonconference portion of its schedule. Now the Red Wolves turn their attention to Sun Belt Conference play and a trip to Louisiana on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Jones said Monday that the win over Kennesaw State represented an important step for a team still developing its identity.

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Four games into the season, Arkansas State is only one victory better than it was at the same point a year ago.

The numbers, however, do not tell the entire story.

The Red Wolves enter Sun Belt Conference play with a 2-2 record following Saturday night’s 17-14 victory over Kennesaw State. A-State now turns its attention to Louisiana, where it will face the Ragin’ Cajuns at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Lafayette. It will be the 55th meeting between the programs and their first meeting in a conference opener since 2010.

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Arkansas State coach Butch Jones has spent the early portion of the season waiting to see how his football team would respond when a game came down to a handful of critical moments.

He received his answer Saturday night.

The Red Wolves overcame a seven-point second-half deficit, scored the game’s final 10 points and then ran out the clock with three first downs to secure a 17-14 victory over Kennesaw State at Centennial Bank Stadium.

For Jones, the significance went beyond improving to 2-2 before Arkansas State begins Sun Belt Conference play.

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Arkansas State needed a response Saturday night.

The Red Wolves delivered one.

Arkansas State erased a seven-point second-half deficit and scored the game’s final 10 points, while its defense came up with a late stop to secure a 17-14 victory over Kennesaw State at Centennial Bank Stadium.

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Five Hamilton may not be the loudest voice on Arkansas State’s defense.

His production is beginning to speak for him.

The Kennesaw State transfer has quickly developed into an important piece of the Red Wolves’ defense, and his performance Saturday night at TCU provided the latest example. Hamilton recorded a career-high 12 tackles, including 11 solo stops, and added a tackle for loss in Arkansas State’s 31-7 defeat.

But Arkansas State coach Butch Jones believes Hamilton’s value goes beyond what appears on a stat sheet.

“I can speak for what he’s meant to our football team,” Jones said. “He’s been actually one of our silent leaders. Great locker room guy, leads by — sets the standard. Been really, really pleased with him in the addition to our football program.

“Very, very competitive, very diligent worker, so I just can’t say enough great things about him.”

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Arkansas State coach Butch Jones believes the final score of Saturday’s 31-7 loss at TCU failed to tell the entire story.

For much of the night, Jones saw a Red Wolves team capable of competing with a quality opponent on the road. The problem was Arkansas State failed to capitalize on the opportunities that could have changed the game.

Now the Red Wolves must take those lessons into their final nonconference test when defending Conference USA champion Kennesaw State visits Centennial Bank Stadium on Saturday.

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Arkansas State managed to stay within striking distance of TCU through the first half Saturday night, but the Horned Frogs pulled away after the break for a 31-7 victory at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

The Red Wolves (1-2) trailed just 14-7 at halftime after putting together an 84-yard touchdown drive late in the second quarter. TCU (2-1) kept A-State off the scoreboard over the final two quarters while adding 17 unanswered points.

Quarterback Trey Owens completed 11 of 24 passes for 133 yards while also leading Arkansas State with a career-high 58 rushing yards. His night included a career-long 34-yard run.

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Arkansas State linebacker Robert Stevens III has been named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Red Wolves’ 52-7 victory over West Georgia.

The league announced the honor Monday after Stevens helped lead an Arkansas State defense that forced four turnovers and scored two touchdowns in Saturday’s win at Centennial Bank Stadium.

Stevens, a fourth-year linebacker, finished with six tackles, including a tackle for loss, while adding a quarterback hurry, forced fumble and interception.

His performance made him the first Arkansas State player to record both a forced fumble and an interception in the same game since Jayden Jones accomplished the feat against Southern Miss in 2024. Stevens became just the 12th A-State player since 1995 to accomplish both in the same game.

Arkansas State coach Butch Jones said Monday that Stevens is beginning to establish himself within a defense that entered the season with limited game experience.

“Another newcomer that’s growing into our defense, and what’s happening is he’s starting to reveal himself as one of our playmakers on defense,” Jones said. “Very, very active, highly competitive young man, so excited about him.”

Stevens’ forced fumble resulted in one of the game’s biggest plays. Noah Flores recovered the ball and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown, giving Arkansas State a 21-0 lead late in the first half. The Red Wolves added another defensive touchdown in the third quarter when Five Hamilton returned an interception 91 yards.

Jones said Stevens’ continued development will come through additional game experience.

“I think the biggest thing for him, again, is reps,” Jones said. “This team really doesn’t have, especially on the defensive side of the ball, very many banked reps.”

Jones said the Red Wolves have faced two different offensive styles through the first two games, forcing inexperienced defensive players to adjust to different schemes and responsibilities.

“The week-to-week game plans, growing into that, growing into the eye discipline at the linebacker position, I think he’s kind of in the same boat that Trey (Owens) is on offense,” Jones said. “I think the more repetitions he gains for us with live game repetitions, he’s going to do nothing but get better.”