FRISCO, Texas. (12/18/25) – The Arkansas State football team (7-6, 4-3 SBC) surged in the first half and fended off a late rally from Missouri State (7-6, 5-3 CUSA) en route to a 34-28 victory in the Xbox Bowl on Thursday night inside The Ford Center at The Star.
 
With the sixth FBS bowl victory in program history, A-State has claimed bowl wins in back-to-back seasons for the second time ever.
 
Senior wide receiver Corey Rucker tallied six receptions for 166 yards and one touchdown to earn Xbox Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. Senior linebacker Kyle Taylor was named Xbox Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player after leading the Scarlet and Black with 10 tackles, including four solos.
 
Rucker claimed sole possession of the Red Wolves’ career record for most touchdown receptions in the contest, posting his 27th to surpass Omar Bayless (2016-19). He ends his collegiate career with 4,121 receiving yards to finish 21st among all Division I FBS receivers.
 
Jaylen Raynor completed 17 passes on 31 attempts for 288 yards and tossed three touchdown passes. Kenyon Clay led the ground attack with 53 yards on 11 attempts while Devin Spencer scored the lone rushing touchdown for A-State.
 
The Red Wolves defense registered 14 tackles for loss including eight sacks, one shy of a season high, and recovered a fumble plus a muffed punt in the contest.

The Red Wolves’ defense forced a three-and-out on the opening drive and the offense scored on the ensuing possession. Raynor completed all three pass attempts for 38 yards during the march, including a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Bonelli at the 10:59 mark.
 
A-State regained possession with 4:01 left in the first quarter and faced 3rd and 10, but Rucker created space and caught the ball in stride for a 71-yard touchdown to make the score 14-0. The Bears capped the period with a five play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 39-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacob Clark.
 
Clune Van Andel pushed the lead back to double digits after converting a 54-yard field goal with 12:40 remaining in the second quarter. The junior kicker set a new career long on the play, surpassing a 53-yard field goal at Troy on Nov. 1.
 
Missouri State was limited to six plays and punted on 4th and 33, allowing Bonelli to make a 35-yard return to set up A-State’s next offensive drive. A two-yard loss on the opening play pushed the Red Wolves back to the Bears’ 46 yard-line before Raynor completed a 39-yard pass to Hunter Summers.
 
A three-yard rush preceded Raynor’s third touchdown pass of the evening, as Chauncy Cobb hauled in his first career touchdown reception to make the score 24-7.
 
Action picked back up with 12:13 remaining in the third quarter, when Raynor completed three consecutive passes for 37 yards to reach the Missouri State 28 yard-line. Spencer finished the drive with back-to-back rushes, including a 25-yard dash to the endzone that increased the lead to 24 points.
 
The Bears were held scoreless in the third quarter, but managed to find the endzone on the first play of the fourth. Clark completed a 15-yard pass and the two-point conversion would be successful as the score stood at 31-15 with 14:53 on the clock.
 
Two pass interference calls bookended a 35-yard reception by Rucker as A-State reached the Missouri State 11 yard-line. The Red Wolves moved backwards following a penalty on the next play, and eventually settled on a 32-yard field goal from Van Andel at the 12:42 mark.

Ethan Hassler stalled the opposition’s momentum on the ensuing possession by recording a sack and forcing a fumble that was recovered by Ryan Reese. However, the Bears struck again with 5:26 on the clock, completing a 47-yard touchdown strike and the two-point conversion to shrink the advantage to 34-21.
 
A-State was forced to punt after three plays, but Jordan Sample recovered the muff on Missouri State’s 22 yard-line. The ensuing drive yielded no points and kept the margin at 13.
 
The opposition made it a one-possession game on the first play following the two-minute timeout and set up a game-deciding onside kick. Reed Linder made the recovery, allowing A-State to kneel and secure the bowl victory.