ON TAP:  Arkansas State is set to kickoff its 2021 season Saturday, Sept. 4, with a 6:00 p.m. home game at Centennial Bank Stadium against FCS member Central Arkansas.
 
THE PRINCIPALS:  Arkansas State is set to play its first season under new head coach Butch Jones, who was tabbed to lead the Red Wolves' program this past December.  A-State's 31st all-time head coach takes over a program that posted a 4-7 record in 2020, but had previously posted nine consecutive bowl-game appearances and won five Sun Belt Conference championships between 2011-19.
 
HEAD COACH BUTCH JONES:  Butch Jones was announced as the Red Wolves' 31st all-time head football coach on December 12, 2020.  Jones not only brings 11 years of head-coaching experience at the NCAA FBS level with him to Jonesboro after previous stops leading the football programs at Tennessee (2013-17), Cincinnati (2010-12) and Central Michigan (2007-09), but he also spent the last three seasons (2018-20) working as part of Nick Saban's staff at national-power Alabama.  During Jones' 11 seasons serving as a head coach, his teams combined to win four conference championships, played in eight bowl games and finished ranked in the AP Top 25 five times.  He has coached a combined 77 all-conference honorees and 27 NFL Draft picks.
 
DEBUT GAMES:  Just 11 of Arkansas State's first 30 all-time head coaches claimed a victory in their first ever game at the school.  Each of the two head coaches (Blake Anderson and Bryan Harsin) immediately preceding Butch Jones won their initial games, but Harsin in 2013 was actually the first to do so since Larry Lacewell in 1979,  snapping a streak of seven head coaches to drop their debuts.  A-State's head coaches to win their first game at the school include Anderson (2014), Harsin, Lacewell, Bill Davidson (1971), Gene Harlow (1955), Glen Harmeson (1954), Bill Adams (1939), Jack Dale (1931), Bill Stanley (1924), Foy Hammons (1919) and Clint Young (1913).
 
THE ARKANSAS STATE - UCA SERIES:  Saturday's game will mark the second consecutive year A-State and UCA have played each other after the Red Wolves claimed a 50-27 victory at Centennial Bank Stadium last season.  A-State and UCA have played 26 times since 1916, but will meet for just the sixth time since 1947.  The Bears hold a 13-11-2 lead in the series, but have won just one of the last nine meetings.  The Red Wolves stand 8-6 all-time versus UCA in games played in Jonesboro.
 
A-STATE vs FCS:  Arkansas State is playing an FCS member for the 11th consecutive season and 13th time over the last 14 years.  Dating back to the 2002 campaign, the Red Wolves have won 16 of their last 17 games against FCS foes.  A-State has posted 861 points to its FCS opponents' 202 during those 17 contests for an average margin of 38.7 points per game.  The Red Wolves' lone setback during that time came in 2016 when it dropped a 28-23 decision against Central Arkansas, which was then a member of the Southland Conference.
 
IN-STATE FOES:  Arkansas State is set to face UCA for the second consecutive year and play its fourth game against an in-state foe over the last six seasons (vs UCA in 2016, 2020, 2021;  vs UAPB in 2017).  The Red Wolves have played 10 schools located in The Natural State, including Little Rock, Arkansas-Monticello, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Lyon College, Hendrix, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas.  A-State's 26 games against UCA are its most against an in-state opponent, followed closely by Lyon College with 22 meetings.
 
FOR STARTERS:  Since moving to FBS status in 1992, the Red Wolves have posted a 6-23 record in season openers.  The Red Wolves' most recent season-opening victory came in 2018 when they topped Southeast Missouri State by a 48-21 score.  Their six season-opening wins since moving to FBS status include:
2018 vs Southeast Missouri State (W, 48-21)
2014 vs Montana State (W, 37-10)
2013 vs UAPB (W, 62-11)
2008 at Texas A&M (W, 18-14)
2006 vs Army (W, 14-6)
1995 vs Utah State (W, 21-17)
 
34-YEAR SPAN:  Arkansas State will open its upcoming campaign with back-to-back home games for the first time since 1987, hosting Central Arkansas in its season opener on Sept. 4 and facing Memphis the following Saturday on Sept. 11.  The Red Wolves will also open their season at home for the sixth time over the last nine years.
 
FAMILY TIES:  Research indicates that Butch Jones is one of nine FBS head coaches in the nation with a son currently playing at an FBS institution.  Adam Jones, one of Jones' three sons, is currently a redshirt freshman wide receiver for the Red Wolves after transferring from Central Michigan to A-State after Jones accepted the Red Wolves' head coaching position.  Jones' oldest son, Alex, is also in his first season in an offensive quality control position for the Red Wolves.  His youngest son, Andrew, is a member of the freshman football team at Valley View in Jonesboro.
 
HOME OPENERS:  Including a 50-27 victory over UCA last season, Arkansas State has won its first home game played in 13 of the last 16 seasons dating back to 2005.  The Red Wolves stand 33-14 all-time in home openers at Centennial Bank Stadium and are also 19-9 in such games since moving to FBS status in 1992.
 
HOME SWEET HOME:  Arkansas State has strung together 16 consecutive years (2005-20) with a winning record at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to 2005.  The Red Wolves are now 71-19 (.789 winning percentage) when playing at home since the 2005 season.  A-State's actual on-field record all-time at Centennial Bank Stadium is 163-82-1 since it opened in 1974.
 
ON THIS DATE:  The first year of record for an Arkansas State game played on Sept. 4 was 1974, when it defeated ULM 31-13 in Jonesboro.  However, A-State has dropped its last four games played on Sept. 4, bringing its overall record on the date to 1-4.  Three of the four setbacks were played against top-25 ranked teams, including No. 8 Florida in 1993, No. 18 Missouri in 2004 and No. 21 Auburn in 2010, which was also the last year the Red Wolves played a game on Sept. 4.
 
AN A-STATE VICTORY WOULD ...:  make Butch Jones the 12th all-time and third consecutive A-State head coach to win his debut game at the school . . . run the Red Wolves record against UCA to 12-13-2 . . . give it 17 wins over its last 18 games played against an FCS opponent, including the last five in a row . . . make it 14-3 over its last 17 home openers . . . give the Red Wolves its first season-opening victory since 2018.
 
EXPERIENCE UP FRONT:  Arkansas State has nine different offensive linemen who have combined to start 149 career games at the FBS level, which is the fourth most in the nation behind only Minnesota (180), Miami (159) and Michigan State (151).  Including players who have started at least one FCS game, the Red Wolves have 10 o-linemen who have combined for 157 career starts, which is also the fourth most in the nation behind Illinois (193), Minnesota (180) and Miami (159).
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS:  The Arkansas State football team was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division in the league's preseason coaches poll.  The Red Wolves received one first-place vote and 38 points, 11 fewer than a Louisiana team that picked up nine first-place votes.  A-State checks in as the West Division No. 2 pick for the third consecutive season in the poll.  The Red Wolves return six starters on offense and nine on defense from last year's squad.
 
PRESEASON ACCOLADES:  Between Athlon Sports, Phil Steele's, College Football News and Pro Football Focus, 13 different A-State players have received preseason All-Sun Belt Conference recognition.  The A-State players who have been recognized include defensive end TW Ayers, defensive lineman Kivon Bennett, linebacker Caleb Bonner, safety Antonio Fletcher, wide receiver Jeff Foreman, wide receiver Dahu Green, kicker Blake Grupe, defensive lineman Terry Hampton, offensive lineman Andre Harris Jr., quarterback Layne Hatcher, running back Marcel Murray, wide receiver Corey Rucker and tight end Reed Tyler.
 
A LOOK BACK:  A-State's first spring camp under HC Butch Jones wrapped up April 17 with its spring game at Centennial Bank Stadium.  There were several spring-camp team awards presented as the football staff chose five individuals who maintained consistent success on the field, in the weight room and in the classroom.  The players recognized for "consistency in performance" were wide receiver Corey Rucker (offense), linebacker Caleb Bonner (defense) and kicker Blake Grupe (special teams).  Senior safety EJ Alexander was awarded the "Pack Performance Award" for his consistent performance in the weight room.  Defensive back Taylon Doss was issued the 4-6/A to B" award for his performance on special teams in the secondary.