ON TAP:  Arkansas State remains on the road for the third consecutive week with a 3:00 p.m. CT game Saturday at Georgia Southern, opening Sun Belt Conference play against the Eagles for the fourth time over the last six seasons.  The contest will be appear on ESPN+, and every A-State football game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in the Northeast Arkansas area.  The live radio broadcast can also be accessed on the official A-State Athletics web site (AStateRedWolves.com).
 
THE PRINCIPALS:  Arkansas State is in the midst of its first three-game road swing where each contest is being played on consecutive Saturdays for the first time since 2004.  The Red Wolves concluded the non-conference portion of their regular-season schedule with a 1-3 record, most recently dropping a 41-34 decision at Tulsa.  Georgia Southern enters the game with an identical 1-3 record, although they began league play last week with a 28-20 home setback against Louisiana.
 
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 brought 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' first 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:  Butch Jones is A-State's 31st all-time head coach, but became just the 11th to claim a victory in his first ever game at the school.  Each of the two head coaches (Blake Anderson and Bryan Harsin) immediately preceding 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 Jones (2021), Anderson (2014), Harsin, Lacewell, Bill Davidson (1971), Gene Harlow (1955), Glen Harmeson (1954), Bill Adams (1939), Jack Dale (1931), Bill Stanley (1924) and Clint Young (1913).  Among the same group, Davidson was the last to win his first two games in 1971.
 
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.
 
THE ARKANSAS STATE - GEORGIA SOUTHERN SERIES:  Arkansas State and Georgia Southern will meet for the fifth time as Sun Belt Conference opponents and the sixth time ever.  The Red Wolves lead the all-time series 3-2, while also holding a 3-1 lead in the series as Sun Belt opponents.  A-State won the last meeting 38-33 in Jonesboro in 2019 as the two teams didn't play each other during the 2020 season.  The only non-conference game between the two programs came in the 1986 I-AA national championship game in Tacoma, Wash., where the Eagles claimed a 26-7 victory.
A-STATE/GEORGIA SOUTHERN SERIES
2019, Georgia Southern @ A-State (W, 38-33)
2018, A-State @ Georgia Southern (L, 21-28)
2017, A-State @ Georgia Southern (W, 43-25)
2016, Georgia Southern @ A-State (W, 27-26)
1986, A-State vs Georgia Southern (L, 7-26)
 
A-STATE vs THE SUN BELT:  Arkansas State has won 58 of its last 79 Sun Belt Conference games (.734 winning percentage) to run its all-time record in the league to 90-57.  The Red Wolves hold their most all-time victories against ULM with 27.  A-State has defeated every team in the conference since the football league was formed in 2001.  Along with ULM and Louisiana, A-State is one of three teams that have been a part of the conference since its inaugural football season.
 
UNBUCKLE THE BELT:  The Red Wolves stand 13-7 all-time in Sun Belt Conference openers.  Although A-State dropped a 52-23 decision last season against Coastal Carolina in its first SBC game of the year, it has won six of its last eight league openers.  The Red Wolves are playing their first Sun Belt game on the road for the fifth consecutive year. They will face Georgia Southern in their Sun Belt opener for the fourth time, tying ULM for their most played opponent in such games.
 
ROAD WARRIORS:  Even though it dropped all four of its Sun Belt road games in 2020, Arkansas State has still won 27 of its last 40 road games against league foes dating back to the 2011 season for a .675 winning percentage. The Red Wolves had won 10 consecutive conference road games, its longest streak ever as a member of any league, before falling to Western Kentucky in its 2013 regular-season finale.
 
RED WOLVES OCTOBER:  Arkansas State holds a 26-9 record over its last 35 games played in the month of October for a .743 winning percentage.  A-State had won 11 games in a row during the month prior to falling to Appalachian State on Oct. 9, 2018.
 
ON THIS DATE:  Dating back to the 1920 season, Arkansas State holds a 6-7-1 record when playing on Oct. 2.  The Red Wolves dropped their last two games on the date, including a 34-24 setback versus Louisville in 2010 and a 28-21 decision at Ole Miss in 2004.  A-State's last victory on Oct. 2 came in 1999, when it defeated Sam Houston State 45-20.
 
GEORGIA RED WOLVES:  Arkansas State has 12 players on its roster from the state of Georgia, including six who are listed on its current depth chart.  The list includes Josh Edwards (Atlanta), Torren Coppage-El (Lilburn), Antonio Fletcher (Lithonia), Dennard Flowers (Fairburn), Thurman Geathers (Acworth), John Mincey (Homerville), Dane Motley (Alpharetta), Jalil Muhammad (Fairburn), Marcel Murray (Hiram), Genuine Potts (Powder Springs), Nason Simmons (Canton) and Trevian Thomas (Americus).
 
THE FIRST FIVE:  While Arkansas State began its 2021 campaign with back-to-back home games for the first time since 1987, it is now in the midst of playing three consecutive Saturdays on the road for the first time since 2004.  The Red Wolves also played three road games in a row in 2020, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2008, but none of them on three consecutive Saturdays.
 
AN A-STATE VICTORY WOULD ...:  run its all-time record versus Georgia Southern to 4-2 and move its Sun Belt record against the Eagles to 4-1 . . . snap a six-game skid in road contests . . . improve its all-time record in Sun Belt Conference openers to 14-7 . . . improve its record to 27-9 over its last 36 games played in the month of October.
 
LAMAR EARNS SBC WEEKLY AWARD:  Senior running back Alan Lamar was named the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after posting 178 kickoff return yard, including a 93-yard touchdown return, during the Red Wolves' game at Tulsa.  His 178 return yards stand as the fourth most in school history and are tied for the third most in the nation this season.  His 93-yard return tied the ninth longest in A-State history and was the second longest by a Sun Belt player this season.  It marked the first time since 2019 that an A-State player returned a kickoff for a touchdown.  Lamar has accumulated 352 kickoff return yards this year, the second most in the country behind only the 371 recorded by Winston Wright of West Virginia.
 
PASSING ATTACK:  Including a school-record 582 passing yards against Memphis, Arkansas State has thrown for 1,442 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.  The Red Wolves are averaging 360.5 passing yards per game that ranks seventh in the nation, while their 11 passing touchdowns are tied for the 14th most.  A-State has thrown for at least 300 yards and two scores in three of its first four games, including the UCA, Memphis and Tulsa contests.  Junior quarterback James Blackman most recently threw for a career-best 321 yards against Tulsa, but also went over 300 against Memphis.  He threw a combined six touchdowns during those two outings.
 
RUNNING BACK RECEPTIONS:  Running back Lincoln Pare has already caught 11 passes for 109 yards this season, which is 24 more yards than he had for all of last season as a true freshman.  He's ranked fourth on the team in both categories and his 11 catches are only one shy of the 12 total he had entering the year.  Pare finished the Washington game with seven catches for 69 yards -- both career highs.
 
ON THE RETURN:  A-State running back Johnnie Lang Jr. posted a caeer-long 63-yard punt return for a touchdown during A-State's game at Tulsa, which was A-State's first punt return for a score since Blaise Taylor also found the end zone on a 63-yard return against Nebraska in 2017.  It was the longest return by a Sun Belt player this season and moved his season stats to five returns for 115 yards, which are the ninth most in the country.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS:  Between Blake Grupe's two field goals and four extra points, Johnnie Lang's punt return for a touchdown and Alan Lamar's scoring kickoff return, A-State's special teams accounted 22 of its 34 points scored against Tulsa.  Arkansas State became just the second Sun Belt Conference team to ever record both a kickoff return and punt return for a touchdown in the same game.  Louisiana was the other -- at Iowa State last year (Sept. 12, 2020).  The outing marked the first time an A-State team accomplished the feat for the first time since Nov. 11, 2000, at North Texas.
 
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE:  A-State won or tied the turnover battle in three of its first four games this season, posting two interceptions against UCA, two fumble recoveries against Memphis, two picks and a fumble recovery against Washington.  While defensive back Jarius Reimonenq added an interception against Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane edged the Red Wolves 2-1 in turnovers. Arkansas State is currently tied for 13th in the nation in turnovers gained (8).
 
PICK IT OFF:  Arkansas State has posted five interceptions this season, which is only one shy of its six total for all of last year.  All five interceptions have come by different players, including Samy Johnson, EJ Alexander, Jeffmario Brown, Leon Jones and Jarius Reimonenq.  Johnson now has three career interceptions and Reimonenq two, while the other three players have posted their first pick this year as a member of the A-State football team.
 
THREE IN A ROW:  Senior safety EJ Alexander posted at least one turnover gained in each of A-State's first three games this season, including an interception versus UCA and a fumble recovery against both Memphis and Washington.  He added a forced fumble against the Huskies and also finished the outing with a then career-tying 10 tackles.  He followed the Washington game up by posting a career-high 14 tackles against Tulsa, giving him 24 over the last two games and a team-leading 33 stops on the season that are tied for the third most in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
DISRUPTING THE BACKFIELD:  Junior defensive end Kivon Bennett has made an immediate impact on the A-State defense his first season with the program, already posting 8.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.  The Tennessee transfer has recorded 1.0 or more TFL and at least a half sack in each of A-State's first four games.  He is currently ranked tied for second and tied for fourth in the Sun Belt Conference for TFL and sacks, respectively.
 
DYNAMIC DUO:  A-State's two starting defensive ends, Jojo Ozougwu and Kivon Bennett, have combined for 13.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks through A-State's first four games.  Both players have recorded 3.5 sacks this year, and Ozougwu has posted 5.0 tackles for loss to go along with Bennett's 8.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage.  Ozougwu posted career-best numbers for tackles (7), tackles for loss (3.5) and sacks (2.0) last time out at Tulsa.  Both players are ranked among the top seven in both categories among Sun Belt players.
 
EXPERIENCE UP FRONT:  Arkansas State entered the season with nine different offensive linemen who had combined to start 149 career games at the FBS level, which was 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 had 10 o-linemen who combined for 157 career starts, which was also the fourth most in the nation behind Illinois (193), Minnesota (180) and Miami (159).
 
RUCKER HONORED:  Wide receiver Corey Rucker was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6 after recording nine receptions for 138 yards and three touchdowns against UCA.  He was also named the league's offensive player of the week following the Red Wolves' 2020 season finale.  Over his last five games played, he has recorded 30 receptions for 682 yards and eight touchdowns -- he has at least one TD reception in three of those five outings.
 
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 72-20 (.783 winning percentage) when playing at home since the 2005 season.  A-State's actual on-field record all-time at Centennial Bank Stadium is 164-83-1 since it opened in 1974.
 
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.
 
IT'S GOOD:  Junior kicker Blake Grupe continues to climb the A-State record books this season, ranking among the top three players in career points scored, field goals made and extra points made.  Grupe has posted a double-digit points total in three of four games this season, including a career-high 14 against Memphis.  Grupe is 8-of-10 on field goals made this season, including a career-long covering 50 yards against Tulsa last week.
 
INSIDE THE 20:  Ryan Hanson has posted at least three punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line every game this year, including a career-high four against Washington.  His 13 total punts inside the 20 leads the Sun Belt Conference.  Additionally, his 42.8 average per punt is more than a full two yards per attempt better than his 40.3 average a year ago.