JONESBORO, AR - Coming off a disappointing loss last week at home against conference foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Braves take on another team this week hailing from the "Natural State" as they traveled to Jonesboro to face the Red Wolves of Arkansas State.
This will be the first time in school history both teams have met on the gridiron. However, A State is no stranger to to competing against Southwestern Athletic Conference member institutions. They have played four other opponents among the current SWAC membership all-time. The Red Wolves hold a 5-0 record in those games with victories over Grambling (1985), Jackson State (1987), Mississippi Valley State (1995, 2009) and Texas Southern (2008). A-State has outscored its opponents a combined 244-10 in those games, including a 61-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State (2009) and an 83-10 win against Texas Southern in the two most recent meetings against a SWAC team.
The Braves enters this competition with an overall record of 1-2 after winning a thriller in the opening weekend against SWAC defending champs Grambling State (22-21) and then dropping two in the weeks to follow to #5 James Madison University (42-3) and the home season opener to UAPB (24-6). Holding an identical record, Arkansas State is off to a 1-2 start for the fourth consecutive year, picking up its lone victory against Memphis and dropping road games against two nationally-ranked programs in
Oregon and Nebraska. The Red Wolves are coming off a 42-13 setback to the Huskers, but have not dropped back-to-back games during the regular season since the 2010 campaign.
Today's contest is slated for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff at Liberty Bank Stadium on the campus of Arkansas State. You can watch the game on ESPN3 at http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/575194/alcorn-state-vs-arkansas-state-exclusive or you can listen to the game on WPRL 91.7 with play-by-play by Charles Edmond joined by Cedric Tillman on the sidelines.
