2008 Stories

Ragin' Cajuns rally to defeat Red Wolves October 18, 2008 By Van Provence ASU Sports Information LAFAYETTE, LA – After scoring 10 points in a 16-second span to take a 23-14 lead with 7:39 to play in the fourth quarter, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (4-3, 2-1) saw their lead disappear when Louisiana-Lafayette (4-3, 3-0) answered with a pair of late touchdowns to defeat ASU 28-23 Saturday night in a Sun Belt Conference matchup at Cajun Field. Arkansas State junior kicker Josh Arauco connected on a 41-yard field goal with 7:55 to play to give ASU a 16-14 lead, and sophomore linebacker Darius Glover picked off a pass from ULL quarterback Brad McGuire and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to extend the Red Wolves’ lead to 23-14 with 7:39 to go in the game, but ULL followed up with the pair of touchdowns to grab the win.  McGuire scored on a 4-yard run with 4:16 remaining and tailback Tyrell Fenroy put the Cajuns back on top with a 9-yard run with 42 seconds to play. Arkansas State’s final possession reached the 50-yard line, but quarterback Corey Leonard’s pass into the end zone was batted down as time expired to seal the win for ULL. The Red Wolves defense set up the game’s first score when junior defensive end Alex Carrington tipped a pass from McGuire at the line of scrimmage, then picked off the pass and returned it 18 yards to set up Arkansas State at the ULL 18.  The Red Wolves advanced to the Louisiana-Lafayette three yard line before settling for a 20 yard field goal from junior kicker Josh Arauco with 6:24 remaining in the opening quarter. Arkansas State extended its lead to 10-0 when Leonard capped 55-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Brandon Thompkins with 6:57 remaining in the half.  Leonard completed six of seven passes to cover 53 of the 55 yards on the drive. Louisiana-Lafayette answered the score on its next possession when wide receiver Richie Falgout threw an 18-yard touchdown pass off of a reverse to tight end Luke Aubrey.  Placekicker Drew Edmiston added the extra point to cut the ASU lead to 10-7 with 5:43 to play before halftime. Louisiana-Lafayette went on top with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter when McGuire scored on a one-yard sneak, wrapping up a 10-play drive that started at the ASU 44. Arkansas State answered with a 42-yard field goal from Arauco on its next possession to pull within a point.  The drive covered 46 yards in seven plays, cutting the Ragin’ Cajun lead to 14-13 with 3:02 to play in the third. Arauco’s third field goal put ASU on top 16-13 and extended his school-record streak to 15.  The kick also set a new ASU record, giving Arauco 42 career field goals. Leonard completed 21-of-40 passes in the game for 235 yards to lead the ASU offense.  The ASU defense, which registered a season-high five sacks, was led by Glover’s 14 tackles and an interception.

Red Wolves earn 37-29 victory over Louisiana-Monroe October 11, 2008 By Van Provence ASU Sports Information JONESBORO – The Arkansas State Red Wolves built a 23-point second-half cushion, then held off a late Louisiana-Monroe rally to post a 37-29 Sun Belt Conference victory over the Warhawks Saturday night at ASU Stadium. Arkansas State freshman tailback Derek Lawson rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, junior defensive back Marcus Brown returned a fumble 71 yards for a score and junior placekicker Josh Arauco set the Arkansas State mark for consecutive field goals, helping ASU remain undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play at 2-0 and 4-2 overall. Junior defensive end Alex Carrington, the Sun Belt sack leader coming into the game, led the ASU defense with eight tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Carrington also broke up a pass and forced a fumble in the game. With the loss, Louisiana Monroe slipped to 1-5 on the season and 0-2 in league play. “Obviously it’s great to be 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play,” said ASU Head Coach Steve Roberts. “It’s great to get another win under our belt and I’m real proud of making the plays we needed to make to win the football game.” The Red Wolves got on the board with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter quarter when junior wideout Jahbari McLennan scored from 63 yards out on a reverse. The Warhawks answered less than two minutes later when senior quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster completed the first of three touchdown passes on the night. Lancaster connected with junior wideout Darrell McNeal from 29 yards out for the score, but Arkansas State answered with 10 straight to take a 17-7 advantage. Arauco was good on a 27-yard field goal with four seconds gone in the quarter, and the Red Wolves built the 10-point cushion when Lawson capped a 53-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 10:34 remaining in the half. Louisiana-Monroe freshman Luther Ambrose answered Lawson’s score with a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to cut the ASU lead to 17-14, but the Red Wolves added 10 more before the half to take a 27-14 lead at the break. Arkansas State junior quarterback Corey Leonard completed a 65-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 6:40 remaining in the second, and Arauco set a new ASU record for consecutive field goals when he kicked his 11th straight, hitting from 26 yards out with 4:42 to play in the half. The Red Wolves stretched their lead to 37-14 when Brown scooped up a Lancaster fumble with just over five minutes remaining in the third and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown, and Arauco extended his streak to 12 when he booted a 44-yarder six seconds into the fourth quarter. Lancaster hooked up with tailback Frank Goodin for a 25-yard score with 12:30 remaining, then hit tight end Zeek Zacharie on a one-yard touchdown pass with 7:31 to play to cut the Arkansas State lead to eight at 37-29. Arkansas State picked up a first down on its next drive to drain the clock down to the 3:48 mark, and the Warhawks did not cross midfield on their final drive before turning the ball over on downs. “Getting the fourth down stop in the fourth quarter was great,” said Roberts. “Getting our hands up and batting the football is what we did several times. I was proud of our football team for being able to walk away with the victory. I’m very proud of them and I’m ready for our next challenge up ahead.” The challenge comes next Saturday when the Red Wolves travel to Lafayette, La. to take on the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

Arkansas State falls 29-17 at Memphis September 27, 2008 By Van Provence ASU Sports Information MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis tailback Curtis Steele rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown to lead the Tigers (2-4) to a 29-17 victory over the Arkansas State Red Wolves (3-2) Saturday afternoon at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Arkansas State overcame a 13-0 deficit in the first quarter to take a 17-16 lead at the half, but the Tigers used two big runs from Steele in the second half to set up a pair of field goals from Vinny Zaccario, giving Memphis a 22-17 lead. Steele added a two-yard touchdown run late in the game to set the final score. After chalking up 228 yards in the first 30 minutes, the ASU offense never got going in the final two quarters. The Red Wolves gained just 124 yards in the second half and suffered a pair of turnovers. “We just shot ourselves in the foot several times with penalties and turnovers,” said ASU Head Coach Steve Roberts. “Just not being smart with the football and not blocking very well there through a stretch in the second half. Memphis has a good football team and they did some good things to keep us from being able to execute, but we didn’t play the type of football that we’re capable of playing.” Memphis scored on its first two possessions in building the 13-0 lead. The Tigers went 69 yards in nine plays on the game’s opening possession to put the first touchdown on the board. Tailback Charlie Jones completed the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run and Zaccario added the extra point for the 7-0 Tiger advantage. Jones added a 7-yard touchdown run on the Tigers second possession, capping an 8-play, 69-yard drive by the Tigers. Zaccario’s extra point was blocked by ASU, leaving the Tigers with a 13-0 advantage. Arkansas State got on the board early in the second quarter when the Red Wolves put together a 5-play, 56-yard drive that ended when junior quarterback Corey Leonard scrambled in from 23 yards out for the touchdown. Kicker Josh Arauco’s extra point cut the Memphis lead to 13-7. A 94-yard drive later in the half gave Arkansas State its first lead. After rushing twice for no gain to open the possession, junior tailback Reggie Arnold took a screen pass from Leonard down the left sideline 51 yards to the Memphis 43. Freshman tailback Derek Lawson rushed three times for 35 yards for a first down at the Memphis nine and one play later, Arnold was in the end zone. Arauco’s extra point put Arkansas State on top 14-13 with 7:53 remaining in the half. Memphis countered with a 20-yard field goal from Zaccario with just under four minutes remaining before the break, but ASU went into the locker room with a 17-16 lead after the Red Wolves marched 51 yards to set up a 33-yard Arauco field goal with 18 seconds remaining in the half. A 46-yard run from Steele helped the Tigers regain the lead in the third. Zaccario followed the run with a 35-yard field goal, and Steele added a 37-yard run in the fourth to set up a 40-yarder from Zaccario that gave Memphis a 22-17 lead with 7:58 to play. Arkansas State went three-and-out on its next possession, and Memphis responded with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that ended in Steele’s two-yard touchdown run with 2:12 to play. Leonard was 11-of-23 on the day with an interception and Lawson led the ASU rushing attack with 79 yards on 11 carries. Sophomore safety M.D. Jennings had 11 tackles and an interception to lead the ASU defense. Arkansas State will be off until Oct. 4 when the Red Wolves host Louisiana-Monroe in a 6:00 p.m. Sun Belt Conference game at ASU Stadium.

ASU opens Sun Belt play with 31-14 win over Middle Tennessee September 20, 2008 By Van Provence ASU Sports Information   JONESBORO – Arkansas State junior quarterback Corey Leonard rolled up a career-high 366 yards of total offense, leading the Red Wolves to a 31-14 victory over Middle Tennessee State in ASU’s Sun Belt Conference opener Saturday night before a crowd of 24,256 at ASU Stadium. The Arkansas State defense did its part as well, keeping the Blue Raiders off the scoreboard for the better part of three quarters, intercepting two passes and recording six tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 30 yards of loss. Arkansas State led 17-0 at the half, extended its lead to 24-0 on the first possession of the second half, and snuffed out any Middle Tennessee momentum gained when the Blue Raiders scored by answering MTSU’s first touchdown with the Red Wolves fourth trip to the end zone.  “That was a big-time win and a lot of fun,” said ASU Head Coach Steve Roberts.  “I am very proud of our players for the way we started off that game.  Middle Tennessee, defensively was determined to overload the box.  They were determined to make us make throwing plays and to stop the run.  I am very, very pleased with the way we threw and caught the football.”  Arkansas State used a 7-play, 57-yard drive to go up 7-0 late in the first quarter, capitalizing on two big completions from Leonard to Norman to set up the score.  Leonard and Norman hooked up for 26 yards and a first down at the MTSU 27, then connected for 11 more and another set of downs at the Blue Raider 17.   Two plays later, Leonard found Reggie Arnold alone on the right sideline and the junior tailback went 17 yards untouched for the score. Placekicker Josh Arauco added the extra point to give ASU a 7-0 lead with 3:26 remaining in the opening quarter. Arauco added three points more with 8:30 remaining in the second quarter when he booted through a 35-yard field goal to cap an 81-yard ASU drive, and the Red Wolves still weren’t finished for the half. Taking possession at their own 33 with 50 seconds remaining in second quarter, Arkansas State found the end zone again just 14 seconds later when Leonard hit senior tight end David Johnson with a 14-yard touchdown strike to stretch the ASU lead to 17-0 with 36 seconds remaining in the half.  The play was set up by a 53-yard completion from Leonard to Norman on the first play of the drive. The Red Wolves carried their momentum over past the break, scoring on the first possession of the second half to stretch the Arkansas State lead to 24-0.  ASU moved 74 yards on 11 plays to open the third quarter, completing the drive when Leonard connected with Johnson for their second touchdown of the night, this time from two yards out at the 8:35 mark. “It was great to come out in the second half and take the ball down the field and go up by 24,” said Roberts.  “It was gut-wrenching from that point forward and I am real proud of the way our football team played tonight.” Middle Tennessee got on the board late in the third quarter when Blue Raider tailback Phillip Tanner scored from two yards out to end a nine-play 76-yard drive.  Kicker Alan Gendreau added the extra point to cut the Arkansas State lead to 24-7 with 2:19 remaining in the quarter, but ASU answered the score with an 88-yard drive to extend the Red Wolves lead to 31-7. Starting at the ASU 12, Leonard completed three passes on the drive, added 37 yards on the ground, and freshman tailback Derek Lawson ended the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run.  Arauco put through his fourth extra point of the night to make it 31-7 with 12:34 to play. The Blue Raiders scored again on their next possession, driving 80 yards in seven plays to cut the Red Wolves advantage to 31-14 with just over nine minutes to play, but the Arkansas State defense stopped Middle Tennessee on downs at the ASU 42 on the Blue Raiders next possession, and Arkansas State ran out the clock to seal the win. In addition to the career night from Leonard and Norman, ASU got 90 yards from senior wide receiver Kevin Jones and 49 yards and a pair of touchdowns from Johnson.  Lawson added 57 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Junior cornerback Daylan Walker led the ASU defense with nine tackles and an interception, junior defensive end Alex Carrington added a pair of quarterback sacks and six tackles, and senior cornerback Dominique Williams had four tackles and an interceptions. Arkansas State will be on the road next week when the Red Wolves travel to Memphis to take on the Memphis Tigers.  Kickoff at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m.

Southern Miss holds off Red Wolves’ rally September 13, 2008   By Van Provence ASU Sports Information JONESBORO – The Southern Miss Golden Eagles (2-1) held off a furious second-half rally by Arkansas State and came away with a 27-24 victory over the Red Wolves (2-1) Saturday night at ASU Stadium. Down 17-3 at the half, ASU came roaring back in the third quarter with 14 straight points to tie the score at 17, only to see Southern Miss answer with 10 straight to open the fourth quarter. Southern Miss benefitted from an ASU miscue on a field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter to begin building its 10-point cushion.  With the Red Wolves lined up for a 31-yard field goal attempt with just over 12 minutes to play that would have given ASU a 20-17 lead, Southern Miss turned the tables when cornerback C.J. Bailey scooped up an ASU fumble on the play and returned it to the Arkansas State 11.  Bailey’s return set up a 28-yard field goal from Golden Eagle placekicker Britt Barefoot that gave USM a 20-17 lead with 10:47 remaining. Southern Miss then put together a 93-yard drive that ended in a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Davis to tailback Damion Fletcher with 5:30 to play that padded the Golden Eagle lead at 27-17. Refusing to go quietly, Arkansas State moved 83 yards in just over three minutes to pull within 27-24.  Junior quarterback Corey Leonard completed three passes for 52 yards on the drive, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to freshman fullback Jeff Blake to complete the drive with 2:14 to play. Arkansas State’s defense held Southern Miss to three-and-out on the Eagles’ ensuing possession to give the Red Wolves one final opportunity with 1:44 remaining. Starting at the ASU 20, Leonard connected with wideout Anthony Robertson for 26 yards on third-and-five to give the Red Wolves a first down at the USM 46 with just over a minute to play, but an interception by Southern Miss cornerback Eddie Willingham with 59 seconds remaining sealed the victory for USM. “We played very, very well and I’m not disappointed in our kids’ effort,” said ASU head coach Steve Roberts.  “I thought we played very hard and showed a lot of maturity and resiliency during the course of the ball game.  We fought back from 10 down and 14 down…we came back and got ourselves and the crowd back into the game.” Southern Miss converted 9-of-10 third down opportunities in the first half to build its 17-3 lead at the break.  The Eagles opened the game with a 19-play, 68 yard drive that chewed up 10:17 on the game clock and ended with a 23-yard field goal from kicker Justin Estes. Arkansas State answered with a 55-yard drive that ended in a 41-yard field goal from Josh Arauco that tied the score at 3-3 less than two minutes later, but Southern Miss tacked on a pair of touchdowns to build the 14-point halftime lead. Tailback Tory Harrison scored on a 1-yard run with 12:09 remaining in the half and tight end Jonathan Massey hauled in a 1-yard pass from Davis to put the Eagles on top 17-3 at the break. Leonard finished the game with 325 yards of total offense, including 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air.  Junior tailback Reggie Arnold added 84 yards on 15 carries and freshman tailback Derek Lawson had 73 yards on seven rushing attempts.  Tight end Trevor Gillott had a career-high 79 yards on five receptions. Sophomore safety M.D. Jennings had 13 tackled to lead the ASU defense. Arkansas State will wrap up a three-game home stand Sept. 20 when they host Middle Tennessee State in the Red Wolves’ Sun Belt Conference opener.  Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at ASU Stadium.

ASU pounds Texas Southern, 83-10 September 6, 2008 By Van Provence ASU Sports Information JONESBORO – Arkansas State scored early and often in its home debut Saturday night, pounding Texas Southern 83-10 in front of a crowd of 21,741 at ASU Stadium. Freshman tailback Derek Lawson rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown in the game, the 8th most rushing yards in ASU history.  Junior tailback Reggie Arnold added 123 yards and two touchdowns and junior quarterback Corey Leonard accounted for 229 yards of total offense and threw for four touchdowns as Arkansas State finished with 670 yards of total offense in the game, the second most in school history. “I’m proud of a lot of individuals.  They all played a great game,” said ASU Head Coach Steve Roberts. “All four of the running backs that carried the ball did a tremendous job.  Reggie obviously got out of the game very early, and then Derek Lawson came in and rushed for more than 200 yards.  You guys got to see a little bit of Derek Lawson that we get to see every day in scout team.  I am also really proud of David Johnson.  He had a big night, especially early in the game.” “Defensively, we went out and did what we needed to do and shut them down,” added Roberts.  “We gave up a couple of big plays, but overall did a good job.  Our football team has got to get over this win in a hurry because we have a big game next week.” ASU got on the board with less than two minutes gone in the game with a 53-yard pass from Leonard to Johnson.  Two minutes later, Leonard connected with junior tight end Trevor Gillott from 39 yards out for the 14-0 ASU lead.  A 25-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown from sophomore linebacker Javon McKinnon, a 33-yard field goal from junior Josh Arauco, and a two-yard pass from Leonard to freshman fullback Jeff Blake wrapped up a 31-0 first quarter for ASU. Leonard and Johnson hooked up for their second touchdown pass of the night just 29 seconds into the second quarter, and Arnold scored on touchdown runs of two yards and 56 yards before Texas Southern got on the board with a 34-yard field goal from Robert Hersh to make it 52-3 at the half. A five-yard touchdown run from Lawson, a 30-yard field goal from Arauco and an eight-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Travis Hewitt made it 69-3 before the Tigers scored their only touchdown of the night on a 32-yard pass from quarterback Bobby Reid to wide receiver William Osbourne. Blake added a 15-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and freshman linebacker Demario Davis returned a fumble 53-yards for a touchdown to set the final at 83-10 after Arauco’s 11th extra point.  Arauco was 11-for-11 on extra points to tie the ASU record, and 2-for-2 on field goal tries on the night. The Red Wolves’ 83 points were the second most in school history and the most in the history of ASU Stadium.  The 73-point margin of victory was the most under head coach Steve Roberts.  Arkansas State continues a three-game home stand next week when they host Southern Miss in a 6 p.m. game at ASU Stadium.

Arkansas State stuns Texas A&M to open the Red Wolf era August 30, 2008 By Van Provence ASU Sports Information COLLEGE STATION, TX - The first game of a new era provided what was arguably the biggest victory in the long history of Arkansas State University football. Playing its first football game as the Red Wolves, Arkansas State left 78,691 Texas A&M fans at Kyle Field stunned, defeating the Aggies 18-14 Saturday night in the season opener for both teams. Texas A&M had won its last 20 home openers, and the loss was just the fourth defeat for the Aggies in their last 50 non-conference games at home. Arkansas State got its only touchdown of the night when it needed it the most. After penetrating the Texas A&M 30-yard line five times and coming away with three field goals and two turnovers, Arkansas State went on top to stay when junior quarterback Corey Leonard connected with senior wide receiver Kevin Jones from 15 yards out, giving the Red Wolves a 15-14 lead with 4:39 to play. A missed two-point conversion attempt proved inconsequential when a Texas A&M turnover on its next possession led to junior Josh Arauco's fourth field goal of the night. Arauco's kick boosted the ASU lead to 18-14, and Arkansas State forced another turnover on the Aggies' final drive to seal the win. "I can't tell you how proud I am of our players," said ASU Head Coach Steve Roberts. "Our offensive and defensive coaches did a great job with adjustments to dominate in the second half. The environment was awesome. I want our team to build on this win." "We played against adversity and came back," said Leonard. "Kyle Field was everything we thought it would be. Tonight just worked out well for us." Junior tailback Reggie Arnold rushed 21 times for 145 yards on the night, Leonard added 86 yards on the ground to go along with 160 passing yards, and Arauco was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game. His four field goals were a career high. Arkansas State scored on the game's first possession when the Red Wolves drove 60 yards to set up Arauco's first field goal. Arkansas State used a 19-yard completion from junior quarterback Corey Leonard to junior wideout Jahbari McLennan on third-and-six from the ASU 35 to keep the drive alive. A two-yard keeper by Leonard on fourth-and-one at the Aggie 37 again kept the possession alive, and Leonard passed complete for 15 yards to Jones on the next play to set up Arauco's field goal. Arauco's kick wrapped up the 13-play drive and put the Red Wolves on top 3-0 with 8:45 remaining in the opening quarter. Texas A&M answered with an 8-play drive that ended when junior tailback Mike Goodson scored from nine yards out to put the Aggies on the board. Senior Richie Bean added the extra point for the 7-3 A&M lead with 6:20 to play in the first period. The Aggies made it 14-3 with 4:23 remaining in the half when Goodson scored again, this time from seven yards out to wrap up a 12-play, 77-yard drive. Arkansas State took advantage of an interception by junior defensive back M.D. Jennings midway through the third quarter to cut the Texas A&M advantage to 14-6. Jennings picked off a pass from A&M quarterback Stephen McGee at the ASU 41 to give the Red Wolves possession of the ball and ASU marched 47 yards on nine plays to set up Arauco's second field goal of the night. Arauco connected from 28 yards out on the kick to cut the deficit to 14-8 with 5:28 remaining in the third. Junior safety Marcus Brown forced a fumble by Texas A&M wide receiver Howard Morrow on the Aggies' next drive, and the ball was recovered by ASU defensive end Jeremy Gibson to set up the Red Wolf offense at the Aggie 47. Arkansas State moved 39 yards on the possession, with 32 of those yards coming on a run from Leonard to the Texas A&M 15, and Arauco completed the possession with his third field goal of the night. Arauco's kick was good from 29 yards out, trimming the Texas A&M lead to 14-9 with 14 seconds to go in the third quarter. Texas A&M went three-and-out on its next possession and Bean missed wide on a 27-yard field goal attempt the next time the Aggies had the ball, setting the stage for ASU's game-winning drive. Taking over at the ASU 20 with 9:30 remaining, Leonard directed the Red Wolves 80 yards in 10 plays on a drive that consumed 4:51 seconds on the clock. Arnold rushed for 44 yards on the drive and Leonard hooked up with McLennan for 15 yards and a first down at the A&M 21 on fourth-and-13 from the Aggie 36 to keep the possession going. Senior defensive back Dominique Williams led Arkansas State with nine tackles on the night, junior defensive back Daylan Walker added seven, senior linebacker Ben Owens also had seven to go along with a fumble recovery and junior defensive back Evan Van Dolah had six stops and the game-clinching interception. Arkansas State will be back in action Sept. 6 when they host Texas Southern in the Red Wolves' home opener. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at ASU Stadium.

Mascot roll-out ceremony introduces the new face of ASU's new Red Wolves mascot March 13, 2007 By Tom Moore ASU Communications Director JONESBORO - The wait is over. Today at 11 a.m. on the east side of the Student Union, a roll-out ceremony for Arkansas State University’s newly adopted mascot, the Red Wolves, revealed the new face of ASU athletics. The decision to bid farewell to ASU’s Indians and Indian Family was not an easy one, but it was a collaborative decision at every level. The decision-making process was begun about a year ago in response to NCAA sanctions. At the urging of administrators, notably ASU Chancellor Dr. Robert L. Potts, a Mascot Selection Steering Committee was appointed and charged with gathering ideas for a mascot change from an extremely broad-based constituency that included current students, alumni, representatives from student athletics, athletic administration representation, and members of the community. Jim Pickens, emeritus trustee, was appointed committee chair to oversee the process and keep it representative of all constituencies. Pickens remarked, “It was a pleasure playing a small role in the future of our university, and all concerned played a significant part in helping our institution move forward. On behalf of the Mascot Selection Committee, we wish to thank the administration, Board of Trustees, and various constituencies for the trust, confidence, and support we received as we went about this historic process of selecting a new mascot and mark for our university. I commend the Mascot Selection Committee for their dedication, professionalism, and hard work as we attempted to select a new mascot that is in keeping with the highest standards of our great university. Hopefully, the new mascot and imagery will serve to broaden and unify our base as together we strive for continued excellence in all aspects of our students' experience at Arkansas State University. I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate in what I hope is a great new beginning for A-State." As Chancellor Potts noted at the historic Friday, March 7 ASU Board of Trustees meeting, “on Jan. 30, the Mascot Selection Steering Committee concluded its work by recommending that ASU adopt Wolves or a variation thereof, such as Red Wolves, as the new mascot and nickname for our athletic team.” After ascertaining that the nickname “Red Wolves” was unique among four-year universities, Potts brought it before the trustees, who ratified his selection. Potts remarked, “The Red Wolf is a noble species of wolf that once inhabited Arkansas and still exists in small numbers in other states. They are vicious and very aggressive, and they run in packs. I believe that Red Wolves is the best choice…” ASU Board of Trustees chair Mike Gibson addressed the Mascot Selection Steering Committee’s work at the historic board meeting marking the ratification of the adoption of Red Wolves as the new mascot. Gibson noted of the committee’s recommendation to the chancellor, “It was done with class; it was done well, it was a tough job done well. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Jim Pickens, who agreed to serve as chairman of this committee and did a wonderful job, Dr. Robert L. Potts, chancellor of the Jonesboro campus who worked so hard to bring us to this point and to those committee members who were there and offered their input…they all loved ASU…everybody wanted the best, and I feel like…you have come up with the best selection that anybody could find.”  Shortly after these comments, and as the meeting broke up, Gibson led the assembled company of ASU administrators and their legal counsel, board members, and members of the media, in a rousing wolf howl, in a satisfactory conclusion of the laborious process. Gibson and the assembled company weren’t the only ones howling with joy. Kim Wheeler, executive director of the Red Wolf Coalition, a nonprofit conservation group based in eastern North Carolina, wrote the following message to Chancellor Potts. Wheeler wrote, “The Red Wolf Coalition, Inc., and the many supporters of red wolf conservation are thrilled and send their “howling” congratulations to ASU on your choice of the red wolf as your mascot.  I have passed along your mascot announcement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program and to the captive management facilities across the United States with great enthusiasm. We consider our red wolf supporters and captive management facilities to be one big family, and we welcome the students, staff, and alumni of Arkansas State University to the family.” Wheeler “can’t wait” to see the imagery, either, but she won’t have to wait much longer. The team from ASU's Publications and creative Services department is ready to roll out the imagery that they created in-house for the new visage of ASU.  According to Ron Looney, director, Department of Publications and Creative Services, all four of the department’s staff artists collaborated in the creation of the Red Wolves imagery. Initial sketches of the wolf mascot were created by art director Mark Reeves and designer Mary Williams. Graphic designer Heath Kelly developed a unique lettering style, and staff artist Michael Johnson assisted with conceptual suggestions and digital manipulation of the art forms. The staff then combined their efforts to create the versions necessary for production of various types of university media. The Publications and Creative Services team look upon the project as entirely collaborative, and as a great experience for them all. ASU will promote that ASU-generated Red Wolves imagery, according to Gleen Hart, assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions, in many ways. Hart says, “We will try to be as visible as possible with the new imagery being displayed via billboards, the student body, print material, commercials, newspaper ads, and merchandising. The new imagery will be a vital part of the new student group. We will continue to provide prizes, promotions, and incentives to increase student involvement in athletic-related activities.” Doug Doggett, associate athletic director for external operations and Indian Club director, says that the name change, even for his own organization, “obviously represents a significant impact on the athletic program and the university. We will continue to give thorough consideration to the switch from Indian names and imagery to Red Wolves throughout the process.” ASU’s athletic teams will begin competing as Red Wolves next fall at the beginning of the academic year.