Arkansas State made history Thursday night by capturing the inaugural Xbox Bowl with a thrilling 34-28 victory over Missouri State at The Ford Center at The Star. The Red Wolves capped their 2025 season at 7-6, delivering the program’s sixth bowl win and securing back-to-back bowl victories for just the second time.
A-State dominated early, surging to a 24-7 halftime lead behind a sharp performance from quarterback Jaylen Raynor and a relentless defense. Raynor finished with 288 passing yards and three touchdowns, reaching the 50-touchdown milestone for his career and joining an elite group of Red Wolves quarterbacks.
Senior wide receiver Corey Rucker was named Xbox Bowl Offensive MVP after hauling in six catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, becoming Arkansas State’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 27 and closing his career with 4,121 yards—21st all-time in Division I FBS history.
The Red Wolves extended their lead to 31-7 midway through the third quarter before Missouri State mounted a furious comeback. Key contributions came from Kenyon Clay on the ground, Devin Spencer and Jaylen Bonelli through the air, and Chauncy Cobb, who secured his first career touchdown.
Defensively, Arkansas State delivered one of its best performances of the year, recording 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Senior linebacker Kyle Taylor earned Xbox Bowl Defensive MVP honors with 10 tackles, while Demarcus Hendricks notched multiple sacks for the fourth time this season, tying for ninth-most in a single season in program history.
Special teams proved crucial, with junior kicker Clune Van Andel drilling a career-long 54-yard field goal—the longest by an Arkansas State kicker in a bowl and sixth-longest in school history. Van Andel contributed 10 points and moved into fifth place on the Red Wolves’ all-time scoring list for kickers.
Despite a late surge from Missouri State, Arkansas State’s early dominance held. The Red Wolves closed out the year with seven wins for the 28th time in school history and the 11th time as an FBS member, improving their all-time FBS bowl record to 6-7.
