#ThrowbackThursday: A-State reflects on beating Texas A&M 10 years later

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - The 2018 Red Wolves take the field in less than 48 hours. August 30th is an important date in Arkansas State football history. We’re exactly 10 years to the day of the first game as the Red Wolves.

I caught up with a voice, a head coach, and a player that experienced the comeback in College Station.

The Red Wolves getting to College Station in 2008 was an adventure in itself.

Steve Roberts (Arkansas State head coach 2002-2010)

“The trip was terrible. Absolutely terrible. Hotel situation got messed up, our meals got messed up. It was a bad situation, kids took it with a grain of salt. Everything about that trip was terrible, except for the outcome of the game."

Jahbari McLennan (Arkansas State wide receiver 2008-2009)

“We were in the very beginning of that process as far as understanding what it’s really going to take to build up our name, Arkansas State, from there. So yeah, we had to do some struggling to be able to get a hotel room that night.”

A-State had a test on the field with Texas A&M and in the press box.

Matt Stolz (Voice of the Red Wolves)

“Are we going to be able to get through an entire broadcast without saying the word Indians? That really was the challenge. It was myself and Bill Keedy and Brad Bobo in the booth that night, and we all did really well. Up until the end of the 3rd quarter. I was the one that slipped up first.”

The Red Wolves trailed by 11 at the half, Josh Arauco cut it to 14 - 9 after 3. Then 4 minutes and 51 seconds that’ll last a lifetime.

McLennan on making catch on 4th and 13

“So we got the first down. My assignment was simple: I just had to go upfield and block my cornerback. I did that, however the ref didn’t like that. And so he threw a flag: clipping on Jahbari McLennan. So 60 thousand people just clapping. So we went into the huddle, Corey Leonard called the play. I’ll never forget it, it was Y Stomp. I knew I was out of bounds, so I extended the ball to make sure.”

Roberts

“Most games that we played in, and we played a bunch of them, we were in a lot of them. It was just a matter of making 1 or 2 crucial plays down the stretch.”

Corey Leonard found Kevin Jones for a touchdown to give the Red Wolves a 15-14 lead with 4:39 to go.

McLennan

“I didn’t even say anything, I didn’t even score, but I wanted to look at everybody and I just wanted to see their face. This school, Arkansas State, not Arkansas, Arkansas State just got the lead on Texas A&M. That was my first game playing at Arkansas State University, I was going back home to Texas, and being able to play against Texas A&M. For a kid who just wanted to play college ball, it’s just surreal. So being 10 years from that is just, it’s amazing to see how much it’s grown."

Stolz after game went final

“Coach Keedy, and I’ll try to not get emotional here, just looking up at that scoreboard and seeing Arkansas State 18, Texas A&M 14. He had tears in his eyes during the postgame show. And that’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

Roberts on team arriving back in Jonesboro

“That was unbelievable. That was great. We got in around 2, 3, I don’t know what time we got in in the morning. And to have the fans there to greet the kids when they got off the bus, that was very, very special.”

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