2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team

The 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represents Arkansas State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first year head coach Gus Malzahn and played their home games at Liberty Bank Stadium as members of the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State recorded a Sun Belt conference championship on the way to a 10–3 season. Malzahn vacated the position prior to the team's bowl game to assume the head coach position at Auburn University. Defensive coordinator John Thompson led the team as interim head coach to victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes in the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl.

2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football
Sun Belt Conference champion GoDaddy.com Bowl champion
GoDaddy.com Bowl, W 17–13 vs. Kent State
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
2012 record	10–3 (7–1 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Gus Malzahn (1st season) John Thompson (bowl game)
Offensive coordinator	Rhett Lashlee (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	John Thompson (1st season)
Base defense	Multiple
Home stadium	Liberty Bank Stadium (Capacity: 30,964)

2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Arkansas State $		7	–	1					10	–	3
Louisiana–Monroe		6	–	2					8	–	5
Middle Tennessee		6	–	2					8	–	4
Louisiana–Lafayette *		4	–	2					5	–	4
WKU		4	–	4					7	–	6
Troy		3	–	5					5	–	7
North Texas		3	–	5					4	–	8
Florida Atlantic		2	–	6					3	–	9
FIU		2	–	6					3	–	9
South Alabama **		1	–	7					2	–	11
$ – Conference champion * – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations. ** – South Alabama was inelible for conference title or bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	9:30 p.m.	at No. 5 Oregon*	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR	ESPN	L 34–57	56,144
September 8	6:00 p.m.	Memphis*	Liberty Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR (Paint Bucket Bowl)	ESPN3	W 33–28	28,041
September 15	11:00 a.m.	at No. 24 Nebraska*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	ESPN2	L 13–42	85,290
September 22	6:00 p.m.	Alcorn State*	Liberty Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN3	W 56–0	21,559
September 29	6:00 p.m.	WKU	Liberty Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN3	L 13–26	25,160
October 4	6:30 p.m.	at FIU	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	ESPNU	W 34–20	13,612
October 13	6:00 p.m.	South Alabama	Liberty Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR		W 36–29	22,143
October 23	7:00 p.m.	at Louisiana–Lafayette	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN2	W 50–27	19,873
November 3	4:00 p.m.	at North Texas	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX		W 37–19	17,534
November 8	6:00 p.m.	Louisiana–Monroe	Liberty Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPNU	W 45–23	30,243
November 17	2:30 p.m.	at Troy	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL		W 41–34	20,614
December 1	2:00 p.m.	Middle Tennessee	Liberty Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN3	W 45–0	31,243
January 6, 2013	8:00 p.m.	vs. No. 25 Kent State*	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (GoDaddy.com Bowl)	ESPN	W 17–13	37,913
*Non-conference game Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

• Source: Schedule

Game summaries

@ Oregon

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Wolves	0	10	10	14	34
#5 Ducks	29	21	0	7	57

1st quarter scoring: ORE - Kenjon Barner 4-yard run (Dion Jordan pass from Jackson Rice); ORE - D. Thomas 12-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Rob Beard kick); ORE - Josh Huff 4-yard pass from Mariota (Beard kick); ORE - Barner 17-yard run (Beard kick)

2nd quarter scoring: A-STATE - Brian Davis 43-yard field goal; ORE - Thomas 12-yard pass from Mariota (Beard kick); ORE - Thomas 33-yard run (Beard kick); ORE - Byron Marshall 3-yard run (Beard kick); A-STATE - Julian Jones 72-yard pass from Ryan Aplin (Davis, Brian kick)

3rd quarter scoring: A-STATE - Davis 29-yard field goal; A-STATE - Josh Jarboe 6-yard pass from Aplin (Davis kick)

4th quarter scoring: ORE - Rahsaan Vaughn 7-yard pass from Bryan Bennett (Beard kick); A-STATE - Carlos McCants 38-yard pass from Aplin (Davis kick); A-STATE - Aplin 1-yard run (Davis kick)

Memphis

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	7	14	7	0	28
Red Wolves	3	14	10	6	33

@ Nebraska

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Wolves	0	3	10	0	13
#24 Cornhuskers	14	14	0	14	42

Alcorn State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Braves	0	0	0	0	0
Red Wolves	14	28	7	7	56

WKU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	0	14	12	26
Red Wolves	3	10	0	0	13

@ FIU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Wolves	0	14	13	7	34
Panthers	3	7	3	7	20

South Alabama

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	10	3	6	10	29
Red Wolves	14	0	14	8	36

@ Louisiana–Lafayette

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Wolves	6	20	14	10	50
Ragin' Cajuns	0	7	7	13	27

@ North Texas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Wolves	10	20	7	0	37
Mean Green	9	3	7	0	19

Louisiana–Monroe

	1	2	3	4	Total
Warhawks	7	3	7	6	23
Red Wolves	14	3	21	7	45

@ Troy

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Wolves	13	7	14	7	41
Trojans	7	10	6	11	34

Middle Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Raiders	0	0	0	0	0
Red Wolves	21	14	7	3	45

Kent State–GoDaddy.com Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	10	3	0	13
Red Wolves	0	14	3	0	17

References