Rucker parks name in ASU record book

ARKANSAS STATE 48, LOUISIANA-MONROE 15

JONESBORO — Arkansas State University was missing arguably its best player Saturday afternoon, but the Red Wolves got a record-breaking performance from his firstyear backup to stop their longest losing streak in four years.

Freshman wide receiver Corey Rucker had 9 catches for a school-record 310 yards and 4 touchdowns as ASU overcame the absence of star senior wideout Jonathan Adams to drub Louisiana-Monroe

48-15 at Centennial Bank Stadium.

“It just feels good to be able to win,” ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. “I thought the guys have worked all week with a really good attitude, considering all that we’ve been through, how the season has gone, how frustrating it’s been and how big of a challenge with the adversity that they’ve faced.

“To see guys smile, laughing and cut up, to see guys get an opportunity to play that typically wouldn’t play, to see guys making plays, I’m just really happy for them.”

The Red Wolves (4-7, 2-6 Sun Belt) snapped a five-game losing streak, which was their longest such skid since they dropped four in a row to start the 2016 season.

Adams, who prior to the game led the Sun Belt Conference in every major receiving category and was tied for second in the country in touchdown receptions with 12, was forced out of action because of a hairline fracture in his hip — an injury that occurred earlier in the season. The decision was made last week to shut down Adams for the remainder of the year.

Before Saturday, Rucker had three games in which he didn’t play and two others in which he didn’t record any statistics. The Mississippi native had just 7 catches for 143 yards with 1 touchdown on the season. He nearly surpassed all of those totals after the first quarter.

“The preparation all week, my first career start, I just had it in my mind that this is my time to shine and show the country what I’m made of,” said Rucker, who caught 4 passes for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns in that opening quarter. “I actually found out Tuesday after the team meeting, and [Adams] came up and told me that I was built for moments like this and to just go make the most of my opportunity.”

The 310 receiving yards by Rucker is the most by an FBS player since 2016 and is tops among all freshmen for a single game in NCAA history. The four touchdown catches also tied a Red Wolves’ record and ranks as the second-best mark in league history.

Wide receiver Jeff Foreman also caught a pair of touchdowns as the Red Wolves beat the Warhawks for the 11th year in a row. Quarterback Layne Hatcher threw for 326 yards and 5 touchdowns for ASU, which had 349 of its 589 yards of offense during the first two quarters and led 28-7 at halftime.

Louisiana-Monroe (0-10, 0-7) held ASU to 78 yards on the ground. but had issues defending everything else.

After forcing a punt on the game’s first possession, the Red Wolves ran five plays until quarterback Logan Bonner hit Rucker over the top for a 55-yard touchdown on their sixth snap to open up a 7-0 lead.

The Warhawks needed just 1:38 to tie the game 7-7. From there, it was all ASU. Hatcher gave the Red Wolves a 14-7 lead when he completed an 8-play, 98-yard drive with a 30-yard score to Rucker with 5:22 showing. Then on the third play of the second quarter, Hatcher hit Foreman for a 15-yard touchdown.

Foreman caught his second score, a 46-yarder from Hatcher, with 6:21 to go in the period to give ASU its 21-point lead at the half.

Rucker picked up his third touchdown early in the third quarter when he turned a 15yard out route into a 66-yard score at the 14:03 mark.

Rucker got his final score on a 31-yard touchdown reception from Hatcher with 12:37 remaining in the fourth for a 45-15 edge. Blake Grupe tacked on a 42-yard field goal more than five minutes later.

Rucker