# 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team

The 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represented 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.

## Schedule

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

## 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 |