Arkansas State’s season has flipped twice now. Once in the right direction, and once horrifyingly back the other way. After a 1–4 start, the Red Wolves resurrected themselves with four straight wins including a gritty road victory at Troy that put them at 5–4 and firmly in bowl position. But the last two weeks have been crushing. A red zone interception against Southern Miss. Then, last night’s gut punch that featured six snaps inside the Louisiana 21-yard line, two from the 2-yard line, and no points.
As he left the field, Butch Jones was visibly livid, the kind of eruption that needs no soundtrack.
Butch Jones not feeling like a Champion of Life right now. Pic.twitter.com/CsIorePgFW
— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) November 21, 2025
But when he began his postgame press conference, the rage had settled into something heavier. “Unacceptable execution,” he said. “They all hurt when you lose. You hurt for your players. You hurt for everyone because everybody in here invests in victory. And this one probably hurts a little bit more. It doesn’t get you till it gets you.”
He did not hide from the numbers.
“Critical down execution, we were three for fifteen on third down. After six trips inside the 25, we come away with three field goals and one touchdown. In our conference, the margin of victory is very very small. It is fragile. And we had two consecutive turnovers at 10-0…flat out unacceptable.”
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On the final couple of plays, an incompletion and a fumble at the goal line, Jones was firm yet reflective.
“It has worked for us all year. We wanted a two-play sequence, wanted to go tempo, and keep the timeout. And we had a catastrophic missed assignment. We knew what they were going to be in. We practiced it all week. But we cannot make mistakes at that stage of the game.”
Now at 5–6 with a trip to Appalachian State looming, the climb is suddenly daunting. What once felt promising has shrunk into a single chance to save the season. Jones laid it out plainly.
“We are in a one game season going to North Carolina.”
The weight of that reality sat on him throughout the night, and it showed in every pause and every word he delivered. He did not hide from what this loss meant to him.
“This one will probably live with me for a lifetime.”
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