Red Wolves set for 2019 Camellia Bowl

Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Florida International (6-6) this Saturday By Jerry Scott

ASU Sports Media JONESBORO — Arkansas State is set to make its ninth consecutive bowl game appearance, facing Conference USA member Florida International in the 2019 Camellia Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 4:30 p.m..

The Red Wolves are making their 17th all-time bowl appearance and their second at the Camellia Bowl, where they played Middle Tennessee in 2017. With its matchup against the Panthers, A-State will remain the only Sun Belt team to ever face a Conference USA opponent in the bowl game. Since its inaugural year in 2014, the Camellia Bowl has featured a Sun Belt versus Mid-American matchup in four of the six contests. Arkansas State also becomes the second program to ever appear in the Camellia Bowl twice, joining Appalachian State (2015 and 2016). FIU completed the regular season with a 6-6 overall record and 3-5 mark in conference play. The Panthers are making a school-record third consecutive bowl-game appearance.

Coach Anderson, an 18-year coaching veteran at the NCAA FBS level who also coached in an NJCAA National Championship game, was named the Red Wolves’ 30th all-time head coach on Dec.

19, 2013. Anderson led the Red Wolves to Sun Belt Conference championships in 2015 and 2016, as well as six consecutive winning seasons and six bowl-game appearances (2019 and 2017 Camellia Bowl, 2018 Arizona Bowl, 2016 Cure Bowl, 2015 New Orleans Bowl, 2014 GoDaddy Bowl) during his first six seasons leading the program.

Arkansas State holds a 6-2 all-time record against Florida International in a series that dates back to the 2005 season. A-State won the first three meetings, as well as the last two played in 2011 and 2012. Both FIU wins in the series have been by a touchdown or less, while five of A-State’s six victories have been by at least 14 points.

The Red Wolves will play their first game against a Conference USA opponents since playing Middle Tennessee in the 2017 Camellia Bowl. A-State, which shared the Sun Belt Conference with five current C-USA members at some point between 2001-13, has played eight of the 14 teams comprising the league today.

The Red Wolves placed 16 players on the All-Sun Belt Conference Team. Including six first team, two second team, four third team and four honorable mention choices, A-State’s 16 different players finding a spot on the all-conference squad were the second most in the league behind Appalachian State’s 18. The Red Wolves tied the Mountaineers for the most first-team choices in the league.

Senior wide receiver Omar Bayless was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, marking the fourth consecutive year and sixth time overall an A-State player has taken home the league’s highest individual honor — both Sun Belt records.

Outside of A-State, no other all-time Sun Belt program has seen more than three players take home the honor. Layne Hatcher, a redshirt freshman, became the fourth all-time A-State player to be selected as the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.

An A-State victory would give it four bowl wins over the last nine seasons (2011-19), mark its eighth all-time bowl victory and its second under Anderson. The contest will appear on ESPN, and every Red Wolves football game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in the Northeast Arkansas area. The live radio broadcast can also be accessed on the official A-State Athletics web site (AStateRedWolves.

com) and the A-State Athletics app.