Arkansas State Takes Sun Belt Title in a Wild, Interception-Fueled Victory Over Coastal Carolina, 49-43

In a game that felt more like a prolonged episode of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” than a college football championship, Arkansas State emerged victorious over Coastal Carolina, 49-43, in the Sun Belt Conference title game. With a whopping seven interceptions combined between the two teams, fans and analysts alike are left wondering if anyone truly won this matchup—or if we all just lost four hours of our lives we’ll never get back.

The Red Wolves’ victory was hard-fought, but calling it a clean win would be as accurate as saying a buttered pig is easy to catch. Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State’s star quarterback and Heisman hopeful, had a night to forget—unless, of course, you’re a Coastal Carolina defender who now has a new game ball for the trophy case. Raynor threw four interceptions, each one seemingly more ill-advised than the last. It’s safe to say that his Heisman stock dropped faster than the temperature in an Arkansas winter.

Coastal Carolina wasn’t exactly playing chess while Raynor was playing checkers, either. Their quarterback, Grayson McCall, contributed three interceptions of his own, two of which came in the game’s final minutes, as if he was just as eager as the rest of us to end the madness.

Despite the pickfest, Arkansas State’s defense made just enough plays to clinch the title, including a game-sealing interception on a desperate fourth-down heave by McCall in the final minute. The play sent Red Wolves fans into a frenzy and Coastal Carolina fans into an existential crisis—likely pondering how many different ways one team can give away a football game.

Raynor, who entered the game as a serious contender for the Heisman, may have thrown that dream right out the window along with one of his errant passes. His stat line—4 touchdowns, 4 interceptions—was a true rollercoaster, and not the fun kind you’d find at a theme park. No, this was the type of rollercoaster where you’re holding onto the safety bar, white-knuckled, wondering if you’re going to make it off in one piece.

“Look, we won, and that’s what matters,” Raynor said post-game, clearly relieved that the scoreline wasn’t more lopsided. “But I’d be lying if I said that was my best game. Let’s just say I’m going to be spending some extra time with the film this week.”

Head Coach Bryan tried to maintain a positive spin, though it was clear he, too, was still recovering from the stress of watching his team flirt with disaster on nearly every drive. “We’re Sun Belt champs, and that’s what we set out to do,” Bryan stated with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But, uh, yeah… we’ll definitely be working on ball security in the offseason.”

As the confetti fell and Arkansas State hoisted the Sun Belt trophy, it was hard not to feel a sense of bewilderment mixed with relief. The Red Wolves are champions, yes, but if this game proved anything, it’s that the road to the top can sometimes look more like a demolition derby than a championship parade.

So congratulations to Arkansas State—Sun Belt champions in the truest sense of the word, even if the game itself left us all a little more puzzled than when we started. And as for Jaylen Raynor? Well, there’s always next year… assuming he hasn’t sworn off football altogether after this one.