JONESBORO, Ark. — Zak Wallace achieved a remarkable feat by scoring three touchdowns, including a decisive one-yard run in the closing moments, leading Arkansas State to a thrilling 34-31 victory over Troy on Saturday night.

With this win, Arkansas State improves to a record of 5-3, positioning themselves at 3-1 in the Sun Belt Conference standings. They are now tied with South Alabama and UL Monroe, just half a game behind the West Division leaders, Louisiana-Lafayette. The Red Wolves are set to face off against the undefeated Ragin’ Cajuns next Saturday.

In the early stages of the game, Arkansas State established a solid 23-3 lead by halftime. However, Troy mounted a comeback, scoring three touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 24-23 lead. Following this, Clune Van Andel successfully kicked a 46-yard field goal, giving Arkansas State a slight edge of 26-24 heading into the final quarter. Troy then orchestrated a 10-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by Gerald Green, which put them ahead 31-26 with just 1:45 remaining.

Demonstrating resilience, Arkansas State quickly drove 75 yards within a minute to score the game-winning touchdown with just 33 seconds on the clock.

Van Andel contributed significantly by successfully completing three of his four field goals in the first half from distances of 22, 19, and 39 yards. Jaylen Raynor was instrumental for Arkansas State, completing 24 of 41 passes for a total of 349 yards, in addition to rushing 12 times for 71 yards. Meanwhile, Wallace rounded out the offense with 16 carries for a total of 64 yards.

For Troy, quarterback Matthew Caldwell completed 22 out of 33 passes for 304 yards and threw two touchdown passes, albeit with three interceptions. Gerald Green was a key player in the rushing attack with 20 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Devonte Ross made a strong impact in the receiving game, catching 11 passes for 126 yards.