JONESBORO, Ark. – Justice Hansen accounted for 357 yards and four touchdowns to guide Arkansas State to a 38-14 Sun Belt Conference football win Saturday over the University of South Alabama at Centennial Bank Stadium.

In addition to completing 26-of-37 attempts for 332 yards and three scores, Hansen added 25 yards on the ground to go along with a 22-yard reception to lead the Red Wolves, who moved to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the league on the season.  Justin McInnis caught seven passes for 177 yards and Warren Wand chipped in with 77 yards on 16 carries — both score a touchdown — as A-State posted 509 yards of total offense.

Nigel Lawrence and Bull Barge recorded 17 and 13 tackles, respectively, for the Jaguars, who are now 2-7 on the year and 1-4 in conference action.  Malik Stanley hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter while Jamarius Way closed out the scoring with a five-yard scoring reception for South's offense.

Arkansas State 38, South Alabama 14 (final stats)
South Alabama/Arkansas State photo gallery

GAME FACTS
-Neither team managed a first down until the Red Wolves moved the chains for the first time past the midway point of the opening quarter; the two combined for 93 yards in the period.
-After scoring on a pair of drives covering more than 80 yards, A-State took a 14-7 lead at the break.
-Although the Red Wolves held a 223-103 advantage in total offense in the first half, the Jaguars controlled the ball for nearly 17 minutes; their second-quarter touchdown march took more than five minutes off the clock.
-A-State broke open the contest by scoring on four of their first six possessions of the second half.
-The Red Wolves outgained the Jags, 509-260, in the contest while averaging over six-and-a-half yards per play.
-A-State was successful on 50 percent of its third-down conversions while allowing South to convert on just 3-of-15 tries.

NOTES
-It was the fourth time in as many meetings in Jonesboro that A-State has won the match-up, giving the Red Wolves a 6-1 edge in the all-time series.
-Lawrence had 10 stops at the half, finishing the day with a career-best total that's also the most recorded by a Jag this season.
-It was the first time in his career that Barge has been credited with 10-plus tackles in consecutive contests as he tied a career high in the category as well.
-The duo have now both finished with a double-digit stop total in the same game twice this season, having first accomplished the feat in South's win over Texas State on Sept. 15.
-Junior LB Khalil McDonald had all seven of his tackles in the opening half of the contest, as he too had a career-high figure in the category.
-Stanley's touchdown catch was his first since the final minute of South's game against Louisiana on Nov. 4 a year ago.
-He is now tied for 10th on South's career record list with teammates Kawaan Baker and Jordan McCray in the category with four since joining the program last fall.
-After finding Stanley for the Jags' opening score of the contest, Evan Orth became the fifth quarterback in program history with 10 or more touchdown passes in a season.
-Tra Minter led all players with 88 yards on 17 carries, which included a career-long 36-yard rush in the third quarter.
-It was the seventh time in nine outings this year that the junior has recorded 100 or more all-purpose yards after he concluded the contest 131 total.
-Darian Mills moved into top five on school's season record list with his team-leading eighth pass broken up this fall.
-Senior Corliss Waitman fell one kick shy of tying the school record after punting nine times for a 43.4 yard average.

THEY SAID IT
South Alabama head coach Steve Campbell
On his impressions of the game: "I thought we played hard in the first half and kept ourselves in the game.  We had a couple of chances, but we gave up seven right before the half.  It was a big series for us offensively when we didn't convert the third-and-one and punted it.  Arkansas State was able to drive down and score right before the half and that hurt, then we had the penalty on the kick return that could've evened up things for us heading into the locker room.  They took the first drive [for a score] to open the second half and I didn't get us ready coming out after halftime.  We couldn't really get anything going until our last drive."
On the play of Cephus Johnson: "I thought Cephus came in and did a really good job on that last drive, putting together a scoring drive for us." 
On other things to take from the game: "We didn't have as many penalties as we have in the past that have hurt us.  We had a late hit on the quarterback and another 15-yard penalty on Arkansas State's two first-half touchdown drives.  I thought we were better penalty-wise.  We also didn't turn it over.  Those are some positive things that our young guys can build off of."
On the seniors: "I feel bad for our seniors, they've worked hard.  I wanted them to know what it felt like to win a championship and to play better than what we've played. I  feel bad that we weren't able to get it done today for them."
On being close to turning things around: "We're close.  We have to make a few more plays.  I'll put that on coaching because I have to put us in better position to make those plays.  When we do that we'll be fine.  We had our opportunities tonight, but for one reason or another, we couldn't come up with the play.  Right now, we have to be perfect in our decision making and perfect in our execution.  We're not yet and we have to keep working; we'll get there I can guarantee that, but we still have a ways to go."

Redshirt Freshman QB Cephus Johnson
On the locker room: "Obviously, everybody is disappointed about the loss.  I feel bad for the seniors, I didn't want them to go out like that.  Right now, we just have to get better from here."
On his opportunities tonight: "My job is to just go out there and do the best that I can and take advantage of my opportunities.  I hate Evan [Orth] went down.  He's our quarterback and I hope he gets better."

Senior S Nigel Lawrence
On the team's effort: "We are right on the edge of it.  I really don't have any magical way to say it.  If you watch the game, we're right there every time.  We just have to come up big."
On the Jaguar defense moving forward: "Nothing is going to change, we are still going to come in and work hard.  We want to try and go into each game like we are going to win, then just go out and execute.  We just need to finish the season strong"
On his performance in the game: "I am blessed to even be playing right now.  All glory to God, it's the Man above it's not me."

Up next: South returns home to take on ULM Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST) in the program's annual Homecoming game.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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