Arkansas State and Mount St. Mary’s played a tense, back-and-forth bowl game at the CRAA Fall Classic, with the Red Wolves finally taking a 33-27 decision from the Mountaineers.
For both teams this was exactly what you would want from an end-of-fall bowl game. Overall this concept continues to deliver. Yes there were two lopsided results on the weekend—a more game-seasoned Heart of America won comfortably over the Florida Conference (which was missing players from last year’s top two teams), and Southern Virginia won comfortably of Florida State, highlighting the difference between being low in the Rugby Easy standings and being high in a D1AA conference.
But this game, the Spartan Regiment Bowl, was much more about like-vs-like. Two well-supported teams with talent and strong coaching, but who also have another step to take.
Both teams treated this almost as if it were a final. Certainly going for goal when a penalty was kickable was on their minds. Bastian Brunello slotted an early kick for MSM to take a 3-0 lead. However, Arkansas State came back, punishing a turnover and breaking through before scrumhalf Sange Mbuto scampered through. Warrick Day slotted the conversion and the Red Wolves led 7-3.
Mount added another Brunello penalty, making it clear that if ASU was going to commit penalties, they would pay.
But a break from Braydon Wilson and then some excellent work from Ned Madden led to Mbuto finishing it all off for his second try.
Arkansas State’s 14-6 didn’t last long. Just before halftime the Mount forwards surged to the line before scrumhalf Sage Calvo zipped it to the wing and Trey Fields cove over in the corner. Brunello’s conversion from the touchline made it 14-13 at the break.
Arkansas State looked like they might get the momentum back right off the second-half kickoff when wing Onika Sethosa nabbed the ball in the air and took off for the tryline. He was just stopped, but the Red Wolves did eventually get to paydirt. Mount had a defensive lineout, won it, and passed it out to a pod. But the ball wasn’t handled cleanly, fell to the ground in-goal, and Arkansas State hooker Arthur Lendrin dove on it.
Defensive pressure can certainly produce tries and this was a good example of it. Day converted and it was 21-13.
For his part, Day was the conduit for many of the good things happening. He was controlled, but also able to try some audacious offloads and set people up. With Head Coach Dominic Shaw having set Day free a little bit in tee flyhalf’s final season in Jonesboro, Day has flourished, in part because he’s still a disciplined player who understands when it’s time to try something, and when it’s time to be controlled.
