Mobile, Ala. – With the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl just four days away, the Arkansas State football team arrived in Mobile, Ala., on New Year’s Eve Day and spent Wednesday evening participating in the bowl game’s first official functions at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
A-State Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir and head football coach Blake Anderson met with the media during a 6:30 p.m. press conference at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, where Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson welcomed both teams and presented Mohajir with another key to the city. Arkansas State, making its fourth consecutive appearance in the GoDaddy Bowl, is one of just four teams to hold a record two victories in the contest.
“I’d like to thank the GoDaddy organization for their great sponsorship and Jerry Silverstein and his great staff for allowing us to come back to this wonderful city,” Mohajir said. “On behalf of our chancellor Dr. Tim Hudson, system president Dr. Chuck Welch and Governor Mike Beebe, we are absolutely thrilled to be back here in Mobile. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate the wonderful volunteerism this town has displayed over the years, and we can’t tell you how excited we are to be back here participating in the GoDaddy Bowl.”
Blake Anderson, who will be the first head coach to start the season at A-State and end the season with the Red Wolves in the GoDaddy Bowl, also thanked the City of Mobile and all those associated with the GoDaddy Bowl for inviting the team back.
“I’ve had the luxury of spending time in Mobile as a recruiter and I love the town, love the weather, and I’ve heard nothing but great things from our players about getting to come back and talking about the things they are going to get to do and just how excited they are to be here,” Anderson said. “We had a lot of people from our hometown at our sendoff this morning, and I know the bowl committee is going to put on a great week for us and make it a great experience.
“I’m excited to be here and I’m excited to be the head coach and be here. This has been a crazy time for us over the last few years and that’s what make this trip so special because we’ve got a senior class that has been through a lot. We’ve got 14 guys that will be making this trip with their head coach they had throughout the season for the first time and it has made this process really special because of that.”
The Red Wolves have 14 seniors on their roster, including 11 who will conclude their careers at the school with at least 35 victories that stands as the most in the Red Wolves’ FBS history. The 35 wins are also the second most in school history all-time, just two victories shy of the 37 posted between 1984-87 when A-State was an FBS member. Those 11 seniors on this year’s team will also be the first players in school history to ever compete in a bowl game all four years of their career.
Following the press conference, the Red Wolves and Toledo both participated in a team welcome reception just outside Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The players, coaches, administration, media representatives, Mobile city officials and invited guests all enjoyed a southern-style shrimp boil that was immediately followed by an entertaining “Game Show Night.”
A-State will begin its Thursday schedule with meetings before departing for a team luncheon on the USS Alabama battleship. The Red Wolves will hold their first practice in Mobile tomorrow as well, beginning at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the South Alabama practice facility.
The Red Wolves will play Mid-American Conference member Toledo in the GoDaddy Bowl, set for an 8 p.m. kickoff on Jan. 4. Bowl tickets are only $45 per ticket when purchased through the A-State Ticket Office. GoDaddy Bowl tickets are only $45 per ticket when purchased through the A-State Ticket Office. The A-State Ticket Office can be contacted by telephone at 870-972-2781, and tickets can be purchased online at tickets.astate.edu.
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