Arkansas
Arkansas State’s game-winning TD vs. Central Arkansas should have been no good, Sun Belt says
Arkansas State’s game-winning touchdown catch against Central Arkansas with three seconds left should have been upheld as incomplete on replay, and an error in the replay process ruled it a touchdown, the Sun Belt Conference announced Tuesday.
Arkansas State receiver Corey Rucker caught the pass in the final seconds while falling out of the corner of the end zone, and the play was ruled as incomplete. After review, it was ruled complete because Rucker got one foot down and maintained control. While Rucker’s foot was in, other footage showed him lose the ball after he hit the ground.
New: The Sun Belt announces Arkansas State’s game-winning TD catch with 3 seconds left against Central Arkansas should have been incomplete and the replay review process was not applied properly. pic.twitter.com/EemBIdg55m
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 3, 2024
“The replay official was focused on the firm control and body part down aspects of the act of a catch and failed to evaluate the surviving the ground aspect of a catch during the review of the play in question,” the Sun Belt said in a statement. “The right end zone camera shows the receiver did not survive the ground, but this camera angle was not consulted by the replay official. The replay ruling should have confirmed the on-field call of an incomplete pass.”
Rucker admitted he was surprised they ruled the play a touchdown.“Initially I thought they were reviewing the possession because once I hit the ground and rolled over, the ball came out,” he told reporters after the game. “So, in my mind, I didn’t think it was a catch just because I thought they were reviewing the possession.”
Central Arkansas coach Nathan Brown said on his Monday radio show the Sun Belt had reached out to admit the error.
“You just wish and hope the nature and the reasoning for a replay is to get it without a shadow of a doubt,” Brown said. “No reason why it’s not a correct call is the whole point of having a replay. I thought the longer it went, the better off for the Bears because if you’re dissecting a play for what was essentially eight minutes and 36 seconds — we counted — of review time, that’s a lot of time to try and figure out if it was a catch. That was the part that in the end was a little bit frustrating.”
The Sun Belt and SEC share replay services at SEC headquarters in Birmingham and have an officiating agreement.
Arkansas State hosts Tulsa this Saturday, while Central Arkansas plays at Lindenwood.
Required reading
(Photo of Central Arkansas coach Nathan Brown : Matt Bush / USA Today)
Temperatures will climb to the upper 90s today and heat index values will get close to 105° this afternoon. There are heat advisories today for part of west and southwest Arkansas.
Today will bring a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms late in the day in Central Arkansas.
Friday will also bring a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms with very hot weather.
Rain chances increase and temperatures drop this weekend when a cold front moves through Arkansas.
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A former Arkansas Tech University graduate and commander of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command is being remembered with two posthumous honors recognizing his lasting influence on the nation’s military intelligence operations.
The late Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston, a 1987 Arkansas Tech graduate and Russellville native, was honored during a dedication ceremony June 25 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the Army officially named a newly consolidated military intelligence complex the Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility.
Johnston also was posthumously inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame for helping reshape Army intelligence through the integration of emerging technologies, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The new facility serves as a central hub for U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) operations at Fort Huachuca, known as the “Home of Army Intelligence.” It houses some of the Army’s most critical intelligence personnel and brings together units that had previously operated from aging buildings spread across the installation.
Army officials said the previous arrangement created operational challenges, including limited secure workspaces, outdated infrastructure and additional security requirements. Beginning in 2018, INSCOM launched an effort to consolidate those missions by renovating two existing buildings into a 16,300-square-foot intelligence operations center designed to improve collaboration and security.
The facility now houses INSCOM G3’s Detachment 52, elements of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, representatives from the Ground Intelligence Support Activity, an emerging Foundry program element and other intelligence organizations.
Among those attending the dedication were Johnston’s wife, Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, daughter Lauren Woodworth and granddaughter Arabella Woodworth.
Maj. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, said the building represents more than a new workplace.
“As we dedicate the U.S. Army INSCOM Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility, we do more than just open a new facility… we consecrate a tribute to his indelible legacy,” Cox said. “This facility will stand as a constant reminder of his service, his vision and his unwavering commitment to our nation and to the soldiers he led. It will inspire future generations of intelligence professionals to emulate his example of leadership and selfless service.”
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kevin Boughton, former INSCOM command chief warrant officer, said Johnston envisioned closer collaboration between the Army’s intelligence training and operational communities.
Boughton said Johnston believed the distance between the Intelligence Center of Excellence and INSCOM’s operational units “shouldn’t be measured in miles,” but instead by “a seamless flow of data, doctrine, and talent” where operational experience and institutional knowledge move freely between soldiers in the field and those training the next generation.
Johnston graduated from Russellville High School in 1983 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Arkansas Tech in 1987. Through the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, he received his commission as a U.S. Army officer.
During a military career spanning more than 34 years, Johnston served in command and staff assignments ranging from platoon level to senior leadership within the Army and Department of Defense. He deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
In 2015, Johnston became the seventh graduate of Arkansas Tech’s Army ROTC program to attain the rank of general officer. He was promoted to major general in 2017.
He concluded his military career as commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, overseeing approximately 17,500 personnel operating in more than 40 countries.
Army leaders credited Johnston with helping modernize military intelligence by laying the groundwork for the establishment of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, which was formally created in 2022 after his retirement. He also led development of what became the Army Intelligence Data Platform, designed to incorporate advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning into intelligence operations while supporting future large-scale combat operations.
Johnston also promoted data science education within the military intelligence community by partnering with George Mason University to provide specialized training for Army warrant officers.
Colleagues remembered Johnston not only for his strategic vision but also for his leadership style. Despite working in one of the Army’s most demanding operational environments, they described him as a source of humor, kindness and encouragement whose focus remained on the soldiers, civilians and contractors carrying out the intelligence mission.
Johnston retired from active duty in 2021 and died in January 2022.
His latest recognitions add to previous honors from his alma mater. Johnston was a member of the inaugural Arkansas Tech Army ROTC Hall of Honor in 2017 and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Distinction in 2019.
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