LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas State’s football team arrived in Mobile, Ala., on Tuesday night and practiced Wednesday morning as it began on-site preparations for its GoDaddy.com Bowl matchup against No. 25 Kent State on Sunday.
The Red Wolves practiced for about an hour and 15 minutes in cold and damp conditions at UMS-Wright Prepatory School in Mobile on Wednesday.
“I think we accomplished a lot today,” ASU interim coach John Thompson said. “We didn’t give them a lot to have to come here and think about it. It was more about recognition and what they had seen before. We will get more indepth [today].”
ASU, which lost 38-20 to Northern Illinois last year inthe GoDaddy.com Bowl, won seven consecutive games during October and November on its way to a second consecutive Sun Belt Conference title.
A victory Sunday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium would give ASU (9-3) 10 victories inconsecutive seasons for the first time in school history. It would also be the program’s first bowl victory as a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
The Red Wolves will be playing would could be considered their toughest opponent. Kent State (11-2) lost to Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference title game, where a victory could have propelled the Golden Flashes into a BCS game.
A victory also could give ASU an outside chance of finishing in the top 25 for the first time in program history.
“That would be something cool, to win a bowl game,” ASU senior quarterback Ryan Aplin said. “It gives us a chance to be in the top 25, to beat a top 25 opponent. We know we’re going to have a good crowd. ... The seniors are ready to go out with a bang.”
ASU will practice at 11:10 a.m. today at UMS-Wright Prepatory School and at 5:05 p.m. Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Sports, Pages 20 on 01/03/2013