Offensive line humbled, hardened after Memphis

JONESBORO - Cliff Mitchell did not get too detailed when asked how he felt after watching film of Arkansas State’s loss to Memphis last Saturday.

“It was just a bad deal all around,” Arkansas State’s senior right guard said. “Not a good day.”

Statistics support Mitchell’s statement.

ASU rushed for 74 yards after averaging 339.3 yards in its first three games and quarterback Adam Kennedy was sacked seven times, almost twice the number of times he had been sacked in the first three games combined.

Being pushed around for three hours at the Liberty Bowl was a gut punch for a group of accomplished veterans that offensive line coach Brad Bedell described as a “prideful unit,” a possible confidence blow to a group in which brute strength contributes heavily to overall success.

ASU Coach Bryan Harsin said it was “one-on-one battles” that Memphis won, essentially saying Memphis’ defensive front lined up against ASU’s offensive line and beat it without much help from blitzing linebackers.

“It’s embarrassing. It’s as simple as that,” Bedell said. “You have standards, and they know that. We’ve got to learn from it and move on.”

Bedell has spent the week fine-tuning technical issues and repairing damaged egos heading into Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. game at Missouri.

“We have to answer to a challenge,” Bedell said. “They’re answering. I’m challenging myself. This whole team needs to be challenged.”

Sophomore center Bryce Giddens said Wednesday that ASU’s players and coaches have been as engaged and as vocal as he can remember this season.

“Really, it’s player driven,” Giddens said. “You’ve got coaches yelling at you every day, but it’s different whenyou get players yelling it and start actually doing it.”

Giddens said ASU had no choice but to turn the page from the Memphis game quickly when it got a look ata Missouri defensive line that Harsin and Bedell said is the best they’ll see all season.

“Very athletic dudes,” Mitchell said. “Big, strong cats who I would say can move really well.”

Missouri, like Memphis, has generated a pass rush without having to blitz its linebackers. The Tigers had six tackles for losses and intercepted three passes in last week’s 45-28 victory at Indiana despite failing to record any sacks.

Missouri has only three sacks but leads all SEC teams with nine interceptions in three games. Linebacker Andrew Wilson gave credit to defensive linemen Michael Sam, Matt Hoch, Lucas Vincent and Kony Ealy, all of whom are at least 6-2 and average out to 283 pounds.

“The defensive line is getting after the quarterback,” Wilson said.

ASU did more first-team vs. first-team drills this week than at any time since the season started one month ago, with the idea being to put an experienced group of Red Wolves on competitive edge.

ASU’s offensive line includes three players who started seven or more games last season and two, left guard Steven Haunga and left tackle Aaron Williams, who started every game.

The same five should start against Missouri, but Bedell said he hopes a review of what happened last week and the realization of what lies ahead lead to a better performance.

“It’s one game, it wasn’t great,” Bedell said. “I don’t love them any less than I loved them before. We just got to get better.”

Mitchell put it another way.

“The onus is on us now, for sure,” he said. “We just have to come out and perform.”Up next ARKANSAS STATE AT MISSOURI WHEN 6:30 p.m. Central Saturday WHERE Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo.

RECORDS Arkansas State 2-2, Missouri 3-0 TV CSS/CST RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro; KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Bryant/Little Rock

SATURDAY’S GAMES All times Central South Alabama at Tennessee, 11:21 a.m. Navy at W. Kentucky, 1 p.m.

Troy at Duke, 2 p.m.

Tulane at La.-Monroe, 6 p.m.

Wyoming at Texas State, 6 p.m.

Arkansas State at Missouri, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY, OCT. 3 W. Kentucky at La.-Monroe, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 5 Georgia State at Alabama, 11:21 a.m.

South Alabama at Troy, noon Texas State at La.-Lafayette, 6 p.m.

Sports, Pages 21 on 09/27/2013

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