COLUMBIA, Mo. - Sometime Sunday, Arkansas State defensive end Chris Stone called his defensive teammates together for a bit of an impromptu heart-to-heart talk.
They were a day removed from a 31-7 loss at Memphis, one in which the previously winless Tigers sliced through ASU’s defense so easily that it didn’t look at all like ones that helped the Red Wolves to Sun Belt Conference titles each of the past two seasons.
Stone’s message, according to safety Chris Humes, was simple:
“That just wasn’t us,” Humes said. “We’re better than that.”
ASU has been in recent years.
The Red Wolves ranked in the top three of the Sun Belt in total defense each of the past two seasons, but heading into tonight’s game at SEC member Missouri, they rank sixth out of eight in both total defense (440.0 yards) and rushing defense (188.0 yards).
Throw out a 62-11 victory over depleted FCS member Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opener, and ASU is yielding an average of 529 yards over its past three games - giving up 468 yards at Auburn, 614 against Troy and 505 at Memphis.
Defensive coordinator John Thompson said there have been busted coverages and poor tackling, but indicated the Red Wolves have lacked the necessary mentality.
“It starts with the attitude. That controls everything you do,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to do a better job. I’ve got to do a better job.”
Three weeks of what defensive tackle Ryan Carrethers called “lackluster” efforts spawned Sunday’s meeting between players and was followed by what some have called the most vocal and engaging week of practice since fall camp.
Coach Bryan Harsin said early in the week there would be more periods matching the top offense vs. the top defense.
“We’re going to compete,” Harsin said Monday. “We’ve got to have competition amongst ourselves, which to me breeds competitiveness when you step out on the football field because you’re constantly doing that.”
Thompson said Tuesday that the increase in competition during workouts was more about increasing intensity than it was looking for new personnel. Carrethers said it was a welcomed change not just from last week, but a lack of intensity that had taken over most practices the first month of the season.
“We just need to pick it up,” Carrethers said. “Emotionally and physically, just everything about it. You can’t just put it all on Saturday. It’s just a mindset, attacking each and every day like it’s your last.”
Missouri presents a formidable challenge for an ASU team that has never beaten an SEC team that was in the SEC when it played it. Victories over Texas A&M (2008) and Ole Miss (1915) came before either was in its current league.
Missouri (3-0), a second-year SEC member, is coming off a 45-28 victory at Indiana while averaging 567 yards per game, seventh-bestnationally.
Missouri quarterback James Franklin is a three-year starter who had a career-high 404 yards of total offense against Indiana, and is complemented by an array of tall receivers and three running backs who all get near-equal carries.
Sophomore Russell Hansbrough leads the Tigers with 79.7 yards per game and 7.7yards per rush, and Missouri has four players who average 59 yards or more per game and 5 yards per carry.
It’s a rotation that developed with the emergence of Hansbrough and the return of junior Henry Josey.
Josey rushed for 1,168 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games in 2011 before tearing his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and rupturing his patellar tendonagainst Texas, in a game which Harsin was the Longhorns’ co-offensive coordinator.
It was an injury that Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel said looked like “more of a car wreck than an athletic injury.”
Josey missed all of last season, but has rushed for 186 yards in three games with three touchdowns in his comeback. Marcus Murphy, an all-SEC kick returner last year, adds 59.7 yards to a running game that averages 270 yards.
“They’re very similar in a lot of ways, but they have subtle differences,” Pinkel said of his backs. “It’s a good situation.”
Marquise Warford and Brandon Hayes combined for 287 of Memphis’ 329 rushing yards last week. But the Red Wolves are hoping a week ofspirited practices can stem its downward defensive trend.
“We’re just getting back to what we know,” Humes said. “Brick by brick, just being competitive, just being a hardnosed football team.”Today’s game ARKANSAS STATE AT MISSOURI WHEN 6:30 p.m. Central WHERE Faurot Field (67,124), Columbia, Mo.
RECORDS Arkansas State 2-2, Missouri 3-0 SERIES Missouri leads 2-0 COACHES Arkansas State: Bryan Harsin (2-2 in first year at Arkansas State and overall); Missouri: Gary Pinkel (166-98-1 in 23rd season overall; 93-61 in 13th season at Missouri) TV CSS/CST RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro; KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Bryant/Little Rock INTERNET astateredwolves.comTODAY’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.
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/28/2013