JONESBORO -- Colton Jackson wouldn't count last year's game at Missouri as a highlight of his freshman season.

Starting his fifth college game last September, ASU's right tackle spent that night matched up against eventual All-SEC defensive end Michael Sam. On ASU's ninth offensive play, Sam burst around Jackson on the right side to sack Adam Kennedy on third down, the first of five sacks and 11 tackles for losses in Missouri's 41-19 victory.

"Yeah, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was," Jackson said this week while managing to crack a smile.

Jackson, a third-year sophomore from Ozark, can smile about such a rough night now considering how well the rest of his first college season went. Jackson won the starting job at right tackle in fall camp and was ASU's starter in all 13 games -- one of four offensive linemen to start every game -- and enters this season more seasoned than a typical sophomore.

In that sense, Jackson provides an offensive line void of many experienced voices -- right guard Alan Wright is the only other player with starting experience -- exactly what it needs heading into Saturday's 6 p.m. season-opening game against Montana State.

"You'd be shocked to find out that he's a sophomore if you watched him on tape," said Glen Elarbee, ASU's first-year offensive line coach.

Considering their inexperience -- Wright has 16 career starts and the other three starters have none -- Elarbee said some might be surprised by the rest of his offensive line, too.

Elarbee was ASU's four-week-long fall camp went about as smoothly as he could have hoped considering the Red Wolves had some surprising position battles and came out of camp without any serious injuries up front. That was exactly what Elarbee needed considering what happened two weeks before camp opened.

The school announced July 14 that center Bryce Giddens was retiring from football because of head injuries, robbing ASU's line of its most skilled leader and a two-year starter at center. But senior Tyler Greve has slid easily into the void at center, and the other four spots have seen little movement.

"They solidified and did a nice job," Elarbee said. "We'll go out there and see what they got."

When ASU Coach Blake Anderson released his first depth chart Monday, it looked identical to who took the first snaps with the No. 1 offense to start fall camp and to who started in each of two preseason scrimmages. Jemar Clark will start at left tackle and Devin Mondie at left guard. Greve will start at center, with Wright at right guard and Jackson at right tackle.

There were a few players who took snaps with the No. 1 offense -- Daniel Keith at left tackle and Kyle Davies at center -- but none did well enough to win a starting job.

"There wasn't a lot of flexibility up front," Anderson said.

That was a positive for ASU, considering it allowed Elarbee to concentrate on improvements rather than who was playing well enough to be considered for a starting job.

"I feel like we got better as a unit," Clark said. "We've bonded together, and I feel like we're going to have a good year. Even though we don't have a lot of experience, I feel like we're going to shock some people."

Hopefully for the Red Wolves, a smooth fall camp will be enough to avoid nights like last year in Columbia, Mo.

"Coach Elarbee did a good job of putting us in the most uncomfortable situations he could," Jackson said. "It will reflect on game days, and you can see just how smooth and easy we can operate."

Sports on 08/28/2014