Red Wolves' defensive line faces big test against Miami

JONESBORO -- Considering its inexperience and injuries, Arkansas State's defensive line has held up as well as coaches could have expected.

Thought of before the season as a question mark at best -- seven of the 11 linemen who have played in the first two games are first-time contributors -- ASU's defensive front heads into today's 2:30 p.m. game at Miami (1-1) having held teams to 127 yards per game and having given up only one run of more than 20 yards.

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ARKANSAS STATE AT MIAMI

WHEN 2:30 p.m. Central Saturday

WHERE Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.

RECORDS Arkansas State 1-1, Miami 1-1

COACHES Arkansas State: Blake Anderson (1-1 in first season at ASU and overall); Miami: Al Golden (23-16 in fourth season at Miami, 50-50 in ninth season overall)

SERIES Miami leads 1-0

TV ESPNU

INTERNET astateredwolves.com

RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro; KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Bryant/Little Rock

"If you can stop the run, it's hard for teams to win," said senior defensive tackle Dexter Blackmon, whose seven starts are more than any of the seven defensive tackles who have played this year.

Today's challenge will be greater than anything they've seen so far, but it also will serve as an opportunity to see just how far they have advanced.

ASU will face an offense that prefers to feature running back Duke Johnson, whose average of 165.7 all-purpose yards per game leads the Football Bowl Subdivision, rather than put too much on true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya.

The Hurricanes are able to do that thanks to an offensive line that looks like it plays in the AFC East rather than the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami's starters -- left tackle Ereck Flowers, left guard Jon Feliciano, center Shane McDermott, right guard Danny Isidora and right tackle Taylor Gadbois -- have 83 combined starts, all are 6-4 or taller and average 315.8 pounds.

"Huge," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "It will be the biggest group we see all year I would expect. They want length. They want size. They want to be able to come downhill right at you and they've recruited to do that. We're going to have to add bodies to the box and not allow them to do it, hopefully."

ASU will counter with a defensive line that has been a concern for Anderson since he was hired nine months ago. Ends Chris Stone and Caleb Caston, a true freshman making his first start, and tackles Blackmon and Darrius Rosser form a group that has combined for 30 starts and averages 257.3 pounds.

On top of that, Rosser has dealt with a strained MCL since fall camp, reserve end Jonah Hill was lost of the season with a torn ACL, and end Ja'Von Jones has been limited by a shoulder injury this week.

Miami Coach Al Golden indicated this week that he'd like to see a bit more stability on the right side, where Isidora has started at guard and Gadbois at tackle.

"It will resolve itself," Golden told reporters this week. "They'll all get better in the process, and we'll see who the starters are."

Anderson and ASU defensive line coach Brian Early have seen enough to know this is one of the best units the Red Wolves will see all season.

"I don't want to disrespect any of the Sun Belt teams we play," Early said, "but I can't imagine them having five guys across the board that look like that."

It might be exactly what ASU needs, too.

Early was pleased with holding Football Championship Subdivision member Montana State to 86 yards rushing in the season opener and was satisfied for the most part by what it did against SEC member Tennessee. The Volunteers gained 168 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns, but no run went longer than 18 yards and they were held to 3.7 yards per rush.

Today's game will show Anderson and Early if they will be able to hold up against Sun Belt opponents Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas State, both of which feature strong running games.

"We're going in there with a chip on our shoulder, and I feel like if we go out and perform well on Saturday, that's a big confidence booster," Early said. "You have to know at that point that anyone you line up on this year, we're going to have a chance."

Rosser said he welcomes the challenge the defensive front faces today.

Johnson has rushed for 2,054 yards in his career at Miami, including 920 in eight games last year and 187 yards in two games this year. But Rosser insists ASU is ready, regardless of youth or injuries.

"We're coming at him," Rosser said. "Find that team's strongest point and take it out. Focus on that. When their strongest point is taken away from them, then we'll have them in our hands."

Sports on 09/13/2014

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