JONESBORO -- Blake Anderson sits his Arkansas State players down every Sunday night and flips on a video that showcases some of their worst transgressions from the game held the night before.
In the middle of film review of the previous game, Anderson plays a video that includes every one of the team's penalties from the most recent game.
Up next
Arkansas State at South Alabama
WHEN 7 p.m., Oct. 13
WHERE Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
RECORDS Arkansas State 2-3, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference; South Alabama 3-2, 1-0
SERIES ASU leads 3-0
TV ESPN2
RADIO KASR-FM, 92.7, in Little Rock/Conway; KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro
INTERNET ESPN3.com
"If there's anything we can learn from it, then we need to learn," Anderson said.
Those sessions are lasting a little longer than usual this season.
ASU committed a season-high 15 penalties in Saturday's 49-35 victory over Idaho. Seven of those were personal foul penalties and defensive lineman Chris Odom was ejected for targeting in the second quarter, the second ASU player to be hit with the penalty this season.
Through five games, ASU is one of the most penalized teams in college football. The Red Wolves' 45 penalties are tied for ninth-most among the 128 FBS teams. Their 95.2 penalty yards per game are second most.
Anderson said he doesn't think the penalties were reasons for losses at Southern California, Toledo or at home to Missouri, but it could if ASU finds itself in a close game against a Sun Belt Conference foe. Anderson also doesn't want a negative perception of his team, which ranked 117th nationally in penalties last season, to begin to take hold.
"We play hard, we play on the edge," Anderson said. "If you play with great tempo and guys play all the way to the whistle, there are things that you have to be able to live with. But I don't want in any way shape or form, to be deemed as undisciplined, because that's just not the culture we're trying to create."
Most of ASU's penalties came late in Saturday's game, when the result had largely been decided. The Red Wolves committed seven of their 15 penalties in the fourth quarter, including personal foul penalties by punter Luke Ferguson and defensive backs Cody Brown, Nehemiah Wagner, Chris Humes and Money Hunter.
Wagner was also called for pass interference and defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones committed an offsides penalty. Idaho got more first downs by penalty (seven), than by rushing or passing (six each), and both of Idaho's fourth-quarter touchdown drives were aided by at least one 15-yard penalty.
"I was pretty frustrated the other night, just like the rest of us were," defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen said. "That comes back to discipline thing. We've got to be more disinclined."
Anderson agrees, but what won't be considered is backing off of their "on the edge" philosophy.
"If we pull back from that line, then we lose that edge in order to be competitive," Anderson said. "We're not going to out-talent anybody to a point to where we can afford to gauge back. We've just got to be smarter."
Anderson also said Monday that ASU will be without starting left guard Daniel Keith against South Alabama on Oct. 13. The freshman underwent a "procedure" Monday to treat a high right ankle sprain in the second half Saturday. It's similar to an injury Keith suffered to his left ankle last year, which ended his season after the second game.
Anderson said Keith could be back in "nine to 14 days," which means he could return the Louisiana-Lafayette game Oct. 20, but Georgia State on Oct. 31 is more likely.
"We've been through this before with him and he did respond well to it in the past," Anderson said of Keith.
Anderson also said he's "99 percent" confident that quarterback Fredi Knighten will return to play against South Alabama. Knighten hasn't played since pulling a groin muscle Sept. 12 against Missouri. He's missed the past three games as freshman James Tabary has led ASU to victories over Missouri State and Idaho and started in a loss at Toledo.
Knighten will re-assume his spot with the No. 1 offense at practice today, and when he returns to the field on Oct. 13, Anderson said there won't be any reigns on the senior from Little Rock, who is as much of a threat with his legs as his arm.
"He's got to go and play like he plays, and we've got to live with the consequences," Anderson said. "That's really hard to do and I don't think anybody is really effective trying to gauge and control things for him. We've just got to let the guy play."
Sports on 10/06/2015