THURSDAY’S SUN BELT ARKANSAS STATE 35, TROY 3

ASU soars after digging 0-4 hole

Coach Blake Anderson and the Arkansas State Red Wolves became bowl eligible with Thursday’s victory over Troy and control their chances of winning an outright Sun Belt title for the second consecutive season.
Coach Blake Anderson and the Arkansas State Red Wolves became bowl eligible with Thursday’s victory over Troy and control their chances of winning an outright Sun Belt title for the second consecutive season.

TROY, Ala. -- Arkansas State was 0-4 when Red Wolves players decided it was time to do something about it.

They met -- without their coaches -- less than 12 hours after a disheartening Sept. 24 home loss to FCS member Central Arkansas to discuss how a team picked to contend for its fifth Sun Belt Conference title in seven years was reeling.

Up next

ARKANSAS STATE AT LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

WHEN 11 a.m. Central, Nov. 26

WHERE Cajun Field, Lafayette, La.

RECORDS ASU 6-4, 6-0 Sun Belt Conference; Louisiana-Lafayette 4-5, 3-3

TV American Sports Network

"We just said, 'That's not who we are, let's get back to our standard,' " senior cornerback Chris Humes said of the meeting, led by linebacker Xavier Woodson-Luster and safety Cody Brown.

Six consecutive victories, including Thursday night's 35-3 victory over Associated Press No. 25 Troy at Veterans Memorial Stadium, have changed the topic of discussion.

Coach Blake Anderson's Red Wolves (6-4 overall, 6-0 Sun Belt) are now bowl eligible and control their chances of winning an outright Sun Belt title for the second consecutive season.

"I feel like we're starting to peak at the right moment," said senior cornerback Chris Humes, who recovered a fumble for a touchdown and caught a key fourth-down pass on a fake punt against Troy.

Anderson and players each pointed to Sept. 24 as the turning point. Four turnovers and a 12-point fourth quarter from UCA, now ranked No. 12 in the FCS, led to the 28-23 loss, which was ASU's first to an FCS team in 15 years and left it 0-4.

Then came the players-only meeting, which Humes calls "the turning point."

A few other details have helped ASU's turnaround.

The next five games -- before Thursday night's meeting with 8-1 Troy -- came against teams without winning records, and there was the insertion of sophomore Justice Hansen at quarterback.

But Anderson, basking in his first victory as a head coach over a top 25 team, wouldn't discount the impact of such a poor start -- which included losses to Toledo, Auburn and Utah State -- on ASU's exceedingly strong finish.

"I don't know if we win tonight if nonconference play went any differently," Anderson said. "There's just things that we had to learn about ourselves. We might not have learned them had we not lost to UCA. There are guys who might not have taken such a deep look at themselves and really become as accountable as they've been.

"If it wins us a conference title to go through that, so be it, it's the price of getting it done."

The culmination of ASU's growth reached a peak Thursday night when the Red Wolves gained 262 yards and outscored Troy, which had won seven in a row, 28-0 in the second half.

Now, a victory over Louisiana-Lafayette (4-5, 3-3) next Saturday earns ASU at least a share of its fifth conference title in seven years. Add on a victory over Texas State (2-7, 0-5) on Dec. 3, and ASU will have it second consecutive outright title and a possible trip to the New Orleans Bowl for the second consecutive year.

Is Anderson surprised to have reached this point?

"Heck, yeah, who wouldn't be?" he said. "Yeah. I'm surprised.

"But I also knew that we were very capable of it, too, if we could ever get beyond ourselves and quit making mistakes. We still make some, but they've been less and less each week. We've become more physical and more physical each week in every phase and we're playing our best football."

Winning the turnover battle has been another key to ASU's resurgence.

ASU's turnover margin was minus-3 entering the start of Sun Belt play, and it was minus-8 after a victory over Georgia Southern. But ASU is plus-10 in turnover margin in the past five games, including a 5-0 advantage against Troy.

There has been at least one pass interception in five consecutive games -- Justin Clifton had two on Thursday -- and Humes' fumble recovery in the end zone in the third quarter was ASU's third defensive touchdown since an Oct. 15 victory over South Alabama.

ASU followed its victory over South Alabama with victories over Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia State and New Mexico State before Thursday's victory ran its streak to 15 in a row over Sun Belt teams.

"Every time they take the field in a Sun Belt game they expect to win," Troy Coach Neal Brown said. "They've got a little swagger about them."

Sports on 11/19/2016

Upcoming Events