JONESBORO -- Blake Anderson didn't want to create a scene, but he also needed to get his point across.
So, during down time this week around the Arkansas State football facility -- whether in practice or in between meetings -- Anderson has had players carrying footballs with them, even when it isn't necessary. In between drills, during trips to the restroom, during team meetings, all with directions for his players to knock the balls out of their teammates' hands.
Turnover troubles
• Through five games this season, Arkansas State is committing turnovers at roughly the same rate it did last season, but not forcing them near as often as it did last season. The Red Wolves rank near the bottom of the Sun Belt and Football Bowl Subdivision list in most turnover categories heading into Saturday’s game against South Alabama.
STAT;2016;SBC rank;2015;SBC rank
Fumbles gained;3;t5;8;8
Interceptions;1;t9;26;1
Total gained;4;t10;34;1
Fumbles lost;6;t10;11;t7
Interceptions lost;6;t5;15;t8
Total lost;12;11;26;10
Margin;-8;11;+8;1
Anderson stopped just short of having his players carry balls to class. But if he had, few could blame him.
"We don't want to cause a chaos in somebody's class," he said. "But, if they're in this building, and they're around here, then they're carrying a ball around and everybody knows to try to get it out."
ASU's turnover issues have become such an issue that Anderson and his coaches were forced to take a hard look at how they were emphasizing and teaching ball security following last week's victory over Georgia Southern, in which it lost five turnovers and forced none.
They could, Anderson said, quit talking about turnovers altogether, or emphasize their importance even more.
Anderson chose to do more, in an effort to reverse a trend that has the Red Wolves (1-4, 1-0 Sun Belt) at the bottom of the national rankings in statistics that coaches generally regard as some of the most important.
"Not that there aren't other things to fix," Anderson said. "But those are the things that seem to be the most glaring that have the most impact on us being who I think we're capable of being."
After five turnovers -- three fumbles and two interceptions -- in last weeks' victory, ASU has lost 12 turnovers this season, the most in the Sun Belt and tied for 110th nationally. That's not much worse than the rate at which it turned it over last year, but it's defense has had trouble forcing them this season. The Red Wolves have forced only four turnovers, 10th in the Sun Belt and tied for 120th nationally.
Only one team had more than ASU's 34 takeaways on its way to a Sun Belt title and New Orleans Bowl appearance last season. But this year, it's minus-8 turnover margin and minus-1.60 turnover margin per game both rank second-to-last in the FBS.
Since 1997 -- the earliest turnover stats that are readily available by the NCAA -- only 19 teams have finished a season with a turnover-margin-per game figure worse than what ASU's currently is, and none of those teams won more than four games. Meaning, if ASU doesn't improve, it will be defying recent history by making another run at a Sun Belt title, much less a bowl game.
"It starts Saturday," said senior cornerback Chris Humes. "The change starts. We've been focusing more on stripping the ball and getting it out, focusing more on picks."
Defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen is almost at a loss for why his unit hasn't come up with them at a rate even approaching what it did last season. The Red Wolves haven't forced a turnover since Blaise Taylor's fourth-quarter interception against Utah State on Sept. 16.
"I think they come and go," he said. "It's pretty frustrating. We're continuing to preach it. We worked it again [Sunday]. We're coaching it and we're trying to make them aware of it on film. Hopefully, we'll catch that fever again."
The Red Wolves committed turnovers on three of their first 15 plays against Georgia Southern. Against Central Arkansas on Sept. 24, ASU turned it over four times without forcing any and its suffered 12 turnovers while forcing one over its last three games.
Anderson said part of it has to do with quarterback Justice Hansen's inexperience. But, junior Johnson White lost a fumble against UCA and sophomore Warren Wand lost one against Georgia Southern, the second lost fumbles in the careers for both.
Hansen threw two interceptions in last week's victory, one in the first quarter off a tipped pass and another in the fourth when he misread the route receiver Kendall Sanders was running. Hansen said coaches have told him to take less risks this week.
"You need to be comfortable making the boring plays," Hansen said. "You never know, a little 5-yard check-down to [White] and he might take it the distance. So, you've just got to be comfortable making those plays.
If so, the direction of ASU's season could take a different turn.
"We had five turnovers last game and still won," Hansen said. "So, I really believe that if we eliminate the turnovers the sky is the limit."
Sports on 10/14/2016