JONESBORO -- Because Arkansas State University has a few extra days, Buster Faulker can dive into the digits.
Thanks to an odd "bye week," the Red Wolves have two extra days prior to Tuesday's 7 p.m. game against Appalachian State to evaluate and reveal to themselves what is working and what is not.
Then Faulker explains through a few examples of this data dive, Arkansas State will examine at what frequency its offense dials up runs compared to passes. What plays have been most successful inside the 30-yard line? What has worked on first and 10?
"Hopefully we're able to zero in on some things that may have been holding us back," ASU's offensive coordinator said.
In this rare game week allowing a small window of self-assessment, Arkansas State's traditional game week centered around Appalachian State technically begins today.
Playing on Tuesday provides less of a bye week and more of an extended game week. During it, Arkansas State has time to assess the subtle nuances found in its first five games, including Saturday's 28-21 loss at Georgia Southern -- ASU's first Sun Belt Conference opening loss since 2012.
The "little things," as Faulker called the nuances, have a tendency to become big things if not isolated when the Red Wolves have time to find and correct them.
"Over the course of five weeks now, some of those little things have piled up now to where maybe it's now problem," Faulker said. "When you have the extra time, you're able to go back and do that."
Two extra days of game prep for the Mountaineers, the nation's third-highest scoring team in the FBS with 51.8 points per game and who was voted by league's coaches to meet Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Championship Game this December, has provided Arkansas State with luxuries a normal game week does not allow.
"We're able to get two extra days of prep to really try to focus on some things that will help some of these guys that have just not played very much," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "And also we've got some guys that are beat up -- so those were the two biggest focuses."
Arkansas State does not have a true open week this season. Tuesday's game precedes a Thursday game on Oct. 18 against Georgia State, giving ASU consecutive game weeks with extra days.
"It allows a couple guys to freshen up," Faulker said. "We're banged up at wideout. We're a little banged up up front. That's going to help having the extra couple of days."
These additional days are for injuries and instruction.
Many positions groups, like ASU's wide receivers and defensive backs, feature injuries and need time to heal. Other groups, like the offensive line and linebackers, have acquired multiple additional teaching days to better prep many first-year starters.
"We've made it really clear, there's a lot of ball ahead," Anderson said. "And a great season is still available in front of us. We've just got to avoid the critical mistakes, grow some kids up and keep working at it one day at a time to see how good of a football team we can be."
Sports on 10/05/2018