There's no way around it: Arkansas State University's 34-30 loss to South Alabama on Friday was a gut-wrenching way to close out a regular season.
What was expected to be an eighth victory for the Red Wolves instead turned into one of the worst losses of Coach Blake Anderson's tenure at ASU.
South Alabama, which had entered winless in Sun Belt play, had statistically the worst offense in the league and was a double-digit underdog at home. But you wouldn't have been able to tell the way quarterback Desmond Trotter and wide receiver Jalen Tolbert kept connecting on touchdown passes, their fourth of the night serving as the game-winner with 1:18 remaining.
Arkansas State Athletic Director Terry Mohajir was compelled to tweet out a 194-word statement to fans Saturday.
"The expectations we've all built for Arkansas State football are higher than ever before in the history of our program," Mohajir wrote. "As a result, I understand why there is frustration over the outcome of yesterday's game. Therefore, extreme passion is displayed in many forms. I assure you, there is nobody on this earth who wants to win more than our coaches, players and university leadership."
ASU still will be headed to a bowl game and finish with a winning record for the ninth consecutive season, and the program has plenty of key players returning next season.
The Red Wolves will learn their bowl destination Sunday when selections are officially announced. The consensus among many national outlets is that ASU will land in either the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., or the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Both are slated for Dec. 21. ASU appeared in the Cure Bowl in 2016 and the Camellia Bowl in 2017.
A berth in the Cure Bowl feels logical, considering the added meaning it would hold for ASU after Anderson's wife, Wendy, died Aug. 19 after a long battle with breast cancer. Proceeds from the bowl game go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
"I'm sure that there'd be some emotions that are wrapped around that," Anderson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I love what they're trying to do, and it obviously hits really close to home for me. It's a great bowl, No. 1, and I love the people that run it.
"We had a great experience down there last time, but just me personally, to be a part of trying to help find a cure and save people's lives, it would mean a lot."
It's because of what Anderson and his team went through in August that's made this season one that will be remembered at ASU for a long time.
Just eight days before the season opener, the team was gathered inside Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro to mourn the death of Wendy.
What transpired the rest of the season was full of highs and lows, twists and turns. One of the biggest moments came in Week 3 at then-No. 3 Georgia, when Anderson saw a packed Sanford Stadium in Athens largely decked out in pink in honor of Wendy, a gesture that garnered national headlines. That day, the Red Wolves' 55-0 drubbing seemed insignificant.
Then the injury bug started hitting hard, including the loss of junior quarterback Logan Bonner, who had put up big numbers through four games. He had season-ending surgery on the thumb of his throwing hand Sept. 25. But redshirt freshman Layne Hatcher played solidly for ASU over the final eight games, leading the team on a four-game winning streak prior to Friday, and finishing 5-3 as the starter.
ASU has started 39 different players. Ten players were lost to season-ending injuries, and many more missed multiple games.
"Those are not numbers that you normally see in a winning season," Anderson said. "Most people that are in those kind of situations are winning three, four, five games. There's still a lot to be proud of, and we want to go find a way to win No. 8."
Anderson admitted he expected more this season, and that if he had been given 7-5 before it began, he wouldn't have taken it.
"I'd never be satisfied with that," he said. "I understand it's still a great accomplishment, but I would have told you back then we'll find a way. I would've never taken that back then. I'm too competitive for that."
His defense was a glaring weakness for much of the season, even before the injuries -- including to junior cornerback Jerry Jacobs and junior nose tackle Forrest Merrill -- started to pile up, which led to a midseason scheme change. The Red Wolves finished 127th nationally in total defense and 117th in scoring defense.
The offense, although dynamic and prone to making big plays, struggled at times to run the ball consistently and avoid penalties. It didn't help that two running backs were lost to season-ending injuries.
"It's been a grind. There's no doubt," Anderson said. "You load the injuries on top of all the things that happened off the field, that's [tough] to navigate. Not sure that I did a great job of doing that all the time, but I gave everything I had to it and the kids responded, and again, we're still talking about a 7-5 [team] that's going to a bowl game for a ninth straight year. There's still a lot to be proud of.
"They overcame a lot to get where we're at, and I hope people keep that in perspective."
Sports on 12/04/2019