2010 Arkansas State Red Wolves Football Preview

2009 Results: 4-8, No Bowl

Head Coach: Steve Roberts (9th year @ Arkansas St., 41-55 @ ASU, 81-69 Overall)

Home Venue: ASU Stadium (30,406), Jonesboro, Arkansas

2009 was a season of disappointment in Jonesboro as the Red Wolves, one of the preseason favorites to win the conference, fell to a 4-8 finish that was lowlighted by a middling 3-5 conference record. Part of the discontent stems from the fact that Arkansas State has put together multiple six win seasons in the last five years but has only managed to snare one bowl berth over that time period. Can longtime coach Steve Roberts get the Red Wolves back to their first bowl since the 2005 campaign?

OFFENSE

Perhaps no team lost more offensive production from the 2009 season than the Red Wolves, whose only returning starter at the skill positions is sophomore blocking tight end Kendrick Murry. While this might seem to be a major sign of concern, Arkansas State was very disappointing last season offensively so a change might actually turn out to be really good. The biggest concern is that either sophomore Ryan Aplin or redshirt freshman Phillip Butterfield will be running the offense this season, so there will be growing pains with a young new starter.

Whoever earns the starting role has one major thing going for them: The veteran Arkansas State offensive line. After an injury-plagued 2009 campaign, nine players return that started a game last season and as many as four seniors could be on the front line. With so much experience, the young starting quarterback should definitely have more time to make decisions. The other benefit of a veteran line is that it gives the Red Wolves the possibility of a decent rushing attack despite the lack of a dynamic runner.

So how will their offense perform in 2010? Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict considering the complete overhaul at the skill positions. However, I’m cautiously optimistic that the Red Wolves will exceed last season’s production, owing largely to a very good line and (hopefully) a healthier campaign across the board. However, don’t expect Arkansas State to light up many scoreboards this fall.

DEFENSE

Despite falling short of the postseason in the last two years, ASU has managed to field a pretty stingy defense, finishing 1st in the conference in scoring in 2009 and 2nd in 2008. The reason for their solid performance rests largely with their run defense, which held opponents under 125 yards per game in each season. However, the D-Line that anchored those units has largely departed and replacing so much lost production is a major concern.

The good news is that the Red Wolves return their top four tacklers from 2009, led by junior middle linebacker DeMario Davis, who rang up 80 stops last year. He’s the centerpiece of a very athletic unit that will benefit from senior Darius Glover’s return to health this fall. The secondary is a mixed bag as both starting safeties return, led by junior Kelcie McCray, who was a big help in run support while leading the team with 4 picks. However, both starting cornerback positions need filled so he may be kept back more this season to protect against the deep ball.

After establishing themselves as one of the league’s top defensive teams in the past two seasons, the Red Wolves should continue to be a solid performer. However, they have to be concerned about the new D-Line and lack of experience at cornerback. With so many new faces up front, it is likely that their excellent linebackers will have to shed more blocks to make tackles and that seems to indicate a step back against the run. While ASU should still be solid defensively, they will probably fall back from the conference’s best in 2010.

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SCHEDULE

Like much of the Sun Belt, the schedule is fairly intimidating. Five of their first seven games take place on the road and ASU will only play five home games. The non-conference portion is difficult, featuring trips to Indiana, Auburn and Navy while welcoming Louisville to Jonesboro. There is opportunity to upset one of those teams as Louisville and Indiana were among the worst BCS conference teams in 2009 but it may be too much to ask of Arkansas State this fall.

OUTLOOK

The Red Wolves have a lot of work to do this season on both sides of the football. While they have one of the best Offensive Lines in the Sun Belt and a good crop of linebackers, they have the least experienced set of skill positions in the league and a major question mark on the D-Line. With a fairly tough schedule, it seems unlikely that Arkansas State will earn bowl eligibility this season.

PREDICTED RESULT: 3-9 (3-5 Sun Belt)