Arkansas State has best attack MTSU has faced yet

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Running back Reggie Arnold may be Arkansas State's most valuable offensive and defensive player Saturday versus MTSU.

The Sun Belt's leading rusher is ASU's most dependable offensive weapon, but his ball-control will be needed to keep MTSU's explosive offense on the sideline.


"That's our job for this game and my job; control the clock and keep their offense off the field so they can't score and they'll get cold," Arnold said. "I know (MTSU's) offense is explosive, so the better we run the ball, the fewer chances they're going to get for big plays."

Arnold's objective is well-founded.

MTSU touts the Sun Belt's top passing offense, but ASU has averaged a loftier 511 total yards per game. That means MTSU's defensive concerns may be greater than the Red Wolves.

"This is the best offense we've faced," MTSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. "There's no question. And that's the funny thing about playing so-called big name schools (like Maryland and Kentucky) this year when in reality this is the best offensive football team we've played against.

"They have the best quarterback we've played against. I don't think there is any discussion on that. (Arnold) is one of the best running backs we've faced. Because of their experience at those positions, they just know what they're doing."

ASU's most potent poison comes on the ground, where it ranks sixth nationally at nearly 300 rushing yards per game. The attack is three-tiered, at least. Arnold, a 5-foot-9, 220-pound junior tailback, leads the conference at 117 rushing yards per game. When he sat out most of ASU's 83-10 win over FCS-member Texas Southern, backup freshman Derek Lawson raced to 209 yards.

Corey Leonard is also among the league's best running quarterbacks. The ASU trio makes up half of the Sun Belt's top six rushers in terms of average yards per game.

"They're so good, I don't know if you're going to stop the run completely," Diaz said. "But we have to make them earn every yard and certainly no big chunks, no big plays. And the added challenge this week is that their quarterback can scramble, and we've had trouble with that in the past."

ASU padded its rushing totals with a 441-yard outburst against inferior Texas Southern, but its numbers are still legitimate. The Red Wolves rushed for 255 yards in an upset of Texas A&M and 191 yards in a loss to Southern Miss.

"They've run the ball against good teams, and so this is a huge challenge for our defense," MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think this is the best running attack our defense has faced this year."

Added Diaz: "They walked Texas A&M up and down the field. They actually should've scored over 30 points because they left a bunch of points on the field in the red zone."

MTSU knows of Arnold as a bruiser, but he has added speed and some wiggle to his repertoire. That's not the best news for the Blue Raiders.

"Yeah, the past couple of years I've been a physical runner, a bruiser," Arnold said. "But I worked hard in the offseason to become more of a home run threat, and I've had a few big plays. I'm not settling for just getting to the secondary anymore. I want to take it all the way."

 

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Analysis: ASU poised to break through

JONESBORO ? Arkansas State always seems to be in the same situation when it comes to Middle Tennessee State.
The Red Wolves look good enough on paper to hold their own against the Blue Raiders. They appear ready and confident each year that this will be the year things finally change. They say all the right things and do all the right things, but for whatever reason the same old thing eventually happens.
Time after time after time they lose. So many times now, it just leaves observers to scratch their head and wonder.
So just when will Arkansas State turn its series with Middle Tennessee around? The Blue Raiders have won eight of the nine meetings, including five in a row, and they don?t show any signs of letting up.

Here?s a few reasons why this year will be the year:
ASU comes into this evening?s contest with one of the most potent offenses in the nation.
The Red Wolves have the 12th-ranked offense in the country, averaging 510.7 yards a game. It?s hard to stop a team from scoring that moves the football with such ease as ASU moves it.
The Red Wolves have the best rushing duo in the Sun Belt Conference and one of the best attacks across the land.
ASU is rushing for just under 300 yards a game as tailbacks Reggie Arnold and Derek Lawson both have averaged over 100 yards a game. Quarterback Corey Leonard is running for just under 60 yards a game, giving ASU a luxury of choices that most teams, including MTSU, don?t have.
The Red Wolves are scoring at one of their fastest paces ever.
ASU has averaged 41.7 points a game through three games, although 83 came against FCS member Texas Southern. Still, the Red Wolves can back up their scoring with what they?ve done in the red zone, where they?ve been successful on 15 out of 16 trips.
Only once has ASU penetrated an opponent?s 20-yard line and come away empty. And, nine of ASU?s trips inside the red zone have resulted in touchdowns.
Arkansas State has one of the most productive quarterbacks around.
Leonard is second in the Sun Belt in total offense, averaging 273.7 yards a game. He?s completed 57 percent of his passes for 645 yards and seven touchdowns while being intercepted just once. Leonard is the most efficient signal caller in the Sun Belt.

Defensively, ASU has a few things on its side that suggest it will win as well.
First and foremost, the Red Wolves are among the best at creating turnovers. ASU has 10 takeaways this season with only Iowa State ahead nationally with 12.
Linebacker Ben Owens has been in on four turnovers, intercepting two passes, forcing one fumble and recovering another fumble.
Against the pass, Arkansas State is allowing 172 yards a game. Against the run, the Red Wolves are allowing a meager 119 yards a game. Both rank second in the Sun Belt.
Middle Tennessee has a solid quarterback in senior Joe Craddock but the Blue Raiders? offense appears one-dimensional.
Through its first three games, MTSU has relied heavily on passing the football while the ground game has been an afterthought. The Blue Raiders are averaging just 77.7 yards rushing, which places them among the worst 10 running games in the country.

The key for ASU this weekend might just be to play some old-school football and run it right at the Blue Raiders. In the past, Middle Tennessee has hit ASU hard and fast.

The Blue Raiders turned a fumble return early in last year?s game into a touchdown and ASU never recovered in a 24-7 loss. Similar problems happened in the second half of ASU?s 38-10 setback at home the year before, and nothing went right for ASU in a 45-7 thrashing in 2005.

The Red Wolves need to keep the ball on the ground as much as they can. They need to shorten the game by keeping the clock moving. And, they need to frustrate MTSU?s trigger-happy offense by not allowing the Blue Raiders as many opportunities as they?d prefer.

This game should be similar to last week in that it should be close again and it should come down to which team makes the play and which team makes the mistake. This time Arkansas State makes the play.

 

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Homecoming activities today

JONESBORO ? The Arkansas State University community will celebrate homecoming today with the following activities:

5:30 p.m.
? TKE Tailgate, Tailgate City west of Stadium
:drinky:

3 p.m.


? Lettermen?s Club tailgate, Pavilion:drinky:

?Pike Tailgate, Tailgate City west of Stadium:drinky:


3:45 p.m. ? Alumni Cheerleader Reunion tailgate, Tailgate City:drinky: