? The faces outside Arkansas State?s locker room said all that needed to be said.
The empty stares. The blank looks. The eyes filled with disbelief. The reality of a stunning loss at Florida International was just beginning to set in.
ASU quarterback Corey Leonard, almost always ready to offer a word or two no matter what happens in a game, slowly strolled toward the team bus. When he spoke, the energy that?s usually in his voice was nowhere present. It was masked by a dull, flat tone that communicated more than anything he could say.
Offensive coordinator Doug Ruse sat off to the side at the base of the stadium on a cement pillar support. His head between his hands, his brow sweaty, he rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair as if he were trying to wake up from a bad dream.
ASU running back Reggie Arnold, almost always upbeat and positive in his thinking, muttered only a few remarks. Though he spoke softly, his most vocal moment when he called the defeat ?disgusting.?
Even 6-foot-5 defensive end Alex Carrington struggled to come to terms with a game the Red Wolves felt they let get away. Carrington pulled the headset from his ears, taking his time as he made his way out of FIU Stadium.
?Let me put it this way, I hate losing a lot more than I love winning,? Carrington said and walked away.
The words rang true for just about all involved with the Arkansas State football program two weeks ago when Florida International scored on a busted play with just over two minutes to play to stun the Red Wolves. ASU had a chance on its final possession but quarterback Corey Leonard passed into coverage in the middle of the field and was intercepted for just the fifth time all season.
ASU athletic director Dr. Dean Lee paced on the sidewalk underneath the stands. He paused, looked around, and paced some more, as if he were lost with no clue how he got there or how to get home.
?That was tough,? was all Lee could muster.
Yes, it was tough. Yes, it was. It was the kind of tough loss that teams just don?t ever get over.
Arkansas State suffered a season-changing loss two weeks ago when FIU?s T.Y. Hilton completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Junior Mertile late in the fourth quarter. It was the kind of defeat that puts doubt in the minds of the players, the coaches and the fans alike.
Nobody ever wants to feel what Arkansas State felt that Saturday night in Miami.
To make matters worse, it was the second straight conference game the Red Wolves had led in the fourth quarter, only to watch their opponent come charging back in the final few minutes. One defeat like that was difficult to swallow. Two will probably be disastrous.
In between those two games, ASU was thumped at then No. 2-ranked Alabama 35-0. The Red Wolves had last week off when they would rather have played, ASU coach Steve Roberts admitted.
?I think sometimes after something like that it?s best just to get back on the field and start preparing immediately for another game,? Roberts said. ?It?s been a different situation for us this year having three bye weeks.?
It?s been a long wait to get back on the field and remove the bitter taste that resides in the Red Wolves? mouths. Maybe too long.
On the other hand, Florida Atlantic invades ASU Stadium about as confident as it?s been all season.
The Owls have won four straight games, including a 40-29 thumping of Louisiana-Lafayette. FAU led 40-7 with eight minutes to play before the Cajuns scored three times late, including a fumble return for a touchdown, to make the margin appear much closer than it really was.
A victory today and another next Saturday over conference rival Florida International, and the Owls will likely be headed to a bowl game for the second straight year.
Although improbable, Arkansas State isn?t out of the Sun Belt Conference race and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl or another bowl game for that matter. But those hopes die today at the hands of Florida Atlantic.
The talent of each team is pretty comparable, leaving the outcome up to things like momentum and confidence. Arkansas State lost those two weeks ago on a warm night with a gentle breeze down in South Florida.
The empty stares. The blank looks. The eyes filled with disbelief. The reality of a stunning loss at Florida International was just beginning to set in.
ASU quarterback Corey Leonard, almost always ready to offer a word or two no matter what happens in a game, slowly strolled toward the team bus. When he spoke, the energy that?s usually in his voice was nowhere present. It was masked by a dull, flat tone that communicated more than anything he could say.
Offensive coordinator Doug Ruse sat off to the side at the base of the stadium on a cement pillar support. His head between his hands, his brow sweaty, he rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair as if he were trying to wake up from a bad dream.
ASU running back Reggie Arnold, almost always upbeat and positive in his thinking, muttered only a few remarks. Though he spoke softly, his most vocal moment when he called the defeat ?disgusting.?
Even 6-foot-5 defensive end Alex Carrington struggled to come to terms with a game the Red Wolves felt they let get away. Carrington pulled the headset from his ears, taking his time as he made his way out of FIU Stadium.
?Let me put it this way, I hate losing a lot more than I love winning,? Carrington said and walked away.
The words rang true for just about all involved with the Arkansas State football program two weeks ago when Florida International scored on a busted play with just over two minutes to play to stun the Red Wolves. ASU had a chance on its final possession but quarterback Corey Leonard passed into coverage in the middle of the field and was intercepted for just the fifth time all season.
ASU athletic director Dr. Dean Lee paced on the sidewalk underneath the stands. He paused, looked around, and paced some more, as if he were lost with no clue how he got there or how to get home.
?That was tough,? was all Lee could muster.
Yes, it was tough. Yes, it was. It was the kind of tough loss that teams just don?t ever get over.
Arkansas State suffered a season-changing loss two weeks ago when FIU?s T.Y. Hilton completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Junior Mertile late in the fourth quarter. It was the kind of defeat that puts doubt in the minds of the players, the coaches and the fans alike.
Nobody ever wants to feel what Arkansas State felt that Saturday night in Miami.
To make matters worse, it was the second straight conference game the Red Wolves had led in the fourth quarter, only to watch their opponent come charging back in the final few minutes. One defeat like that was difficult to swallow. Two will probably be disastrous.
In between those two games, ASU was thumped at then No. 2-ranked Alabama 35-0. The Red Wolves had last week off when they would rather have played, ASU coach Steve Roberts admitted.
?I think sometimes after something like that it?s best just to get back on the field and start preparing immediately for another game,? Roberts said. ?It?s been a different situation for us this year having three bye weeks.?
It?s been a long wait to get back on the field and remove the bitter taste that resides in the Red Wolves? mouths. Maybe too long.
On the other hand, Florida Atlantic invades ASU Stadium about as confident as it?s been all season.
The Owls have won four straight games, including a 40-29 thumping of Louisiana-Lafayette. FAU led 40-7 with eight minutes to play before the Cajuns scored three times late, including a fumble return for a touchdown, to make the margin appear much closer than it really was.
A victory today and another next Saturday over conference rival Florida International, and the Owls will likely be headed to a bowl game for the second straight year.
Although improbable, Arkansas State isn?t out of the Sun Belt Conference race and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl or another bowl game for that matter. But those hopes die today at the hands of Florida Atlantic.
The talent of each team is pretty comparable, leaving the outcome up to things like momentum and confidence. Arkansas State lost those two weeks ago on a warm night with a gentle breeze down in South Florida.
