JONESBORO — Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin sneaked in extra time poring over film. Linebacker Qushaun Lee received treatment for aches and pains.
Running back David Oku used the extra days afforded by a schedule alternating between playing on Saturdays and midweek TV games for a purpose not unique to the rest of the student body.
“Sleep, man,” Oku said Tuesday.
And if the junior isn’t dozing?
“Probably play video games,” said Oku, the Red Wolves’ leading rusher. “Try to get homework done.”
After facing a short turnaround heading into its victory at Florida International last Thursday, Arkansas State (3-3, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) received the benefit of a nine-day layoff ahead of facing South Alabama (1-4, 0-1) Saturday at Liberty Bank Stadium.
It’s the first of three extended layoffs between games the Red Wolves receive in October, a side benefit to the national exposure of playing three midweek games on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
“I definitely like the long periods better than the short weeks, and we’ve got a little bit of everything from here on out,” ASU Coach Gus Malzahn said Monday. “Football coaches are routine people, but we’ve got to make the best of it and make the best plans.”
Having more than a week to prepare for the Jaguars, who are in their first season playing in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, provided Malzahn the chance to give the Red Wolves off days last Friday and Saturday.
It also allowed ASU assistant coaches to take care of other business. For example, running backs coach Eliah Drinkwitz and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee hit the road for a recruiting visit in Alabama on Friday night.
“As coaches, we can get caught up a little bit more on recruiting and get ahead on some game planning and things like that,” Malzahn said.
As for the players, Aplin said rest, especially halfway through the season, is a precious commodity.
“You get a little antsy,” Aplin said. “You’re not used to the long wait, and it can kind of drag. That part always stinks.”
Aplin said he doesn’t do anything drastic with the extra time. Instead, he tries to get more nuanced in his grasp of an opponent’s blitzes, coverages and personnel.
“Really study guys on a more individual level, what they’re good at [and] things they’re not so good at, find extra holes in defenses,” Aplin said.
After facing South Alabama, the Red Wolves get another nineday break before a critical Oct. 23 road trip to Sun Belt contender Louisiana-Lafayette, an example of where the extra days could prove useful, and they’ll have an 11-day open period before a Nov. 3 game at North Texas.
Taken together, the extra days add up to a week of rest or the equivalent of a bye week. But Oku said he will take it all the same.
“It makes you even fresher in certain ways,” Oku said. “I like bye weeks, but sometimes you can take off for too long and be rusty.”
At a glance ARKANSAS STATE VS.
SOUTH ALABAMA
WHEN 6 p.m. Saturday WHERE Liberty Bank Stadium, Jonesboro RECORDS ASU: 3-3, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference; South Alabama: 2-3, 0-1 COACHES ASU: Gus Malzahn (3-3 in first season at ASU and overall); South Alabama: Joey Jones (25-7 in fourth season at South Alabama and 28-14 overall) SERIES First meeting RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro; KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Bryant/Little Rock INTERNET astateredwolves.com, usajaguars.com
Sports, Pages 23 on 10/10/2012