Arkansas State

Red Wolves get up to speed

Arkansas State defensive end Chris Stone
Arkansas State defensive end Chris Stone

JONESBORO -- Arkansas State's plan was simple heading into Saturday's final scrimmage of fall practice with only two weeks remaining before the season opener.

With a two-deep depth chart largely set, Coach Blake Anderson wanted to insert into his offense the final, and perhaps most important, ingredient: A fast-paced tempo.

Quarterback Fredi Knighten operated the No. 1 offense about as fast as it's gone since fall camp opened during a 101-play scrimmage Saturday morning at Centennial Bank Stadium. Even though Anderson wasn't sure if the pace was as fast as he'd like it to be, most seem prepared to begin scaling back as the Aug. 30 season opener against Montana State draws nearer.

"This whole week we've been going on team tempo," said Knighten, who directed the No. 1 offense on three scoring drives. "We're just trying to go as fast as we can but make sure that we get our plays right. The guys came out, we were focused, we were moving as fast as we could, and it turns out it was actually smooth drives."

Knighten and junior Stephen Hogan, who has solidified himself as the No. 2 quarterback, combined to complete the first seven passes the offense attempted. Knighten completed 14 of 22 passes for 169 yards and 1 touchdown, which came on a 50-yard pass to running back Brandon Byner.

Hogan completed 6 of 10 passes for 50 yards, and freshman Johnston White was the leading rusher with 13 carries for 74 yards and 1 touchdown.

Anderson wasn't prepared to completely praise the tempo after the scrimmage, but he said he thought the intent was there. That was good enough Saturday, considering Anderson admitted that he thought the effort level a week ago was only average.

"We really challenged them to have better effort," he said."From the looks of it, I think we did a good job."

Anderson ditched yard markers at one point Saturday and allowed the offense to operate without thinking about down and distance. The purpose was to see just how fast it could go while, at the same time, allowing the defense to attempt substitutions in such situations.

"We're going fast," said receiver Tres Houston, who caught two passes for 35 yards, including a 25-yarder in which he jumped over the back of cornerback Andrew Tryon. "We're more in shape this last week because we continued to work on it."

With Knighten and Hogan seemingly set as the top quarterbacks, ASU's offensive starters are largely set. Other than running back Michael Gordon, who started Saturday after missing last week's scrimmage because a foot injury, the offensive starters were the same as in the first scrimmage.

More questions linger on defense.

End Chris Stone intercepted a screen pass by Knighten and returned it for a touchdown and was credited with three sacks, but defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen said his starters are a long from settled. Stone started Saturday after working with the No. 2 defense last week, as did defensive end Jonah Hill. Cauthen started Andrew Tryon over Rocky Hayes at cornerback.

Despite returning 11 players with starting experience, Cauthen said only safety Sterling Young and linebacker Qushaun Lee, both All-Sun Belt Conference picks, are penciled in as starters.

"We're still young in a lot of areas," Cauthen said. "That's something that we need to get solved here over the next 10 days."

Enough has been accomplished for Anderson to stick to the schedule he set before camp began July 30. Players will be off today with classes beginning Monday. The Red Wolves will get to work Tuesday on the game plan for Montana State.

"From this point on, it'll be getting ready for the first game," Anderson said. "We pushed them to a point where their bodies have given up. They should have. That's what we wanted. Now it's time to reel them back in."

Sports on 08/17/2014

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