JONESBORO -- Arkansas State will head into another unfamiliar environment to take on a team from a Power 5 conference that possesses a rather significant size advantage Saturday.
That much is certain as ASU (1-1) begins preparations for a 2:30 p.m. game against Miami (1-1) at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Up next
Arkansas State at Miami
WHEN 2:30 p.m. Saturday Central
WHERE Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
RECORDS Arkansas State 1-1, Miami 1-1
COACHES Arkansas State: Blake Anderson (1-1 in first season at ASU and overall); Miami: Al Golden (23-16 in fourth season at Miami, 50-50 in ninth season overall)
TV ESPNU
INTERNET astateredwolves.com
RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro; KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Bryant/Little Rock
What isn't known -- and might not be until Saturday -- is who will be available for a beat-up Red Wolves team trying to bounce back from last week's 34-19 loss at Tennessee.
For a second week in a row, ASU Coach Blake Anderson spent a good portion of his weekly news conference Monday revealing a lengthy injury report. The list of ailments includes three starters and three contributors on a team already lacking in depth.
"If you can get Miami to move that game back a couple of weeks, we'd be all for it," Anderson said jokingly.
Starting safety Chris Humes will need surgery after suffering a torn bicep Saturday and will "be gone for a while," Anderson said. Reserve defensive end Jonah Hill likely tore his anterior cruciate ligament Saturday and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Reserve offensive lineman Daniel Keith suffered an ankle injury and is expected to miss at least Saturday's game.
"Everybody else is day-to-day," Anderson said.
That list is made up of some of ASU's most important cogs.
Running back Michael Gordon and middle linebacker Qushaun Lee both reaggravated rib injuries in Saturday's loss. Gordon missed the final 2 1/2 quarters after rushing for 17 yards on seven carries, and Lee was twice helped off the field because of his injury. Wide receiver J.D. McKissic injured a shoulder when he fumbled a punt in the third quarter.
Anderson said Gordon, who has 14 carries for 85 yards this season, "did what he could" during Sunday's light practice, and added the 5-9 junior's status might not be decided until Saturday morning.
"If we played today, he wouldn't be ready, but we don't play until Saturday," Anderson said. "It could be a deal where he has to sit down a game. It's just going to be day-to-day."
ASU struggled to muster much of a running game without Gordon. Quarterback Fredi Knighten had 65 yards on 14 carries and DeKeathan Williams scored on a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. But without Gordon and Knighten, ASU rushed for 59 yards on 21 attempts and had 141 total yards.
Offensive coordinator Walt Bell said that if Gordon "tells us he can go, he'll go." But if Gordon can't, Bell will rotate equally between Williams, Johnston White, Terrance Hollingsworth and Brandon Byner. Bell said the game plan this week will take into consideration the inexperience of those players.
"No. 1 is making sure that we give those guys a plan that they can execute and that's on us," Bell said. "Trying to find out who can execute the best at the highest rate of tempo. ... After that, who has the hot hand and we'll let them roll."
McKissic spoke to reporters after Saturday's loss with an ice pack attached to his left shoulder, an injury that occurred when he tried to sprint to catch a falling punt in the third quarter while trailing 24-12. McKissic fumbled the punt, Tennessee recovered and scored on the ensuing drive.
McKissic didn't return a punt or a kick the rest of the game, but Anderson said Monday it was because of the shoulder and not the fumble. McKissic, a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference pick, might play but not return punts or kicks Saturday. Anderson said he's not even sure how much McKissic will be able to practice this week.
"It may keep him out of return duties again this week," Anderson said. "We truly won't know."
Defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen expects Lee, the preseason Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year, to practice, but isn't sure beyond that. Lee's status is a concern because of how important he is to ASU's defense and because Miami features a stout running game led by Duke Johnson, who rushed for 920 yards in eight games last year and has rushed for 187 yards in two games this season.
"That's the quarterback of our defense," Cauthen said of Lee. "It's kind of been shuffling cards, but we've got to do a better job of getting our twos ready to play in case something like that happens."
Sports on 09/09/2014