Nothing gets easier for Arkansas State

JONESBORO -- Arkansas State won't have to go on the road to play a team from a Power Five conference the rest of the season. But that doesn't mean Red Wolves Coach Blake Anderson thinks the schedule has gotten any easier -- even if the team it plays Saturday won't be bringing with it a quarterback it touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Two days after a 41-20 loss at Miami, Anderson and the Red Wolves turned their attention Monday to a Utah State, which returns 14 starters from last year's 9-5 team that defeated Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Up next

Arkansas State vs. Utah State

WHEN 6 p.m. Saturday

WHERE Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro

RECORDS Arkansas State 1-2, Utah State 2-1

COACHES Arkansas State: Blake Anderson (1-2 in first season at ASU and overall); Utah State: Matt Wells (11-6 in second season at Utah State and overall)

SERIES Utah State leads 3-2

TV None

INTERNET astateredwolves.com…

RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro; KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Bryant/Little Rock

Unlike Tennessee and Miami, which ASU lost to while facing physical mismatches at most spots, Anderson said the Aggies are "going to look a lot more like us in a lot of ways."

While maybe not as tough of a test as the past two weeks -- ASU lost to Tennessee 34-19 and to Miami 41-20 -- Saturday's 6 p.m. game at Centennial Bank Stadium might be the best in terms of a gauge heading into the Sun Belt Conference portion of the Red Wolves' schedule.

"It's a great test for us. It will tell us who we are," Anderson said. "If we have the same mistakes this week [as the previous two], then the outcome won't be a whole lot different. We cannot continue to make mistakes."

Anderson made those comments during his weekly news conference at the ASU Football Facility when he did not know the status of Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton, a senior who left Saturday's victory over Wake Forest with an injured left knee.

About 30 minutes after Anderson addressed reporters with a plan to prepare for Keeton and backup Darrell Garretson, Utah State Coach Matt Wells told reporters in Logan, Utah, that Keeton won't play Saturday. Wells said Keeton had an MRI on Sunday, and although he didn't specifically identify the injury, said the senior is "banged up."

Keeton has amassed 7,621 yards of offense and 75 touchdowns in his career. The school also launched a website to tout his accomplishments and sent 1,500 "Chuckie4Heisman" notebooks to media members to promote him for postseason awards.

This season, he had completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 426 yards with 2 touchdown and 4 interceptions, and rushed for 81 yards and 1 touchdown before Saturday's injury.

Anderson complimented Garretson, who was 6-1 as a starter last season after Keeton suffered an injury to the same knee that was injured Saturday. Garretson completed 11 of 16 passes for 121 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception Saturday in a 36-24 victory over Wake Forest.

"The track record is good," Anderson said. "I would not call him a typical backup. He has been productive and won games. He just doesn't tend to want to move quite as much as Chuckie does."

Regardless of the opposing quarterback, Anderson said his team needs to avoid "self-inflicted wounds" that cost them in losses the past two weeks. In Saturday's loss at Miami, the issues were in a defensive secondary that allowed 342 passing yards and on special teams.

Senior kicker Luke Ferguson, who is also handling punting and kickoff duties, missed two field goals and an extra point. He also missed an extra point in the loss at Tennessee. Anderson said he wasn't sure if Ferguson's issues were technical or mental, but indicated that he'll continue to handle all three kicking duties.

"He's our guy," Anderson said. "He's who we're going to work with and he's going to help us get through it."

ASU held J.D. McKissic out of return duties last week after he dislocated his shoulder on a punt he fumbled against Tennessee. In his place against Miami, freshman Daryl Rollins-Davis returned five kickoffs for 126 yards, including a long of 37 yards, and freshman Blaise Taylor was back to receive punts, but did not record any yards.

Anderson said he's not yet sure if McKissic, who averaged 30.0 yards per kick return to rank fourth in the FBS last year, will be able to return kicks Saturday.

"We're going to see J.D. back there some time," Anderson said. "We'll eventually get him back in the fold and talk a little bit more about whether or not that's this week or we wait until after the open week."

Sports on 09/16/2014

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