ASU's depth could rest on rest

JONESBORO -- Michael Gordon showed up to a team meeting Wednesday morning and immediately noticed a difference from two days earlier.

"Everybody was loud and laughing and bouncing around," Arkansas State's senior running back said. "Coach [Blake] Anderson was like, 'This is the atmosphere we need all the time.' "

The first installment of a new fall practice feature produced the desired result. After taking a day off from practice Tuesday, Anderson said he liked his team's energy during a two-hour workout Wednesday at Centennial Bank Stadium.

Anderson came up with the idea after he noticed players dragging during their fourth practice in as many days.

"We moved forward like I thought, so that's really all I can ask," he said.

Tuesday wasn't exactly a day off for players. Anderson is calling it a "recovery day," inspired in part by a rash of injuries last season that crippled the Red Wolves over the final weeks of the regular season.

Instead of holding early morning meetings before a 9 a.m. practice, like they did Wednesday, ASU players were able to sleep in Tuesday. They had a team meal at 10 a.m., and after a bit more down time went through light workouts with strength and conditioning coach Matt Shadeed, some jogging and even yoga before more meetings.

Short term, the point is to keep players fresh for each practice. Long term, Anderson hopes it keeps players ready for the grind of a 12-week season so the Red Wolves can avoid a late-season breakdown like last year. At least 10 players who were expected to be significant contributors missed at least two games because of injury, and seven of those players suffered season-ending ailments.

Anderson hasn't blamed those injuries solely on the team's practice habits last fall, but he doesn't think an adjustment to the routine can hurt. And considering Anderson isn't willing to sacrifice what happens during practice, a recovery day is essential.

"We're trying to manage their bodies better," Anderson said. "When we're on the field we want really high intensity, so we're not pulling back on any of that. We're not going to pull back in practice. It's how we're managing their bodies outside of that, trying to be a little bit different, a little proactive."

For the second consecutive year, ASU doesn't have any two-a-days scheduled. Once an August staple, Anderson is among several coaches who don't consider them necessary after such organized summers.

Players are just fine with the new plan.

"Two-a-days in this offense, I don't think we'd make it," Gordon said.

Quarterback Fredi Knighten said he noticed an extra jump in running backs, receivers and defensive backs during Wednesday's team drills. Senior cornerback Rocky Hayes felt it, too.

"It just keeps our muscles in tune and we don't overexert ourselves," Hayes said. "We're not very deep in some places, so it's about coming out and keeping people healthy."

ASU's injuries, especially along both lines, were part of the reason for a poor finish last season. The Red Wolves lost three players to season-ending injuries during a Nov. 20 loss at Texas State, then finished the season with a 63-44 loss to Toledo int he GoDaddy bowl.

"It's tough to play against teams of that caliber without your best guys," Knighten said. "I can definitely tell that Coach is trying to get us to where we avoid a lot of those injuries."

By building in a few off days in August, Anderson hopes he'll have a full roster into December.

"You don't have to tear their bodies down," he said. "That way you can get more mental work and more specific conversations about what's going on, rather than just going out there and running another practice."

Sports on 08/13/2015