Arkansas State is still the front-runner for the Sun Belt Conference outright title, but that’s just the beginning of what the Red Wolves are chasing.
Victories in ASU’s final two games would mean an unbeaten Sun Belt record, a chance for 10 victories for only the third time since moving to the FBS, and an outside chance of cracking the Top 25 as the Red Wolves (7-3, 6-0) visit New Mexico State (3-7, 3-3) at 3 p.m. today.
Today’s game
ARKANSAS STATE AT NEW MEXICO STATE
WHEN 3 p.m. Central
WHERE Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, N.M.
RECORDS Arkansas State 7-3, 6-0 Sun Belt; New Mexico State 3-7, 3-3
COACHES Blake Anderson (14-9 in second season at ASU and overall); Doug Martin (7-27 in third season at New Mexico State, 36-80 in 10th season overall)
BETTING LINE ASU by 17
RADIO KASR-FM, 92.7, in Little Rock/ Conway; KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro
TV ESPN College Extra
INTERNET ESPN3.com
“We’re just trying to be the best we can,” senior defensive end Chris Stone said. “Trying to finish the season strong.”
Doing so could lead to a season-ending destination long desired by its fans — the Superdome in New Orleans.
ASU (7-3, 6-0) became bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season three weeks ago, meaning it can be taken by any of the four bowls affiliated with the Sun Belt. Players say the bowl destination doesn’t matter, but most acknowledge that fans would prefer to go to the New Orleans Bowl, which gets first pick among Sun Belt teams but passed over ASU in 2011, 2012 and 2013 despite the fact that the Red Wolves won at least a share of the conference title each of those years.
ASU seems to have every edge this season to finally break a four-year run of Louisiana-Lafayette playing in New Orleans and ASU being sent to the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
If ASU wins its final two games it will capture the outright Sun Belt title and become the seventh team since the league was formed in 2001 to go through the conference unbeaten. It also has victory over the Ragin’ Cajuns, who need to win their final two games just to get bowl eligible.
So does that mean ASU is playing its final two weeks trying to punch its ticket to New Orleans?
Not quite, and coaches certainly aren’t using that as motivation.
“We want to win because of what it does for us,” Coach Blake Anderson said. “We want to make sure that not only we secured [a championship], but we want to win it ourselves. We don’t want to share it.”
Anderson has learned in his short time at ASUthat fans would prefer a trip to New Orleans. Billy Ferrante, executive director of the New Orleans Bowl, said he knows that, too, thanks to the phone and social media messages he received from upset ASU fans when the Red Wolves were passed over previously.
“Hey, it means they care and they want to come here,” Ferrante said.
Ferrante didn’t lean too far in one direction when asked this week which way his bowl is leaning. He said the bowl is considering all three Sun Belt teams that are currently eligible — Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are the others — and will consider any league team that becomes eligible.
He said the bowl, which pits a Sun Belt team against one from Conference USA, considers overall record, position in the conference standings and proximity. Ferrante added that it was “hard to say” if his bowl would have a tough time considering a 6-6 Ragin’ Cajuns team, but that “it might be” tough to pass up a Red Wolves team that finished unbeaten in the conference.
“We have our eye on everybody, but [ASU] is one that has had a very consistent, successful program,” Ferrante said. “Those are the things that we look for as well when we try to make our decision. … We like the prospect of their being in our game shortly.”
ASU still has to do its part, starting today against a New Mexico State team that has won three consecutive games and has the league’s leading rusher in Larry Rose III. ASU also enters on a roll, having won six consecutive games while averaging 47.0 points against Sun Belt teams.
“We believe in each other and we believe in what we’re doing and the system, and it’s all working out,” receiver Tres Houston said.
That’s the type of thinking Anderson prefers from his team rather than looking toward its bowl destination. He’ll let the fans worry about that.
“I think they just kind of identify that one with whoever wins the league, and obviously it’s an easy trip,” Anderson said of the New Orleans Bowl. “Man, we want to play somewhere and represent the league. I guess when the phone call comes, we’ll know whether we got invited or not.”