Anderson: Knighten remains Red Wolves' top QB

JONESBORO -- Fredi Knighten is expected to regain control Arkansas State's offense this week, and James Tabary has proven to be a capable fill-in if needed again in the future.

That's how Arkansas State Coach Blake Anderson described his quarterback situation Monday, two days after Tabary filled in with few hiccups for an injured Knighten and led ASU to a 70-7 victory over Missouri State.

Knighten, who missed Saturday's game with a pulled groin muscle, had a positive review by team doctors Sunday. While Anderson said Knighten's reps will be limited in practice this week, he is expected to play in Saturday's 6 p.m. game at Toledo, which has beaten Arkansas and Iowa State in consecutive weeks.

"We expect him to play and expect him to play well," Anderson said of the senior from Little Rock. "He's doing better than he's expected. So we'll expect him to be ready to roll."

Knighten pulled the muscle early in the third quarter of a loss to Missouri at home on Sept. 12. After coaches originally feared the groin was torn, he was diagnosed last week with a pull.

Knighten, who had started all 15 games Anderson had coached at ASU before last week, sat out practices and watched from the sideline as Tabary completed 21 of 24 passes for 255 yards and threw touchdowns to three receivers Saturday.

FCS Missouri State had a different caliber than the defenses Knighten played against -- nationally-ranked Southern California and Missouri -- but Anderson was still complimentary of Tabary's first start. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell even said Monday that Tabary made only three noticeable mistakes in 60 plays, one that involved footwork and another that came on a play in which a pass was still completed.

But that doesn't mean Anderson and Bell have any interest in playing two quarterbacks. Anderson said after Saturday's victory that coaches had not considered alternating the two players if Knighten is healthy, and both reiterated their stance Monday.

"[Tabary] did a great job against an opponent we were better than," Anderson said. "If we have to use him at some point in the future, we will. But there is really no conversation about playing both."

Bell said he's always felt that way, citing the responsibility of the position.

"I think there's a lot more to that position," Bell said. "Mentally, we expect more out of them. Physically, we expect more out of them, and from a leadership position. You can't do that to those guys. To me, it's either he's the quarterback or the other guy's the quarterback. There is no either/or.

"We've got a guy, and he's the guy until it's time not to be the guy. That's the way we like it and that's the way we're going to do it."

The two coaches were so adamant about re-establishing Knighten, last year's Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, as the starter that they didn't even consider delaying the announcement in an effort to create further concern for Toledo's coaches.

"Practice is open every day. You guys see everything that we do. There really ain't a lot of secrets," Bell said. "They saw [Tabary] play, too, and they know he's a good football player. They know [Knighten] is a good football player. Knowing that they've got coaches, too, I would imagine they're going to prepare for both either way."

Not that Toledo Coach Matt Campbell doesn't already know the Red Wolves. Toledo beat ASU 63-44 nine months ago in the GoDaddy Bowl at Mobile, Ala. The Rockets gained gained 541 yards in that game, and running back Kareem Hunt rushed for 271 yards and five touchdowns.

Hunt, who was suspended the first two games of the season, may not play Saturday because of a hamstring injury, Campbell told local reporters Monday. But Anderson said he is still concerned.

After beating Arkansas 16-12 on Sept. 12 in Little Rock, Toledo beat Iowa State 30-23 in double overtime last Saturday.. It's the first time the Rockets have won two games against major conference teams in the same season, and they're now receiving votes in both major polls.

"It's a great barometer to where we're at at this point," Anderson said. "They're a quality opponent and they've got a lot of confidence. It's a great gauge of what we can be. It's a huge challenge."

Sports on 09/22/2015