Cure Bowl report

ASU's one man down, but he's big

Defensive lineman Waylon Roberson won’t play for Arkansas State in Saturday’s Cure Bowl because of knee and ankle injuries suffered against Texas State. The injuries will require medical attention when the team returns from the bowl game.
Defensive lineman Waylon Roberson won’t play for Arkansas State in Saturday’s Cure Bowl because of knee and ankle injuries suffered against Texas State. The injuries will require medical attention when the team returns from the bowl game.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jake Swalley admits Saturday is going to be weird.

The senior defensive tackle will play his final game for Arkansas State in the AutoNation Cure Bowl against Central Florida, but for the first time Waylon Roberson won't be at his side.

Roberson, 6-2, 341 pounds, won't play in Saturday's 4:30 p.m. game at Camping World Stadium after injuring his knee and ankle in the Dec. 3 victory over Texas State.

"I know Waylon Roberson was honorable mention [all-Sun Belt], but if you ask me, he was the best player on the field at all times," Swalley said. "So, losing him is going to be big. But, strength in numbers, that's what we've been saying all year with our D-line."

Coach Blake Anderson said Roberson's injury, suffered after being caught under a pile at Texas State, is "worse than we wanted it to be" and will require a medical procedure when the team returns from the bowl game.

Roberson traveled with the team for Saturday's game, but he watched practices held Wednesday and Thursday.

Sophomore Donovan Ransom and junior Dee Liner are the most likely Red Wolves to fill his spot.

Anderson said defensive end Chase Robison, who suffered a seizure on the sideline of the Texas State victory, and center Devin Mondie, who had a shoulder injury, are both expected to play.

Roberson might be ASU's only absent starter Saturday, but it's a significant loss.

"It's disappointing that I won't be able to play my last game with him, because it's our last game together," Swalley said. "But it's just like any other game, just have to go in and do our job."

Bowl structure

Arkansas State coaches, players and administrators have raved about their stay at Universal Resort this week.

If the process by which Sun Belt teams were selected to bowls was different, they might not have gotten the trip.

Currently, the New Orleans Bowl gets first pick of Sun Belt teams and does not have to take the champion. The GoDaddy Bowl gets second pick, followed by the Camellia Bowl, the Cure Bowl and the Arizona Bowl.

ASU and Appalachian State tied for the Sun Belt title this season and were sent to the Cure and Camellia bowls, respectively. Louisiana-Lafayette, which finished 6-6 overall and 5-3 in the Sun Belt, is in the New Orleans Bowl for the fifth time in six seasons.

ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir said he wouldn't rule out a change in how Sun Belt teams are selected to bowls some day, but he said he wouldn't support a system based on only in-season results.

"The bowls have some control because they spend money, too," Mohajir said. "They have a huge investment, and for them to just completely turn it over to the conference, I don't know if that's completely fair, either."

Facilities progress

Traction has begun on ASU's latest facilities project -- an operations center and more suites constructed on the north end of Centennial Bank Stadium -- but no timetable has been set for a groundbreaking, Athletic Director Terry Mohajir said.

The project, which originally was announced in 2012 when Gus Malzahn was still the coach, does not have a set price tag, either, he said.

Mohajir said ASU is in a "pre-construction" phase while raising money and trying to firm up a date for groundbreaking. He said interviews for a construction manager will be conducted next month, and although he didn't dismiss the possibility of it being ready for next year's home opener against Miami on Sept. 9, he said "that's a very tight schedule."

"What we got right now at hand will be a state-of-the-art facility," he said. "It will be second to none. It won't be as big as anybody in the country, but it'll be as nice as anybody in the country. We're excited about it."

Fresh voice

A year ago, Central Florida players were sitting at home after finishing an 0-12 season that led to the retirement of longtime coach George O'Leary. The Knights were one of two teams, Kansas being the other, without a victory.

"We felt like it was a curse," linebacker Shaquem Griffin said. "And we wanted to break it."

O'Leary, who led UCF to 81 victories in 12 seasons, left and Scott Frost was brought in from Oregon, where he was the offensive coordinator. Linebacker Mark Rucker said the vibe changed instantly, setting the team on a path to Saturday's game.

"I think it made us all stronger," Rucker said. "Last year, it wasn't much fun to play. This year, we have a swag about ourselves."

Central Florida didn't beat a team that qualified for a bowl game, but losses to Maryland, Temple and Houston -- all of which are in bowls -- came by a touchdown or less. It wasn't a surprise to Frost.

"We recognized there was enough talent here to be competitive here in every game we played," he said.

Sports on 12/16/2016

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