ASU coaches: QB Hansen impressed, but room to improve

Arkansas State Red Wolves head coach Blake Anderson during Media Day on December 17, 2015.
Arkansas State Red Wolves head coach Blake Anderson during Media Day on December 17, 2015.

The Justice Hansen-led touchdown drive in the fourth quarter Wednesday night set off a celebration as Arkansas State earned its first victory of the season, 27-26 over Georgia Southern.

Five days later, ASU is trying to turn its attention to South Alabama, which visits Centennial Bank Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday. But Hansen’s progression following his second start was still fresh on the minds of coaches.

Hansen was named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week Monday after completing 16 of 27 passes for 182 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the victory. The second touchdown came on a fade pass to Omar Bayless with nine seconds left that gave ASU (1-4, 1-0 Sun Belt) its first victory.

It was impressive to Coach Blake Anderson and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who both said Hansen isn’t yet a finished product but were impressed with how he closed Wednesday’s game.

“You take the good with the bad and we’ll try to coach him through the mistakes,” Anderson said. “But also you like the fact that he’s calm and he doesn’t get rattled and he’s willing to go back to something and overcome a problem that he had earlier in the game.”

Andersons’ biggest complaint Monday about Saturday's game was Hansen's fourth-quarter interception, which sailed over the head of receiver Kendall Sanders while ASU trailed 26-17 with 11:46 left.

“The first thing he says after the game is ‘Coach, I’m getting all these text messages after the game, about how great I played but really I didn’t play that great,’” Faulkner said. “He’s hard on himself. And to me, he did what it took to win the game.”

Hansen added 61 yards rushing, 39 of which came in the fourth quarter.

“He’s starting to recognize when he needs to run,” Anderson said. “It definitely puts a defensive coordinator in a position where he’s got to make some choices.”

Other notes from Monday’s news conference:

  • Receiver Chris Murray will not play Saturday while recovering from a collarbone injury, Anderson said. Murray, who was hurt on the first play Wednesday, has caught 7 passes for 157 yards this season and should return for an Oct. 29 game against Louisiana-Monroe.
  • Receiver Christian Booker practiced Sunday and is expected to play Saturday, Anderson said. Booker has not played since a Sept. 10 loss at Auburn, when he caught a 68-yard pass that set up a touchdown, after injuring his foot during practice.
  • Defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen said freshman Trent Ellis-Brewer played so well on Wednesday that the starter at nickel back for Saturday will be decided this week in practice. Brewer had seven total tackles and two tackles for loss in the victory. He started in place of sophomore Justin Clifton, who missed the first half because of a targeting penalty during a Sept. 24 loss to Central Arkansas.
  • Anderson said running back Jamal Jones will not be suspended following a Monday morning arrest. Jones, a redshirt freshman who has yet to record a carry, was booked into the Craighead County Jail at 12:41 a.m. on a driving on a suspended license charge, according to an online jail log. “He’ll still be available, he’ll just be really tired and really sore,” Anderson said.

Upcoming Events