ASU's optimism steadily growing

JONESBORO -- Nearly half of the coaching staff is different, as are most of the key pieces on offense. The first few weeks of the season were quite a bit more puzzling than they were a year ago, too.

Yet, a last-minute victory 10 days ago has given Arkansas State a degree of cautious optimism heading into today's homecoming game against South Alabama, which it will enter thinking a run through the conference season similar to last year's belongs on a list of possibilities.

"We know the feeling. We know we can do it," running back Johnston White said, reflecting on an eight-week sprint through last year's Sun Belt Conference schedule. "But it's not going to be easy."

The Red Wolves completed the perfect run a year ago, but that thought wasn't being considered much two weeks ago, after they had four losses to start the season.

Then came a 27-26 victory over Georgia Southern, which is 16-3 since joining the Sun Belt in 2014, to give ASU a 1-0 conference start and a renewed outlook on a season that started so poorly.

The feeling, White said, is reminiscent to what the team felt last year, when it started 1-3 before rattling off eight consecutive victories to win the Sun Belt title and reach the New Orleans Bowl. The Red Wolves (1-4, 1-0), warts and all, have still won 10 consecutive games against Sun Belt teams and they've won all four meetings against the Jaguars (3-2, 0-2), who entered the league in 2012.

To reach December without another loss, ASU will have to beat South Alabama at 6 p.m. today, then win four of its final six games away from home. It'll have to win games in Jonesboro, Atlanta, Lafayette, La., Troy, Ala. and San Marcos, Texas. Last year's team did it, Coach Blake Anderson said, thanks to a simple approach.

"We didn't get ahead of ourselves," he said. "We truly just went to work. That's really no different than the approach we're taking now."

Anderson's hope is that the philosophy unveils what they found out last season, when he insisted that "matchups" would improve once the Sun Belt season began. By that, Anderson meant that he likes his team's overall talent as much as any other team in the league. In some of the nonconference games, coaches were "scratching your head to find an advantage," he said.

Not any more, he hopes.

"We look like the people we play in conference play," he said. "They look like us and if guys do their job and we play with great effort and we're physical, then I think it does give you a chance to be successful."

Any list of improvements starts with turnovers -- ASU has committed 12 over the last three games -- but the Red Wolves were able to make up for those last week thanks to a defense that turned away extra Georgia Southern chances and a revitalized running game.

Warren Wand had 140 yards in that game, while White added 126, a season-high after gaining 23 yards in the first four games while dealing with a hamstring injury. White said this week that attacking the perimeter was part of last week's specific game plan, but added that "we can do it every game."

"We just had to get back to where it all started," he said. "In the trenches and taking over."

Quarterback Justice Hansen provided a boost in the run game, too, gaining 61 yards, mostly on scrambles.

"It's there," said Hansen, of his confidence to run. "It really just depends on how they're playing us. ... Whatever is there I'm comfortable with."

ASU will be attacking an improved South Alabama defense today. The Jaguars are allowing 10 less points and 40 fewer yards per game than they did last year. Coach Joey Jones said he wanted to "simplify" South Alabama's defense under new coordinator Kane Wommack, the son of former ASU and Arkansas defensive coordinator, Dave Wommack, now at Ole Miss.

"When you do that, you let guys play harder," Jones said.

The Jaguars are still vulnerable against the run. They beat Mississippi State and then-No. 19 San Diego State, but losses to Georgia Southern and Louisiana-Lafayette came when they gave up 304 and 256 on the ground, respectively, and they're giving up 223.8 rushing yards per game, 109th nationally.

It could lead to another ASU plan that starts on the ground and, if successful, another step taken that reminds Anderson of a year ago.

"We kept this in a one-week type scenario all year long and we'll look up at the end and see how it turns out," he said. "It's a different team, so it's a different challenge, but I do think we can learn from a year ago what can help us down the stretch."

Sports on 10/15/2016