ARKANSAS STATE 17, SOUTH ALABAMA 7
JONESBORO -- Instead of up-tempo, Arkansas State slowed down Saturday night.
Thanks to an emerging defense sparked by Chris Humes' 60-yard fumble return for a touchdown and six sacks, the altered strategy worked for the Red Wolves in beating South Alabama 17-7 on Saturday night at Centennial Bank Stadium.
"Any way you can find a way to win," Coach Blake Anderson said. "I don't think it was particularly an attractive win, it was kind of an ugly win."
It was partially directed that way by Anderson and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. The two had every intention of running ASU's offense like every other game -- as an up-tempo operation that tries to pile up as many points as possible.
But as ASU's defense took over, and room to run was apparent, the two switched gears mid-game. What emerged was its second consecutive victory, but one that didn't look like many ASU has gained in Anderson's three years as coach.
"The further we went into the game and the more realized our defense was really going to stone them," Anderson said, "we were going to use the clock and shorten the game."
ASU gained 297 yards of offense, and 204 on the ground, but the defense, led by Chris Odoms' three sacks, two more by Ja'Von Rolland-Jones and Humes' fumble return, made it so the offensive showing was secondary.
Among the offensive oddities: ASU won while passing for less than 100 yards for the first time since beating Texas State in 2013.
Quarterback Justice Hansen and the Red Wolves had more rushing attempts (54) than passing attempt (13).
The game was over in less than three hours, and only one play cover more than 20 yards -- a 24-yard pass from Hansen to Blake Mack on the first drive of the third quarter that ended in a 14-yard Johnston White touchdown run.
But Anderson was fine with it. So was Hansen, who said he had never started a game in which he had thrown so few passes.
"You just have to understand the flow of the game, and the defense was playing great," Hansen said. "It was really about controlling the clock at that point, so the situation made sense."
Could it be considered boring? Sure, Anderson said. But for the first time this season ASU (2-4, 2-0) has won consecutive games and it remained one of three Sun Belt teams without a league loss.
"I'll take all the boring W's I can get over the really fun and attractive losses," he said. "Buster had a beautiful play sheet, he had a bunch of stuff he would have liked to have gotten to, and just the game changed. We were having success with what we were doing, we didn't need to get to those things."
The defense made it possible, too.
ASU held South Alabama, which beat Mississippi State and San Diego State but has lost all three Sun Belt games, to a season-low 255 yards and to its lowest point total in two seasons. Humes' made the biggest play in the second quarter, when he hit receiver Kevin Kutchera, stripped the ball, then scooped it up and raced 60 yards down the sideline to give ASU a 7-0 lead.
It was ASU's first defensive touchdown of the season a year after it collected eight last season. The absence of forced turnovers, considering ASU had committed 12 over the past three games, was a point of contention all week. Humes' fumble was ASU's first forced turnover since Sept. 16 and Cody Brown added an interception in the second quarter.
"It was like a sigh of relief," Humes said. "Like, 'Let's really start rolling.'"
The only mistake on offense came from Hansen, who was intercepted on ASU's second drive by Jeremy Reaves. But like it did four times after turnovers in an Oct. 5 victory over Georgia Southern, ASU's defense turned South Alabama away, forcing a punt after Waylon Roberson's sack on first down.
"I knew the potential of our front," Odom said. "And these guys can't play with us. I just had faith in the unit."
So did Anderson, whose offense was fine churning out the clock. Warren Wand had 88 yards rushing, White had 58 yards and a touchdown and Hansen added 37 yards rushing. On the final drive, Chad Voytik, benched after starting the first three games, entered to help work the clock on the ground.
He carried twice on ASU's final drive, one of which converted a third-and-seven to keep the clock going even more. By the time South Alabama got it back, there was 1:35 left and it had little chance to threaten.
"To me, that's a team win," Anderson said. "That's all we need to be about."
Sports on 10/16/2016