TOLEDO 31, ARKANSAS STATE 10
JONESBORO -- A defense stocked with returners and an offense built on the backs of transfers was supposed to make things different this time.
Instead, Friday's game between Arkansas State and Toledo at Centennial Bank Stadium had the same look as blowout losses in Mobile, Ala., and Toledo, Ohio.
Toledo asserted itself on the ground, completed passes at seemingly every key chance and at times ASU struggled to get out of its own way in front of 26,182 at Centennial Bank Stadium. The result was a loss to the Rockets as frustrating as the last two -- this one a 31-10 loss in the Red Wolves' season opener.
Toledo followed up a 63-44 victory in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl and a 37-7 victory last September by handing ASU what Coach Blake Anderson called "as thorough as a butt-whooping as I can remember having in awhile."
"Rough night," Anderson said. "I'm not sure we responded to the intensity or their physical nature. Maybe I'll see it on film, but I really didn't feel it on the sidelines."
The Red Wolves (0-1), with two new quarterbacks, were held to 266 yards of offense while the Rockets (1-0), led by a senior quarterback and running back churned out 556 yards and at one point scored on five consecutive possessions.
Kareem Hunt ran for 78 yards and a touchdown for Toledo (1-0), but he took a backseat unlike when he gained 271 yards in the GoDaddy Bowl victory. Instead, Logan Woodside's key third-down passing was the difference Friday, especially during a second quarter in which he led three consecutive touchdown drives.
The senior finished 23 of 31 passing for 371 yards and 3 touchdowns. He threw first-half scores of 5 yards to Michael Roberts and 16 yards to Cody Thompson. During that stretch in which Toledo turned a 3-0 deficit into a 21-3 lead, it converted eight consecutive third down attempts. Woodside was 7 of 9 for 80 yards on those situations and both of his first-half touchdowns came on third down.
While Toledo was scoring, ASU punted on two second-quarter drives and the half ended another. Anderson said the team lacked intensity, senior linebacker Xavier Woodson-Luster didn't disagree.
"We didn't get to the point where we're normally at," Woodson-Luster said. "Bouncing back and facing adversity, and playing to the best of our ability into the fourth."
Woodson-Luster is one of thirteen ASU defenders who played Friday that had starting experience, many of whom played in both previous losses.
But they didn't have an answer for Toledo's physicality, and that was made even worse when running back Johnston White and defensive tackle Robert Mondie were lost to injuries in the first half. The short drives made it hard on the defense, Anderson said, but the defensive failures made it so the offense pressed, Chad Voytik said.
"We kept saying 'Come on, we need something,'" Voytik said. "We were so anxious. We wanted it to happen so bad, that when it didn't happen it was just an instant attitude killer."
The turn happened over a 10-minute span of the second quarter that turned ASU's 3-0 lead into a 21-3 deficit.
J.D. Houston's 43-yard field goal gave ASU a 3-0 lead, but then Woodside took over.
His 5-yard pass to Michael Roberts capped a 75-yard drive. Then, he completed two third-down passes to keep alive a drive that ended with Hunt's 2-yard run. and a 16-yard pass to Cody Thompson gave Toledo a 21-3 lead at halftime.
"Extremely efficient," Anderson said of Woodside. "He's been efficient the two times we've seen him."
ASU failed to answer Woodside's effectiveness with either of its two quarterbacks.
Voytik completed 11 of 24 passes for 124 yards and added 38 yards rushing in his ASU debut. Anderson and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner made sure on their promise to play Voytik and Justice Hansen at quarterback, but Hansen only got one series.
The sophomore took three snaps in the second quarter -- a Warren Wand rush for no gain, an incomplete pass and then he dropped a snap and fell on the ball for a loss of six yards before a punt.
Voytik then played the rest of the game, but ASU couldn't get its best players the ball in favorable situations. Cameron Echols-Luper, a transfer from TCU, boomed a punt 68 yards in the first quarter but caught 3 passes for 6 yards. Kendall Sanders, a transfer from Texas, caught 1 pass for 3 yards.
"I think guys are searching for roles," said Anderson, who added that the quarterback situation is still far from settled.
Voytik connected with tight end Blake Mack for an 83-yard gain, that set up Armond Weh-Weh's 2-yard touchdown run to set up ASU's last chance at any momentum while trailing 31-10 with 11:14 left.
ASU forced a punt and then took over on Toledo's 41. Voytik led a drive to the 1, but a false start pushed them back five yards and then Dijon Paschal dropped a touchdown pass on fourth down.
ASU didn't threaten again and a third frustrating night against Toledo in three years came to another tough end.
"We've not played a good game against these guys," Anderson said. "We've played them three times and not played well yet. That's on me."
Sports on 09/03/2016