Arkansas State healthier on D-line

Donovan Ransom
Donovan Ransom

JONESBORO -- The front line of Arkansas State University's aggressive defense has returned to full strength in time to pressure an SMU offense just as explosive as its own.

Senior defensive tackle Dee Liner practiced in full pads Wednesday afternoon -- a week after sitting out to fully recover from a groin injury he sustained during preseason practice -- and the 6-3, 337-pounder will buttress a defense that had 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in a 48-3 victory over the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff after recording 5 tackles for loss, including 1 sack in a 43-36 loss at Nebraska.

Junior defensive end and Hutchinson Community College (Kan.) transfer, Ronheen Bingham, had his first sack against UAPB after working his way into the rotation. ASU defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen expected the 6-2, 241-pounder to contribute after missing most of preseason practice to injury.

ASU's defense ranks 47th in the nation in sacks (2.5 per game) and 57th in team tackles for loss (6.8 per game) -- a significantly lower figure than last season when they led the nation with 9.62 tackles for loss per game and ranked sixth with 3.31 sacks per game.

Sophomore Javier Carbonell (6-2, 307) has filled in for Liner, ranking seventh on the team in tackles (7), and senior defensive end Caleb Caston (6-2, 238) has provided depth with the only sack against Nebraska and a quarterback hit against UAPB that caused an interception.

"Everyone else that's been coming in for their role has done a great job," said 6-1, 283-pound junior nose guard Donovan Ransom, who has two tackles in two starts. "I feel like there was no drop-off there. We're still ticking and still rotating and still being violent."

There have been no tackles for loss so far from senior defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, who has been the focus of opponents since he recorded 19.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks last season on his way to being named the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Year.

This is the first time Rolland-Jones has started a season without a sack or tackle for loss through two games

"He's frustrated right now," Cauthen said. "He's just gotta keep playing through this and know that this is what's going to happen every single week. People are going to game plan to him, and know where he's at and what he's doing. So, we've got to continue to find ways to free him up.

"He got chipped [by UAPB and Nebraska]. They slid protection to him, I mean we've got to be more productive on the other side. You saw Caleb [Caston] come in. Caleb was kind of productive. So hopefully we'll get more production out of the other side, which will open some things up for Ja'Von in the future.

Ransom said he has noticed that Rolland-Jones "is taking a lot of attention" and that there have been more one-on-one matchups for the rest of the defensive linemen.

"We've just got to win 'em," he said.

The SMU offense has been particularly sturdy.

The Mustangs are tied for 17th in the nation in sacks allowed (1 per game) and 30th in tackles for loss allowed (4.67 per game), and it did not allow a sack in its 56-36 loss to TCU, which is 32nd in the nation with 2.67 sacks per game.

However, the Mustang offensive line was dented by North Texas (1-2), which runs a similar defense to ASU. The Mean Green had three sacks and seven tackles for loss in its 54-32 loss to SMU.

"They got some good guys up there, good size," Ransom said. "Everybody up front is a good front, and we're just going to go handle our business."

As for the ASU linebackers, Cauthen will continue to lighten starting "Mike" senior linebacker Kyle Wilson's load by playing backup sophomore Tajhea Chambers. But the second linebacker spot in Cauthen's 4-2-5 scheme, the "Will," is under question.

Freshman Caleb Bonner played a significant portion of the UAPB game in place of regular starter, sophomore Trent Ellis-Brewer, and Cauthen said Monday that the move was intentional.

"We've got to work on that position," he said. "We made that switch on the depth chart, I think that, for a lack of a better term, they perhaps know I mean business about it, and hopefully it will challenge both of those guys down there this week on the field to challenge each other more, to be more productive in practice. Because that position's got to be better than it's been in the first two games.

Bonner (6-1, 206) has three tackles on the season, and Ellis-Brewer (6-2, 213) has 10 stops, two for loss.

Saturday’s game

ARKANSAS STATE AT SMU WHEN 6 p.m. WHERE Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas RECORDS Arkansas State 1-1, SMU 2-1 TV None

Sports on 09/21/2017

Upcoming Events