Arkansas State defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen said Monday he's got a pretty good idea where SMU's offense will be taking aim on Saturday in Dallas.
The Mustangs "will be trying to put the game on our safeties," Cauthen said.
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
INTERNET ESPN 3/WATCH ESPN
ASU's inexperience at that position is one of the reasons, along with SMU's talented band of wide receivers, led by redshirt junior Courtland Sutton, who bypassed the 2017 NFL Draft to return to the Mustangs.
Sutton, 6-4, 218 pounds, is tied for second in the nation with five touchdown receptions -- four of which he caught in SMU's 54-32 victory over North Texas after receiving mention as a player to watch in the Heisman Trophy race.
As a group, the Mustangs offense has scored eight touchdowns on plays that totaled 40 or more yards, and the nation's 20th-ranked passing offense (318.3 yards per game) has five receivers who have receptions that have totaled 50 yards or longer.
Of the three-man rotation for the Red Wolves' two safety positions on defense, only sophomore B.J. Edmonds had previous playing time at ASU.
Sophomore Darreon Jackson transferred from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, where he played after he was suspended by Boise State for his involvement in a Title IX investigation for sexual assault.
Junior Michael Johnson transferred from Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) College.
ASU Coach Blake Anderson said the secondary's challenge is similar to what the offensive line faced in the opening game against Nebraska. None of the linemen were returning starters, but they held up, allowing one sack in a 43-36 loss to the Cornhuskers.
"We're dealing with inexperience there, too," Anderson said of the safeties. "But any given day, it can click for those guys. Talent is not the issue. It's just experience and repetition of doing their job to where they truly do it without thinking. I'm hoping, just like we were talking about the O-line, that this is where we see them click and starting to grow up."
The experience of senior cornerback Blaise Taylor and Sun Belt Conference preseason first-teamer Justin Clifton, a junior, provides additional pass support in Cauthen's 4-2-5 defense.
"This is a big challenge for those guys," Clifton said. "We've been telling them ever since we finished the (University of Arkansas at) Pine Bluff game."
Cauthen compared the SMU offense, which ranks No. 6 in the nation with 49.3 points per game, to Gus Malzahn's Auburn offense, which beat ASU 51-14 last season.
SMU Coach Chad Morris sought counsel from Malzahn when the two were still coaching high school football, and Cauthen said there are similarities in the tempo, unbalanced formations and the inclusion of trick plays.
The Mustangs scored a touchdown on the first possession against No. 16 TCU last week, a 58-yard flea flicker pass to LSU transfer Trey Quinn, a junior who ranks 36th nationally with 265 receiving yards.
"You can't prepare for everything," Cauthen said. "He [Morris] does a great job of messing with your eyes and how disciplined you are. He'll get you looking at one thing and come back with something else."
Clifton said the secondary will have to rely on good footwork, awareness and communication in order to prevent long passing gains or touchdowns.
ASU has given up one pass play of more than 40 yards this season: Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Morgan Jr., who had gotten past ASU senior cornerback Brandon Byner in single coverage. Byner closed late, and injured his hamstring when he tackled Morgan in the end zone.
Anderson announced that Byner would be out for another 1-2 weeks.
Morgan was Nebraska's top threat, and Clifton said ASU's approach differs with SMU's multi-man pass attack.
"When you have multiple guys, you have to know where your help is," said Clifton, who has 12 tackles and a pass breakup on the season. "So we have a lot of checks and stuff to do with certain things. When we have certain receivers out there, we know what we're going to get into -- the things we're going to do. We're prepared for them."
Sports on 09/22/2017