Justin Clifton remembers the bus ride back from Montgomery.
The silent sitting. The window gazing. The short glances across the aisle.
Clifton, like the other football players at Arkansas State University, had hours to come to terms with finishing last season with two consecutive losses, including a 35-30 loss to Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 16 in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
Instead of a third Sun Belt Conference championship in four seasons, the Red Wolves entered the offseason 7-5.
"It's a tough thing to do as a team that's used to winning, then you start losing back-to-back like that," Clifton said Tuesday. "But then, as soon as we got back, guys were ready to get back to work."
Arkansas State began spring practice March 17, and the Red Wolves have had five practices leading up to their first live scrimmage today at 6 p.m.
Blake Anderson, who is entering his fifth season as head coach in Jonesboro, said the team has "spent a great deal of time since January" focusing on the mistakes that became downfalls.
"We felt like we underachieved, with too many mistakes, penalties, turnovers, cases of errors, undisciplined football that hurt us," Anderson said. "Break downs in coverages, schemes that will cost us a game that really shouldn't hurt us. We want our athletic ability to take over, not hurt us by poor play."
The Red Wolves finished the season with the eighth-lowest red-zone scoring percentage (71.9) in the Football Bowl Subdivision, which Anderson attributed to the team's inability to run the ball in the red zone.
Arkansas State entered last season without any returning starters on the offensive line. Now, every starter returns except starting left tackle Jaypee Philbert, who was a graduate transfer from Iowa State.
A lack of power up front, Anderson said, contributed to the red zone woes.
"You really build power in the offseason, you don't build it on the field," Anderson said. "We had a good offseason. Built up our size and strength. It's a combination of strength and power and experience, and these guys will be back and become more savvy, more technically sound, more confident. That tends to show on the field, and we will be more powerful running the ball in those [red zone] settings."
The returning leader in rushing touchdowns is senior quarterback Justice Hansen (422 yards, 7 touchdowns rushing), the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 after passing for 3,967 yards, 37 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
"He's really grown and matured in the spring," Anderson said. "He's bigger and stronger than he's been."
Anderson said sophomore quarterback Logan Bonner is a "quality quarterback" who is a "starter for us in the future."
"Fortunately, we have both those guys playing at a high level," he said. "I respect the way they work. They don't turn the ball over, with the turnovers we carried this past year."
Hansen threw three interceptions in the 32-25 loss to Troy, two in the red zone, and in the 24-19 loss to South Alabama, a touchback occurred when Hansen fumbled while running into the end zone.
"Already, they've shown improvement," Anderson said. "They're protecting the ball well."
Offensive guards Troy Elliott (6-5, 287-pound junior) and Dalton Ford (6-4, 304-pound junior), who both started in the Camellia Bowl, have not been practicing due to offseason injuries, Anderson said.
Junior running back Jamal Jones rolled his ankle last week, Anderson said, and he should return when the Red Wolves resume practice Monday.
Injuries have trickled onto the defensive end as well.
Junior linebacker Trent-Ellis Brewer is still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in the 67-50 victory against Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 25, and junior defensive lineman Javier Carbonell, who played in nine games, is out with "minor surgery" on his ankle.
Arkansas State lost seven starters on defense, including 2017 All-Sun Belt First Team defensive back Blaise Taylor and defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, who was the Sun Belt's overall Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
Rolland-Jones, who is awaiting potential selection in the NFL Draft, finished a half-sack shy of Terrell Suggs' NCAA-record 44 career sacks.
Anderson said senior defensive end Ronheen Bingham, who had five sacks last season, has began to fill the pass-rushing role Rolland-Jones left behind.
"[Bingham's] had a real tremendous offseason," Anderson said. "He's in the best shape of his life. He had a great season down the stretch, and he's already had a tremendous spring."
Sports on 04/04/2018