Chris Buckner is relishing what he's entered into.
Arkansas State University's first-year outside receivers coach has inherited a gifted group of athletes who are expected to be a focal part of the Red Wolves' game plan in 2018.
"They can be as talented as they want to be," Buckner said. "I have a group that's so deep I can keep rolling them in. It's all about playing assignment-sound football, being disciplined and making adjustments. We can have an explosive year across the board."
Buckner spent his two previous seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Western New Mexico. His 2017 team averaged 407.9 yards of offense a game.
"He's a very excitable coach," ASU senior receiver Kendrick Edwards said. "You can tell he really enjoys what he does."
ASU had seven receivers compile at least 300 yards in 2017. Buckner says he expects the Red Wolves to have just as many or more this season.
"They've banded together really well," Buckner said. "It's a unique brotherhood."
Buckner said he has been impressed with the team's top two receivers from last year -- Justin McInnis and Edwards.
"Justin has shown leadership and he does everything else right too," Buckner said. "He's very coachable. If there's something on film we've got to get corrected, you'll see it fixed the next day. That's the type of guy he is.
"And Kendrick, you just look at a guy like him and expect him to do what he did last year again. I think he will seize the moment when he gets the opportunity."
Edmond proud
Seniors Justice Hansen and Warren Wand both hail from Edmond, Okla., but they did not know each other until they became teammates at Arkansas State.
Hansen attended Edmond Santa Fe High School; Wand played for Edmond Memorial.
"I knew of him," Wand said of Hansen. "Technically we only played against each other one year. The [second] year he was hurt, so I didn't play against him but I did play against his team."
"Warren Wand was Edmond Memorial football," Hansen said. "I saw him play quarterback for them, running back for them, return specialist. He was just all over the field for them."
The two said their schools' rivalry was spirited.
"One year, I hate to say it, but he blew us out," Wand said. "The next year was close and we won, but he didn't play. He likes to think he would have made a difference. I don't think so."
Can we finish?
Defensive end Justin Clifton has racked up 179 career tackles, made 19 career pass break-ups and forced four fumbles in his time at Arkansas State, but the senior from Tupelo, Miss., said he would have rather had a better finish to the 2017 season.
"I'm not proud of a lot of things," Clifton said. "We didn't finish well last year, so all of my numbers really didn't matter. The end goal wasn't what I was expecting."
ASU suffered a 32-25 loss to Troy to wind up the regular season and then dropped a 35-30 decision to Middle Tennessee State in the Camellia Bowl at Montgomery, Ala.
Clifton came up with his only interception of the season in the bowl game, but the loss was stinging.
"We made a lot of little mistakes all through the season," Clifton said. "The coaches have been harping on that ever since we got back from the bowl game. The players have taken it upon themselves to improve in that area. After the season, we went to work on that immediately."
Clifton said he's seeing a lot of energy from his teammates.
"The team is one big motor," Clifton said. "Everybody is competing with each other and when you have competition the atmosphere lends itself to a high intensity. The effort is going to be there. None of us like to lose."
Leaving Canada dry
Justin McGinnis grew up in Quebec but ASU's senior receiver now considers Arkansas his home.
"I'm used to living out here," said McGinnis, who transferred to Arkansas State from Dodge City (Kansas) Community College. "I kind of feel now that I'm more at home here and that when I go home it's more of a get-away or a vacation. This is my lifestyle now. I love it here and this is what I want to do."
McGinnis, who has combined 59 catches for 883 yards in the last two seasons for the Red Wolves, is working toward his degree in sports management and eventually wants to open his own sports training facility.
"In the meantime I want to coach and the opportunity for coaching is way better than if I went back home," McInnis said.
Sports on 08/03/2018