ASU all smiles after victory over South Alabama

Arkansas State wide receiver Justin McInnis scores on a 78-yard reception during the Red Wolves’ victory over South Alabama on Saturday at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/galleries.
Arkansas State wide receiver Justin McInnis scores on a 78-yard reception during the Red Wolves’ victory over South Alabama on Saturday at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/galleries.

JONESBORO -- With a smile on his face, Arkansas State University wide receiver Justin McInnis scored on a 78-yard pass from senior quarterback Justice Hansen.

It was a moment of levity for a team in need of one.

"We knew it was going to be a good day," McInnis said.

ASU's longest touchdown of the season put the Red Wolves ahead 28-7 late in the third quarter in a 38-14 victory over South Alabama at Centennial Bank Stadium. The result breathed life into the team's flagging Sun Belt Conference West Division title hopes.

Seven days ago, the Red Wolves (5-4, 2-3 Sun Belt) determined this could happen.

After a gut-wrenching 47-43 loss at Louisiana-Lafayette, the team convened last Sunday to study video of South Alabama. To reach the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game, a victory was essential.

The team spotted where the Jaguars were most vulnerable. If ASU fed McInnis -- the rangy and trusted target of Hansen -- the 6-6 senior could chew up South Alabama (2-7, 1-4).

McInnis did exactly that, rolling up 177 of ASU's 509 yards and legging out the 1 touchdown on 7 catches. McInnis helped the Red Wolves' offense separate from a 7-7 tie in the second quarter for a 24-point victory.

"This was huge tonight," McInnis said.

The teams exchanged six punts in a scoreless first quarter. ASU put together the quarter's longest drive, a 59-yard sequence that rolled over from the end of the first to the beginning of the second quarter.

Fifty-nine seconds into the second quarter, Hansen completed the nine-play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard strike to wide receiver Kirk Merritt for a 7-0 lead.

The pass was Hansen's first of three touchdowns. The senior finished 26-of-37 passing for 332 yards and no interceptions. He is now fifth on the all-time Sun Belt list with 74 passing touchdowns.

South Alabama senior quarterback Evan Orth floated an over-the-shoulder ball 17 yards to senior wideout Malik Stanley to tie it at 7-7 with 8:45 remaining in the first half.

Then ASU took over.

The Red Wolves concocted an 83-yard drive and posted a second touchdown -- a 1-yard rush from senior tailback Warren Wand with 21 seconds to go until halftime -- to take a 14-7 at halftime.

Nine plays and 69 yards into the second half, Hansen and redshirt sophomore tight end Javonis Isaac combined for an 11-yard touchdown. ASU completed the 14-point swing sandwiched around halftime just as Coach Blake Anderson desired.

"When we've had that kind of swing," Anderson said, "we've won a lot of games that way. It gave us some room."

ASU was on its way to rolling South Alabama, which finally responded to 31 unanswered points from ASU with a 5-yard touchdown pass in the final four minutes of the game from quarterback Cephus Johnson to wide receiver Jamarius Way, the Sun Belt's leading receiver with 619 yards prior to Saturday.

It was Way's only catch in four quarters. The Red Wolves' defense had silenced one of the Sun Belt's most dangerous skill players and held South Alabama's passing offense to 93 yards.

"We played one hell of a game," sophomore cornerback Jerry Jacobs said. "It was so great."

There was no shutting down McInnis, whose 78-yard touchdown came with 3:51 left in the third quarter. His 177 receiving yards were the most by an ASU player this season, and the ninth most ever.

"He's a good player," Hansen said. "J-Mac takes his work very seriously, and you see it pay off on Saturdays."

McInnis torched the Sun Belt's worst scoring defense (39.1 points per game).

"You've got to choose how to defend that," Anderson said. "You either commit extra guys [to defend McInnis], or you've got to hold your breath. And he came up big for us today."

Wand ran 16 times for 77 yards and the 1 touchdown. Merritt added 6 catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, as ASU outgained the Jaguars 509-260.

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Kirk Merritt tries to keep his balance after making a catch during Saturday’s game. Arkansas State had 509 yards of total offense.

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Arkansas State’s Warren Wand (center) looks for room to run during Saturday’s game against South Alabama at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro. Wand ran for 77 yards and a touchdown as the Red Wolves won 38-14. For more photos, go to www. arkansasonline.com/galleries.

Sports on 11/04/2018

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