Red Wolves hope to 'regroup' with win

The vibe swirling around Arkansas State University has changed.

Consecutive losses to Georgia Southern and Appalachian State in the Red Wolves' first two Sun Belt Conference games forced ASU to recalibrate. Coach Blake Anderson said the team never envisioned an 0-2 conference start.

"We need to find a way to beat Georgia State and just move on," he said. "One week at a time, we have to try to find our best football, and regroup and re-energize this group of guys. That's what we're focused on doing."

Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are two of three Sun Belt schools without a conference loss. Texas State and ASU are the only two teams without a Sun Belt victory.

Arkansas State will host Georgia State (2-4, 1-1 Sun Belt) at 6:30 tonight at Centennial Bank Stadium. The urgency for the Red Wolves to defeat a Sun Belt opponent has reached its apex.

"I've seen a different sense of urgency at practice, which is always a good thing," ASU offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. "We had a few fights at practice. If we didn't have those, we'd probably be sitting here wondering about what kind of team we have."

The Red Wolves will welcome the Sun Belt's worst scoring offense to Jonesboro. Georgia State's 22.3 points per game rank No. 115 in the country, just six spots ahead of the No. 121 University of Connecticut's 20.3, which concludes a list of schools averaging more than 20 points per contest.

Georgia State's defense has been chewed up for an average of 34.2 points in six games.

The Red Wolves have never lost to Georgia State in four games, dating back to their first meeting in 2013. The chance to defeat a fellow Sun Belt member has come.

But tonight isn't about Georgia State's flaws, shortcomings or strengths to ASU.

It isn't about GSU wide receiver Penny Hart, a preseason All-American and the team's most electric threat when cradling the football, or 6-3 junior quarterback Dan Ellington, a dual-threat QB accounting for 249 total yards per game, the fourth-best average in the Sun Belt.

Seeking a confidence-restoring victory, tonight is about the Red Wolves.

"Georgia Southern is big, strong. App. State was small and extremely fast. I would say Georgia State's right there in between," Faulkner said. "They've got some big guys. They've got some fast guys. But it's all about us. We've got to execute.

"Let's just come out, let's go play, let's have fun. There's a lot of football to be played. We've got a whole season in front of us."

A 3-1 start with victories against Southeast Missouri State, Tulsa and UNLV, and a loss to No. 1 Alabama, secured the school's first winning record against non-Sun Belt opponents since 1995 (3-2).

Since Sept. 22, ASU (3-3, 0-2) has lost twice. The Red Wolves have not scored a touchdown since October began. The offense was 11 for 35 on third downs in the past two games, and the Red Wolves have not scored 30 points or more since 48 were posted in the blowout season opener against SEMO from the Football Championship Subdivision.

After the Oct. 9 loss to Appalachian State, Anderson said perhaps he needed to "revamp" ASU's offense, a statement that floated the possibility of changing the personality of ASU's program.

Some changes were made, Anderson later clarified.

Select offensive packages were simplified to boost confidence and to limit excessive "thinking." Anderson said he plans to use "more physical" players. Creating more one-on-one matchups for ASU's offensive skill players, something the Red Wolves have found as their offensive strength, has become prioritized even more.

"It's not a wholesale change," Anderson said. "We don't have the personnel to do that, and we definitely don't have the time to do that. We've got to stick to what we've done the best at and become better at it."

Tonight’s game

GEORGIA STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE

WHEN 6:30 p.m.

WHERE Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro

TV ESPNU

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ASU offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

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Penny Hart

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Dan Ellington

Sports on 10/18/2018

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