Red Wolves report: 1-on-1s on list for rebuilding

JONESBORO -- There were a lot of meetings inside the Arkansas State football facility over the past week-plus. Coach Butch Jones had promised as much, saying after his team was routed 52-20 by Coastal Carolina that he was going to meet with "every player in the program."

That didn't happen, but Jones said he had one-on-one conversations with key team leaders in addition to self-scouting with his coaching staff.

But the most important meetings may have happened between the players themselves.

"We got split up into groups of 10 ... and we just kind of went through every individual -- who you are, where you're from and what's your 'why' to play football," center Jacob Still said. "Not just why you play football but why did you choose Arkansas State, and being the oldest guy on the team here, I took it as a responsibility to tell my story here."

Jones is looking for solutions. A 1-5 record is an unfamiliar place for the 53-year-old coach -- his worst starts came during his first seasons at both Central Michigan and Cincinnati, where Jones' teams began 1-3 before winning their next two games.

He brought up the group meetings early in his Monday press conference, noting that he thought they were extremely productive.

"We're winning every day in terms of our culture," Jones said. "The mindset of our players [has] changed [with regard to] a work ethic and mentality. I see that happening and it's great to see. But we're in a results-oriented business."

There's a hope that understanding more about why each of their teammates plays leads to fighting harder for one another during the final six games of the season. And the Red Wolves know they'll need that fight if they're going to claw out victories -- something they showed they're capable of during comeback bids against Memphis and Tulsa.

"It's just a certain hunger that we need to have to get out of this dark spot we're in," defensive end Kivon Bennett said.

Bennett and running back Alan Lamar are among the many transfers who have been meaningful contributors this season. Yet Lamar, who came to Jonesboro after five years at Yale, is still learning the names of some of his teammates.

It's just one of the reasons why there's optimism that the homestretch of the season won't be as dire as the beginning.

"It's something that we really needed as a team," Lamar said of the icebreakers. "[Getting to know one another is] still a work in progress. You have to continue doing this sort of thing. ... The biggest thing is playing for each other and having that mutual respect. It makes you play harder because you know what other people are trying to accomplish."

Depth adjustments

Injuries hadn't hit ASU hard through the first half of its season, but the Red Wolves took several blows during their loss to Coastal Carolina two weeks ago.

In addition to losing quarterback James Blackman, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, defensive tackle Terry Hampton is out for the season with a knee injury.

"Right now, we lack competitive depth," Coach Butch Jones said "We're going to have to have some individuals step up and really play a lot of repetitions for us moving forward the last six weeks."

Sosaia Tuitavake will get the first crack at filling Hampton's spot in the middle of the line on Thursday night against Louisiana-Lafayette. It'll be the senior's second career start -- his first came against the Ragin' Cajuns in 2019. The California native played two years in junior college at College of San Mateo but has only seven tackles in 21 appearances at ASU.

Jeffmario Brown started for the first time this season against the Chanticleers and is back atop the depth chart at the linebacker spot next to Caleb Bonner.

Although Jones said the Red Wolves will move Jarius Reimonenq around, Reimonenq is listed at cornerback opposite Leon Jones, with Taylon Doss and Elery Alexander as ASU's safeties. The junior started at safety each of the past three games but slid outside after Samy Johnson's injury during the Coastal Carolina game.

Johnson is also available this week following a precautionary trip to the hospital.

A familiar foe

Outside of Memphis, Arkansas State have played no team more than Louisiana-Lafayette. The teams have met 48 times since 1953, with 19 all-time matchups as Sun Belt Conference members -- 2003 was the lone time in the league's 20-year history they didn't play one another -- and the Ragin' Cajuns has won the past three meetings.

But these Cajuns may be the best the Red Wolves have ever had to deal with. They are on a five-game winning streak since dropping their season opener at Texas, and ULL Coach Billy Napier has been mentioned as a possible replacement for outgoing Coach Ed Orgeron at LSU.

During last week's 41-13 drubbing of Appalachian State, it wasn't 2020 second-team All-Sun Belt quarterback Levi Lewis doing most of the damage. Instead, the Cajuns ran for 246 yards and 5 touchdowns on 44 attempts while holding the Mountaineers to less than 4 yards per play.

"This is ... maybe the best football team we've played to date in terms of just [being a] total, complete football team," Coach Butch Jones said of the Ragin' Cajuns. "They're extremely physical, they're violent and they get after you."

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