JONESBORO -- Arkansas State defensive lineman Ethan Hassler still holds onto a vivid memory from his junior year at Collierville (Tenn.) High School.
After going out in the first round of the playoffs, Hassler saw his senior teammates hurting. He lingered on the field crying -- his season was over, yes, but he still had another year.
Those guys just a year above him? Not so much.
It's part of the reason Hassler hopes the Red Wolves can get things right in the final weeks of their 2022 campaign.
"I don't like that feeling of going out losing, so I feel like it's very vital for them to experience a three-game win streak here at Arkansas State," Hassler said Tuesday during ASU's weekly media availability. "Our time starts now. You can't live in the future. You've got to live in the moment."
Three victories in a row may be a stretch for a program that has won just five in its last 27 games. The Red Wolves last won back-to-back games in Oct. 2020, and a streak of three-plus hasn't happened since 2019.
But ASU will be heavy favorites Saturday against a Massachusetts team that ranks averages a mere 11.9 points and 256.8 yards per game, last and second-to-last nationally, respectively.
And after a week off for the first time in two months, Coach Butch Jones saw a spark from several of his young players -- many of whom have already had to play significant roles at one point or another due to a rash of injuries.
"The great thing now is younger players only know one way to do things, and that's our way," Jones said. "The first practice [last week] was a little more youth-oriented. ... I thought it inspired our older players."
Multiple freshmen who could have been candidates for a redshirt year no longer have that option after playing in more than four -- among them wide receiver Daverrick Jenkins, cornerback James Reed and offensive linemen Elijah Zollicoffer and Chase Jessup.
There's also cornerback Ahmad Robinson (four games), offensive lineman Aleric Watson (three) and quarterback Jaxon Dailey (two), all of whom are pushing up against their limit if the Red Wolves do want to preserve a year of eligibility.
Jones indicated, however, that he has no intention of letting the future impact his decisions over the next three weeks.
"The best players that give an opportunity to win on Saturday will be the players that play. That'll always be the case," he said. "We owe it to our fans, to our football program, to everyone involved -- you play to win the game."
For some veterans, these final games will mark the end of their organized football careers.
Quarterback James Blackman, defensive end Kivon Bennett and linebacker Jordan Carmouche -- all of whom have been in college football for at least the last six years -- may all pursue NFL careers, but none are considered high-level draft prospects.
Knowing that makes Blackman consider his legacy in Jonesboro that much more as the sun begins to set on a winding career.
"The young guys we have on our team, they listen," Blackman said. "They soak up everything that they see, what you tell them. ... I've just been taking the things that I've learned from [NFL players Derwin James and Brian Burns] and I'm just giving those nuggets to my teammates that I have now."