JONESBORO — The schedule makers didn’t do Arkansas State any favors with the start of its 2022 slate.
The Red Wolves spent a majority of September on the road for the second straight season, traversing close to 3,000 miles across three weeks, only to return to Centennial Bank Stadium with as many wins as they had when they last left their home field.
As defensive end Kivon Bennett declared postgame Saturday, ASU’s matchup with Louisiana-Monroe was “a must-win” — even if no one with Red Wolves wanted to proclaim as much during the week.
In that case, Saturday night’s game against the Warhawks, a team ASU hadn’t lost to in its past 12 meetings and not at home since 2001, came at just the right time.
ASU scored four touchdowns on as many possessions, punctuated by Johnnie Lang’s 98-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter, taking control and holding off Louisiana-Monroe for a 45-28 victory Saturday night.
Lang totaled 258 all-purpose yards, becoming the first Sun Belt Conference player to score a rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown in the same game since Florida International’s T.Y. Hilton in 2010.
“I love this team and I love our kids because they didn’t blink,” Red Wolves Coach Butch Jones said. “We started sluggishly. It wasn’t the intensity that we expect. But we worked our way through it because we played complementary football, we showed some grit and that’s something that they should be proud of.” Fo l l ow i n g a L o u i s iana-Monroe go-ahead touchdown pass early in the second quarter, ASU (2-3, 1-1 Sun Belt) marched 85 yards on 11 plays, converting on three third downs to set up Brian Snead’s 13-yard walk-in rushing touchdown.
With a 17-14 lead, the Red Wolves then executed perfectly prior to halftime. ASU forced the Warhawks into their third three-and-out of the first half and capitalized on a drive that began at the Red Wolves’ 47 after the visitors punted from the shadow of their own end zone.
James Blackman’s 18-yard screen pass to Lang — once again on third down — gave ASU its seventh third-down conversion of the opening two quarters and a 24-14 lead at halftime.
“We understand that a lot of times we go out there, we don’t finish. We leave a lot on the table,” Blackman said. “Tonight, we were just able to wear our opponent out, get them in the deep end of the pool and finish them off.” If the Red Wolves had the Warhawks’ ship starting to dip below the water’s surface at the break, they all but sunk their foe in the third quarter.
Louisiana-Monroe (2-3, 1-1) went three-and-out on its first series of the second half, and ASU reversed a trend from recent weeks, starting the second half with gusto. The Red Wolves put together a third touchdown drive of 10-plus plays, capped by Lang’s 1-yard pile-pushing run to extend the advantage to 31-14.
And just when it looked like the Warhawks might snatch back some momentum — going 65 yards on 13 plays for a touchdown to draw within 38-28 — Lang needed just the ensuing kickoff to put the exclamation point on his career night, eluding Louisiana-Monroe’s kicker down the left sideline on his way into the end zone.
“With a kick return, what you don’t see is the other 10 guys that are working their butts off in order to make that happen and give me creases to hit,” Lang said. “I really appreciate them and [special teams coordinator Jake Schoonover] for making the call.” The Red Wolves did the brunt of their damage through the air — Blackman completed 25 of 32 passes for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns, good for a 165.4 passer rating.
He was helped by the return of wide receiver Te’Vailance Hunt, who caught a game-high six passes for 60 yards, one of which was a 5-yard touchdown.
But more crucially, the Red Wolves flipped the script on many of their past ills. ASU won the explosive-play battle, converted on 11 of 19 third and fourth downs and didn’t turn the ball over.
It was the type of performance that left Jones pleased with the result, yet still wanting more from a team he believes is capable of just that.
“Winning is hard, and you’ll take every one you can get,” Jones said. “To be the team that we want to be, we have to start fast. … It’s a great lesson that you have to have some grit.”
