Jeff Reed: Arkansas State Red Wolves Spring Game Report

In a rather different format, where the team traveling north (A-State) defeated the team heading South (Red Wolves) 21-7.

Well, at least I think that is how it went down.

“I thought it was good,” said first-year Red Wolves head football coach Bryan Harsin. “Really looking at the organization part there at the beginning to make sure we are doing things the right way and transition from group to group on offense to defense and I thought that went well. And then just getting back and watching some guys compete. We treated this like another opportunity for kids to go out and win a job and take the next level. The guys who were competing were out there competing today. It was good to see.

“I felt the first offense moved the ball well after the first drive,” he said. “You want to come out there and start fast and that is something you have got to continue to work. But we did move the ball and had some big plays. We got to get some kids out there doing things we wanted to see them do in game situations.

“Overall, very happy with the organization, the structure, the way the guys played and the corrections that guys made out there that we wanted to get done in this scrimmage,” Harsin said.

The Red Wolves have been pleased with the way the offensive line, with four starters returning, has worked out this spring. A lot of the receiving corp is in place and Oku, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, has a quality running mate in the backfield in sophomore Michael Gordon, who scored three touchdowns on Saturday.

But, the big question in Jonesboro is who is going to be quarterback now that Ryan Aplin is headed for the pros, either in the NFL or Canada.

All four candidates played.

Redshirt Senior Phillip Butterfield, who prepped at Lake Hamilton, was 3 of 5 passes for 31 yards, with a long of 30 yards to Darion Griswold.

Redshirt Sophomore Stephen Hogan, who is from Greenwood, had the best day, hitting 6 of 8 for 62 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 17 yards on two carries.

True soph Fredi Knighten, a Pulaski Academy product, was 6 of 6 passing for 21 yards and he ran three times for 14 yards.

Junior college transfer Chandler Rogers was 3 of 6 passing for 12 yards.

Harsin, a quarterback at Boise State, said he was pleased with the progress Hogan, who played receiver last year, has made in the last two scrimmages.

“He has made the most progress but he had the longest to go because he did not play the position last year,” said Harsin.

Don’t expect a starter to be named soon. This is something that will go on into the fall, and there is one freshman recruit who enrolls this summer.

And there is also talk of the Red Wolves looking at a couple of transfer options from four years schools.

So it is far from over.

And will make for an interesting summer.