Arkansas State at UL-Monroe – By the Numbers

 

Arkansas State at UL-Monroe

Arkansas State at UL-Monroe – The Red Wolves travel to Monroe, La., for this conference match up looking to to keep its conference-road-winning streak in tact and to keep hopes alive for a Sun Belt championship and bowl invitation.

ULM head coach Todd Berry discusses the upcoming game:

 

A-State head coach Bryan Harsin:

ON TAP: Arkansas State concludes a two-game road swing Saturday when it travels to Monroe, La., to play Sun Belt Conference preseason co-favorite ULM in the third of six consecutive league contests to close out the regular season.  The game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff and will be televised by ESPN3.com.  Every A-State game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in the Jonesboro area as part of the EAB Red Wolves Sports Radio Network, and the live radio broadcast can be accessed through the A-State athletics Web site (AStateRedWolves.com).

THE PRINCIPALS:  The winner of Saturday’s game between A-State and ULM will have sole ownership of second place in the Sun Belt Conference standings.  The Red Wolves improved to 2-1 in league play last week with a 17-16 road win over South Alabama, while ULM won its third straight game with a 49-37 victory at Troy.  A-State will carry a nine-game road winning streak against Sun Belt opponents into the contest, while the Warhawks are 2-2 at Malone Stadium this season.

BY THE NUMBERS . . .

1 of just 16 FBS programs to win at least 20 games over the last two years (2011 & 2012).

1 receiving touchdown needed by Allen Muse to tie the 9th most (9) in school history.

1 rushing touchdown needed by David Oku to tie the seventh most (22) in school history.

1.4 passes defended per game by Rocky Hayes ranks 13th in the nation.

3 ASU was picked to finish 3rd in the preseason Sun Belt Coaches Poll with 45 pts. and 2 first-place votes.

3 consecutive seasons with a victory over the top team in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll.

3 consecutive games with double-figure tackles by Qushaun Lee (14.7 tpg over that span).

3 A-State players (Davis, Hayes, McKissic) ranked 1st in the Sun Belt in at least 1 statistical category.

3 players on the A-State roster from the state of Louisiana (Darius Dunaway, Frankie Jackson, Allen Muse).

5 of the last eight seasons have seen A-State achieve bowl eligibility.

5 players named to one of college football’s major award watch lists.

7 consecutive wins in the month of November dating back to the 2011 season.

7 points needed by Brian Davis to break the Sun Belt record for points by kicking in a career (295).

7 preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selections, the most in the league.

8 turnovers lost by A-State is tied for the seventh fewest in the nation.

8 consecutive winning seasons at Liberty Bank Stadium.

8 straight victories in games decided by 7 points or less, the second longest active streak in the nation.

8.3 yards per rush by Michael Gordon is currently the third highest average in school history.

9 game Sun Belt Conference road winning streak held by A-State.

9 players (Albright, Campbell, Carrethers, Haunga, Kennedy, McCants, Muse, Oliver, Williams) already with their degree.

10.4 tackles per game by Qushaun Lee is ranked as the 15th highest average in the nation.

10 win seasons in 2011 & 2012, making ASU the first team in SBC history w/ back-to-back 10-win campaigns.

10 A-State players named to Phil Steele’s midseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.

10 Sun Belt Conference Team Academic Awards over the last 11 years.

11 passes defended by Rocky Hayes is two more than the most by an ASU player for all of last season.

12 consecutive field goals made by Brian Davis for the second longest streak in school history.

12 consecutive victories by A-State when scoring at least 30 points.

13 votes in the final 2012 USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll, ranking A-State No. 32 in the nation.

13 A-State players named to at least one preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team.

13 statistical categories in which A-State ranks among the top 50 teams in the nation.

15 players named to the most recent Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List (3.5 GPA or higher).

17 tackles needed by Qushaun Lee to become first ASU player since 2002-03 with 100 stops in consecutive seasons.

17 Sun Belt Conference victories over its last 19 league games.

18 receptions by Darion Griswold are the most by an A-State tight end since Trevor Gillott (24) in 2009.

23 A-State wins over its last 32 regular-season games dating back to 2011.

23 All-Sun Belt Conference selections over the last two years combined.

26.4 yards per kickoff return by ASU is ranked 8th in the nation, and 18.9 ypr KO coverage is ranked 24th.

27 players named to the most recent Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or higher).

28 votes in the final 2012 Associated Press Top 25 poll, ranking A-State No. 32 in the nation.

30 or more points scored by A-State in 21 of its last 31 games.

41 of J.D. McKissic’s 47 receptions have come over the last six games (6.8 per game).

45.9 third-down conversion percentage by A-State is ranked 31st in the nation.

63 tackles by Ryan Carrethers are the most in the nation by a defensive lineman.

68.3 completion percentage by Adam Kennedy is ranked 10th in the nation.

300 yards or more of total offense recorded by ASU in 41 of its last 46 games.

400 or more yards total offense by A-State in five of its first eight games.

425.6 yards total offense per game is the third highest in school history for a single season.

26.7 million-dollar football facility project in Liberty Bank Stadium’s north end zone announced.

HEAD COACH BRYAN HARSIN: Bryan Harsin was named the Red Wolves’ 29th head football coach on Dec. 12, 2012.  Harsin is a 13-year coaching veteran at the NCAA FBS level who has coached in 10 bowl games as either an assistant or offensive coordinator.  Harsin, a finalist for the 2009 Broyles Award recognizing the top assistant coach in the country, has been associated with two nationally-prominent programs during his rise to A-State’s head coach.  Working closely with Chris Petersen at Boise State and Mack Brown at Texas, two of the most well-respected coaches in the country, Harsin spent the last seven seasons as an offensive coordinator with the Broncos and Longhorns.

HIGH MARKS:  Arkansas State head football coach Bryan Harsin was ranked as the sixth best hire in the nation among 26 new coaches at the time, according to CBSSports.com.  The article written by Dennis Dodd said the following when referring to A-State’s 29th head coach:  “We’re talking a Sun Belt program that has changed its AD (once) and coaches (twice) over the last two years. Somehow the Red Wolves went from national championship game offensive coordinator (Malzahn) to Fiesta Bowl-winning offensive coordinator with a stop in Texas (Bryan Harsin). Not too shabby.”

STARTING STRONG:  With the Red Wolves victory over UAPB, Bryan Harsin became the Red Wolves first head coach to win his inaugural game at the school since Larry Lacewell in 1979.  ASU’s previous seven head coaches all suffered setbacks in their first game, including Al Kincaid, Ray Perkins, John Bobo, Joe Hollis, Steve Roberts, Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn.

YOUNGEST FBS HEAD COACHES:  At 37 years of age, Arkansas State head coach Bryan Harsin is the fourth youngest head coach in the nation.  Western Michigan’s P.J. Fleck is the youngest at 32 years old with a Nov. 29, 1980 date of birth.

Coach   Age (DOB)

P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan, 32 (11-29-80)

Matt Campbell, Toledo, 33 (11-29-79)

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech, 34 (8-9-79)

Bryan Harsin, Arkansas State, 37 (11-1-76)

Willie Taggart, USF, 37 (8-27-76)

Justin Fuente, Memphis, 37 (7-30-76)

Matt Rhule, Temple, 38 (1-31-75)

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern, 38 (12-2-74)

Garrick McGee, UAB, 40 (4-6-73)

Matt Wells, Utah State, 40 (8-10-73)

THE ARKANSAS STATE – ULM SERIES:  A-State has played ULM 34 times, which is the fifth most in school history among all opponents. Arkansas State leads the all-time series with ULM 20-14 since the first meeting in 1959. As Sun Belt foes, ASU leads the series 8-4 after picking up a win over the Warhawks the last three seasons, including a 24-19 victory in Monroe in 2011 and a 45-23 win in Jonesboro last season.

ASU-ULM ALL-TIME SERIES: ASU leads 20-14

ASU-ULM ALL-TIME SBC SERIES: ASU leads 8-4

ASU at ULM (SBC SERIES ONLY): tied 3-3

ULM at ASU (SBC SERIES ONLY): ASU leads 5-1

OLD TIES: While Arkansas State and ULM have met the past 12 seasons as Sun Belt Conference opponents, it is not the first time the two teams have shared a league. Both the Red Wolves and the Warhawks were members of the Southland Conference at the same time from 1982-86.

LOUISIANA RED WOLVES:  Arkansas State has three players on its roster from the state of Louisiana, including Monroe-native and defensive lineman Darius Dunaway.  Also from the state are two starters in defensive back Frankie Jackson (Baton Rouge, La.) and wide receiver Allen Muse (Leesville, La.).

A-STATE vs. THE SUN BELT:  Arkansas State has won 17 of its last 19 league games to run its all-time record in the conference to 51-38. The Red Wolves hold their most all-time victories against Louisiana-Monroe with 20. With the exception of Texas State and Georgia State, which are in their first season as a member of the league, the Red Wolves have defeated every team in the SBC since the football league was formed in 2001. Along with Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana-Lafayette, A-State is one of three teams that have been a part of the conference since 2001.

99th SEASON UNDER WAY:  Arkansas State kicked off its 99th season of football Aug. 31, 2013, vs. UAPB.  A-State now holds a 430-461-37 record since its inaugural 1911 season and has played in nine bowl games.  ASU did not field a football team from 1942-44 due to World War II.  Arkansas State also didn’t have a team in 1918 as World War I was ending.

RED WOLVES NOVEMBER:  Arkansas State is undefeated in November since the 2011 season with a 7-0 record over that span.  All seven victories have come against Sun Belt Conference opponents, including four by a double-figure margin.

AN A-STATE VICTORY WOULD . . .:  Extend its road winning streak against Sun Belt Conference opponents to 10 games . . . Put the Red Wolves above .500 for the first time since it was 2-1 . . . Give it sole possession of second place in the Sun Belt Conference standings . . . Make it 3-1 in Sun Belt Conference play through four games for the second straight year . . . Mark the Red Wolves fourth consecutive win against ULM . . . Give it back-to-back victories for the first time this season . . . Give the Red Wolves a win over a Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll preseason favorite or co-favorite for the fourth consecutive year.

DAVIS NAMED LOU GROZA AWARD SEMIFINALIST:  Senior kicker Brian Davis was named one 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award this week.  Davis, also a semifinalist for the award in 2012, is 10-of-10 on field goal attempts this year with a career-long of 50 yards.

SUN BELT PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  Senior safety Sterling Young was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week following the Red Wolves game against South Alabama, giving A-State four different players to earn a weekly honor from the league.  In addition to Young, the other A-State players recognized this season are senior DL Ryan Carrethers (Oct. 28), senior QB Adam Kennedy (Oct. 14) and sophomore WR J.D. McKissic (Oct. 14, Special Teams).

CFPA HONORS DAVIS:  Senior kicker Brian Davis was recognized by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for the third time this season following the South Alabama game, earning Honorable Mention Specialist of the Week honors.  He was also named the CFPA’s National Specialist of the Week following the Missouri game and an honorable mention choice after the Auburn game.  Other players recognized as a CFPA honorable mention player of the week at their respective positions include sr. DL Amos Draper, soph. RB Michael Gordon, soph. TE Darion Griswold and sr. WR Allen Muse.

MIDSEASON ALL-CONFERENCE:  Arkansas State placed 10 players, including five first-team selections, on the Phil Steele’s Midseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.  The Red Wolves 10 selections tied Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe for the most in the conference, and their five first-team picks matched the most along with the Ragin’ Cajuns.  The A-State offense and defense were both represented by four players, and two Red Wolves made the list as special teams choices.  Arkansas State’s first-team selections included sophomore center Bryce Giddens (Moultrie, Ga.), senior guard Steven Haunga (Richmond, Calif.), senior defensive lineman Ryan Carrethers (Nashville, Tenn.), sophomore cornerback Rocky Hayes (Heflin, Ala.) and senior kicker Brian Davis (Brentwood, Tenn.).  The Red Wolves’ second-team selections included senior running back David Oku (Midwest City, Okla.), senior wide receiver Julian Jones (Germantown, Tenn.), junior linebacker Qushaun Lee (Prattville, Ala.) and senior safety Sterling Young (Hoover, Ala.).  Sophomore wide receiver J.D. McKissic (Phenix City, Ala.) was also a second-team choice as a kick returner.

300-PLUS: Dating back to the 2010 season, Arkansas State has posted at least 300 yards of total offense 41 of its last 46 games.  The Red Wolves have posted at least 300 yards total offense in all but two games this season and is ranked 57th in the nation (425.6 ypg).

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD:  Including three games this season, A-State has posted at least 30 points in 21 of its last 31 regular-season games dating back to the 2011 season. The Red Wolves have won 12 consecutive games when scoring at least 30 points.

ROAD WARRIORS:  Arkansas State has won nine consecutive road conference games, its longest streak ever as a member of any league.  The Red Wolves went 4-0 in conference road games in both 2011 and 2012 and is 1-0 in 2013.  Its previous longest road conference winning streak was seven against Southland foes from 1973-75.

HOME SWEET HOME:  With a 5-1 home mark last season, Arkansas State secured its eighth consecutive winning record at Liberty Bank Stadium dating back to 2005.  ASU is now 39-9 at Liberty Bank Stadium since the 2005 season and has won 14 of its last 16 home games.  The Red Wolves actual on-field record all-time at Liberty Bank Stadium is 131-72-1 since it opened in 1974. ASU’s six home wins in 2011 were its most since 1985.

OFFENSIVE PACE:  Arkansas State is producing offensive numbers that are on pace to rank among the best in school history in several categories.  The Red Wolves are averaging 425.6 yards per game, 5.9 yards per play and 235.1 passing yards per game, which all rank among the top five in school history.  The total offense average and yards per play are both the third highest and passing yards average is the fifth highest.

DEFENSE STEPS UP:  The A-State defense held South Alabama 75 yards below its total offense average and to its lowest scoring output this season last week.  The Jaguars entered the game ranked third in the Sun Belt Conference in both categories.  The Red Wolves also recorded six tackles for loss in the game, their most since posting nine against Troy in their third game of the season.

PICK IT OFF:  The A-State defense has recorded one interception in each of the last three games, matching its total for the first five games combined.  The Red Wolves recorded a season-high three interceptions against Troy, their third opponent of the season.

HITTING 1,000:  Senior WR Julian Jones went over 1,000 career yards receiving during the South Alabama game, making him the third player on the Red Wolves roster to accomplish the feat.  Sophomore WR J.D. McKissic leads the way with 1,398 to his credit (8th most in school history), while senior WR Allen Muse has 1,165 and Jones 1,006.

COVERING AT CORNERBACK:  Sophomore corner Rocky Hayes has made a big impact in his first season on the defensive side of the ball, leading the team in both pass break-ups (8) and interceptions (3).  He is ranked first in the Sun Belt Conference in passes defended with 11, which is two more than the most by an A-State player for all of last season (Chaz Scales, 7 PBU, 2 INT).  Hayes is ranked 13th in the nation in passes defended.

MAKING A RETURN:  Sophomore WR J.D. McKissic is ranked sixth in the nation in kickoff returns (30.5 ypr) and 45th in punt returns (7.3 ypg).  He recorded a career-high 125 kickoff return yards against Idaho, including a 98-yard return for a touchdown in the contest.  The return for a touchdown was the first by an A-State player since 2001.

ON THE RISE:  Senior WR Julian Jones has recorded at least four receptions in five of the last seven games, including a career-high 10 versus Missouri.  Jones has either led or tied for the team high in receptions in four games this season and is ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in receptions per game (5.2 pg).  Jones’ 42 total receptions are 25 more than he had for his entire career entering the 2013 season.

TOTAL OFFENSE PRODUCER:  Senior quarterback Adam Kennedy ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference in total offense with 253.6 yards per game, which also ranks 36th in the nation.  Kennedy recorded 358 yards of total offense against Auburn, 334 versus Missouri and a career-high 397 against Idaho.  He also just missed going over 300 versus Troy with 299 to his credit.  His 397 yards versus Idaho were the fifth most in school history.  He has recorded over 200 yards total offense in five of the last seven games, including the South Alabama game (201 yards).

MAKING A CONNECTION:  Senior QB Adam Kennedy tied the school record for completions in a game with 37 against Missouri (tied Ryan Aplin, 2011 vs. Western Kentucky).  Kennedy has already completed 164 passes, which ranks tied for the ninth most in school history for a single season.  He is ranked 27th in the nation in completions (20.5 pg) and 12th in completion percentage (.683).  His current completion percentage currently stands as the highest in school history for a single season.

INSIDE FORCE:  A member of the Bednarik Award and Outland Trophy Watch Lists, senior defensive lineman Ryan Carrethers is ranked second on the team and sixth in the Sun Belt in tackles with 63 through seven games.  He is averaging 7.9 tackles per game, 2.6 more than he averaged last season when he finished with 68 total for the most by an A-State interior defensive lineman since former NFL standout Jon Bradly in 2002.  His 63 tackles this season are the most in the nation by a defensive lineman.  He posted a career-high 16 tackles against UL Lafayette, which hare also the most in the nation this season by a defensive lineman for a single game.

ON PACE FOR 100:  Senior linebacker Qushaun Lee has recorded a team-high 83 tackles, which is also ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference.  He is averaging 10.4 tackles per game, which is the 15th highest in the nation and puts him on pace for 100 tackles for the second straight season.  The last time an A-State player had at least 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons was 2003 and 2002 when linebacker Les Echols had 123 and 105, respectively.  Lee recorded a career-high 16 tackles at South Alabama, 15 against Idaho and 13 versus UL Lafayette, giving him seven career games with double-figure stops.

GRISWOLD VACATION TO THE END ZONE:  Senior tight end Darion Griswold tied his career high with five receptions for a career-high 89 yards and his first two career touchdowns against Idaho, earning CFPA national Honorable Mention Tight End of the Week for his efforts.  He has now caught 18 passes for 247 yards, both the most in a season by an A-State tight end since Trevor Gillott recorded 24 receptions for 283 yards in 2009.

ON A ROLL:  A Freshman All-America selection last season, sophomore WR J.D. McKissic has caught at least one pass in all 21 games of his career at A-State.  He has come on strong the last few games, recording 36 of his 47 receptions this season against Missouri, Idaho, UL Lafayette and South Alabama.  He had nine versus the Vandals, a school-record 15 against Missouri and six against both the Ragin’ Cajuns and Jaguars.  McKissic also finished the Missouri game with a season-high 117 receiving yards, marking the fifth time of his career he has posted 100 in a game.

A FLARE FOR THE DRAMATIC:  Sophomore RB Michael Gordon is responsible for two of the three longest runs by A-State this year, including a 92-yard outburst against UAPB that was the second longest in school history.  Gordon posted a 64-yard touchdown run against Troy as well, and he is averaging 8.3 yards per attempt (34) that stands as the third highest in school history for a single season.  Gordon has two 100-yard rushing games, including a 102-yard showing against UAPB and a 115-yard effort versus Troy.

UNBUCKLE THE BELT:  The Red Wolves opened Sun Belt Conference play in their third game of the season, the earliest since 2010 when they played their second game against a league opponent.  A-State improved to 8-5 all-time in Sun Belt Conference openers with its 41-34 victory over Troy.  The Red Wolves’ victory was their first in an SBC opener since 2011.

NFF RECOGNIZES DAVIS:  Senior kicker Brian Davis has been announced as a National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Awards candidate and a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the top scholar-athlete in the nation.  Davis is among 170 national candidates, including 54 from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), for the NFF’s Scholar-Athlete Awards.  Candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least a 3.2, possess outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH:  Arkansas State has 25 underclassmen (sophomores or freshmen) listed on its 2-deep.  The list includes 13 sophomores, six redshirt freshmen and six true freshmen.  Among the underclassmen, six are listed as starters on the offensive or defensive side of the ball.  A-State’s 25 underclassmen on its two-deep was tied for the 14th most in the nation with Colorado and Illinois according to the 2013 initial depth charts.  Virginia listed 34 players on its opening-day two-deep for the most among all teams.

IN THE POLLS:  Arkansas State ended the 2012 season receiving votes in the final major polls, including 28 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and 13 in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll.  Both totals placed the Red Wolves 32nd in the nation. The Red Wolves were also among “others receiving votes” in the 2013 preseason and week two USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll.

NCAA RECORD:  A-State became the seventh FBS team in NCAA history to have four players (David Oku, Fredi Knighten, Michael Gordon, Sirgregory Thornton vs. UAPB) rush for over 100 yards in the same game.  The other teams include Arizona (1951), Texas (1969), Alabama (1973), Army (1984), Nebraska (2001) and Nevada (2009).

FOR STARTERS:  A-State improved to 45-47-6 all-time in season openers with its victory over UAPB on Aug. 31.  The Red Wolves claimed a win in their season-opening game for the first time since 2009.

RUSHING RED WOLVES:  The Red Wolves piled up 509 rushing yards versus UAPB, which were the most in the nation during the season’s first week and still stands as the fifth most.  A-State’s total was also the fifth most in school history and the second most in Sun Belt history.

HOMECOMING HISTORY: With its victory over Idaho, Arkansas State improved to 58-27-1 all-time in Homecoming contests. The Red Wolves have now won 10 of their last 11 Homecoming games dating back to the 2003 season.

HOME OPENERS:  With its victory over UAPB on Aug. 31, Arkansas State won its ninth consecutive home opener dating back to the 2005 campaign.  The Red Wolves now stand 29-11 all-time in home openers at Liberty Bank Stadium and are also 15-6 in such games since moving to the FBS in 1992.

RETURNING ALL-SUN BELT PEFORMERS:  Arkansas State returned five All-Sun Belt Conference players from the 2012 season, including first team selections David Oku (Sr., RB) and Ryan Carrethers (Sr., DL).  J.D. McKissic (So., WR) and Brian Davis (Sr., K) were both second-team choices, while Qushaun Lee (Jr., LB) was named honorable mention.

PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE:   Arkansas State placed a league-high seven players on the 2013 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.  Senior running back David Oku, sophomore wide receiver J.D. McKissic and sophomore center Bryce Giddens all represented the A-State offense on the preseason squad.  ASU’s defensive players earning a spot on the team were senior defensive lineman Ryan Carrethers, junior linebacker Qushaun Lee and junior safety Sterling Young.   Senior kicker Brian Davis, also made the list.

RED WOLVES TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON SBC POLL:  The Red Wolves were picked third in the preseason coaches poll announced as part of the league’s annual Media Day.  A-State received 45 points and two first-place votes behind UL Lafayette and UL Monroe, which both received 57 points.

ASU ANNOUNCES FOOTBALL FACILITY PROJECT:  Arkansas State University has announced a $26.7 million football facility project, including a two-level football operations building and 76,000 square-foot indoor practice facility in ASU Stadium’s north end zone.

SUN BELT CHAMPIONS:  Arkansas State claimed its second consecutive outright Sun Belt Conference championship in 2012.  ASU has won nine conference championships all-time.  ASU won the Southland Conference seven times (1986, 1985, 1978, 1975, 1970, 1969, 1968).  ASU also won the 2005 Sun Belt Conference title, but it was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions.  Prior to the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the last time ASU won back-to-back conference championships was 1986 and 1985 when it was a member of the Southland Conference.

BACK-TO-BACK WINNING SEASONS:  Arkansas State secured back-to-back winning seasons in 2011 and 2012 for the first time since 1986-87.  ASU won 10 games in both 2011 and 2012, and its 19 combined regular-season victories were its most ever over a two-year span — topping its 18 in 1974 and 1975.

BOWL ELIGIBLE:  Arkansas State has been bowl eligible five times over the last eight seasons, including the last two in a row.

ATTENDANCE FIGURES:  Arkansas State’s average home attendance last season was a school record 26,398, topping its previous best of 21,256 in 2011.  The 31,243 in attendance for A-State’s 2012 regular-season finale against Middle Tennessee was the largest in Liberty Bank Stadium history, and ASU had two home crowds over 30,000 in the same season for the first time ever.

***

Here is Berry’s press conference on the game with the Red Wolves with local media in Monroe:

MONROE, La. — On Tuesday afternoon, ULM head coach Todd Berry, senior Jon Fisher and senior Madison Tharp met with members of the media in advance of Saturday’s home finale against Arkansas State.

Below are selected quotes from the press conference, the entire press conference can be viewed by clicking the video at the bottom of the page.

Head Coach Todd Berry
Opening statement:
“Obviously, (last Thursday) was a huge win for us.  I think that Troy is a tremendously well-coached team.  They have a mature team with significant athletes.  We won in a hostile environment on a short week and I was impressed with the way we played offensively and defensively.  We had one let down in the kicking game in relation to the blocked punt, but the reality of it is we continued to respond and I think that’s the significant thing.

The atmosphere down there made it a difficult game because of the crowd noise and I think we handled it very well.  Every time that they would threaten, we tended to answer with a big play ourselves.  We had some young players who had to step up and I’m very pleased with that, also.  We talked about reacting and responding.  Reacting is when you don’t know that anything is going to happen and then it happens. There’s that panic mode.  Responding is when you know you’re going to have opportunities and you know things are going to be presented to you, and when they are, you respond accordingly.  I was very, very pleased with some of our younger players who maybe have not seen significant playing time to step up the way they did.

That brings me to this week, and we’re obviously facing another team that I think is very, very talented.  They are a team that’s used to winning and they’ve won the last two conference championships.  They’re used to the transitions.  They’ve become accustomed to it, so I think it’s nothing new to them.  They’re very athletic and tremendously multiple.

Quite honestly, we need to have that same kind of home atmosphere that we faced last week and that we faced at Texas State.  As I mentioned that week, we had to change our cadence up or go to a silent cadence because of the crowd noise.  We need to have that here this week. I want to challenge everybody.  We’ve got an awful lot to play for and we need a great home crowd.  We need great student support.  We need crowd noise and all those other kinds of things.  We all realize that we’re going up against the LSU-Alabama game.  I understand people’s desires in relation to the state and what have you, but the reality is that we need our fans to show up.

We’re going to have a significant number of recruits here this weekend that we want to impact, but more importantly than anything else, we have a senior class that I think has really changed the perception of ULM football.  If you look at the number of guys who have been four-year starters of this senior class and the impact of the blood, sweat and tears that they’ve put in, but also the impact they’ve made, it’s huge.  With this being our last home game, it’s obviously senior day.  I want to encourage our fans not just to show up but show up early before the ball game.  So that way when we walk those seniors out–and you can go right through them: Kolton Browning, Jyruss Edwards, Vincent Eddie–you can go right down through the list of all the seniors that are in this group and hope they will get an excited crowd.  That way we have a chance to get out there and honor them on senior day with just a tremendous crowd.  We’re excited about this game and we’re excited about the opportunities it presents for us.  We’re anxious to respond to all of those.”

On the WR situation:
“Tre’ Perrier stepped up the other day.  Here’s a guy that didn’t play very many games this year.  Most of those were a few snaps at the end of a ballgame in a clean-up mode.  He didn’t have many balls thrown at him and then he goes out and catches two touchdowns.  That’s the way to start your career off.

Ajalen Holley in the very first series really stepped up.  Ajalen’s played a significant role but really hasn’t had to be a focal point.  Now some of these guys are focal points.

We’ve lost Kenzee Jackson for the year, as I mentioned Sunday, which we hate for him.  Tavarese Maye is out for the year, also.  Rashon Ceasar and Je’Ron Hamm missed part of the game on Thursday.

That forces us offensively to go to a few more different personnel groupings, and that’s what we’re working our way through right now.  Generally, we’ll take five or six different personnel groupings into a game.  This week, we’re probably upwards in the 12-15 personnel grouping category.  Not just because we need to have the right guys on the field to make plays in those spots, but we also have to find ways that somebody’s not getting 80 snaps in a row, too.

We’ve always cross-trained our players.  For instance, our tight ends can line up at wide receiver as can our running backs and those can in turn line up in running back mode.  The quarterbacks can do all this, also.  We’ll just have to work our way through it.  It’s going to be a little bit more complicated on the sidelines on Saturday than maybe it has been, so our players are going to have to do a great job in terms of focusing on those different personnel groupings that’s coming out on the field.”

On Ceasar and Hamm specifically:
“I think both of them will be ready to go.  The number of repetitions will still be looked at, so we”ll see what they can get.  Rashon has an upper body and Je’Ron has a lower body injury, and so consequently, we’re going to try to get them repetitions today, but they’ll have to be held back from a contact standpoint.  We’ll see how things go, but I do expect both of them to be available.”

On Arkansas State:
“They’re a mature football team that understands how to win.  You’re right, they’ve gone through some transitions from Hugh (Freeze) to Gus (Malzahn) and now to Brian (Harsin) and they are a very, very multiple team from an offensive perspective.  There’s still some parts left over from Hugh’s time period and Gus’ time period.  Brian’s always been an offensive innovator.  They have a significant number of trick plays that they’ve shown throughout the season.

Defensively, I think that transition has been very easy because the defensive coordinator was retained from last year, so he’s running the same defense he ran last yea.r  It’s a very, very multiple defense.  John Thompson does a fantastic job in terms of keeping you off-balance and utilizing his personnel and adjusting to whatever you go out there and try to do.  We’re looking forward to a great chess match out there because they do a great job transitioning in-game and making those adjustments.  We’re looking forward to the opportunity to do the same.”

Senior OL Jon Fisher
On significant moments in the change of perception of ULM football:
“I was a true freshman when Berry came back, so I was his first recruiting class.  I know a lot of those guys had a tough spring with him before I got here and I know that that followed up through fall camp the next year and now we’re here. It might be tough because I can say there were a lot of summer workouts that I thought I could say this is the turning point or fourth quarters where it was a turning point, but I think that collectively, as a group you see a group of seniors that came here.  When I came here we were 6-6 my senior year of high school and that’s an average team and we wanted to be great.  That was the advantage of coming here because there was an opportunity to change a program and for a senior class to bring that team together and make an impact.”

Senior DS/SS Madison Tharp
On being a local product on Senior Night:
“I can’t wait for that.  We’ve got a big crowd hopefully coming this weekend that can support us and watch us get a good win against a really good Arkansas State team.  I can’t wait to have everyone’s family out here before the game and see all these seniors’ parents and get to hug our dads on the neck and kiss our moms on the forehead then strap them (pads) up and go play a game.”

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