This is uncharted territory.
What has happened at Arkansas State University the past two years reminds me of those car commercials where they brag about vehicles going from zero to 70 in 5 seconds – or whatever time frame is supposed to be good. And that analogy easily fits the former “sleepy little school in northeast Arkansas.”
Who saw this coming two years ago for the Red Wolves after consecutive 4-8 seasons and Steve Roberts’ offensive coordinator, Hugh Freeze, was promoted to the head coaching job after Roberts was forced out?
Most likely no one.
For those who have not paid attention here are the facts:
- 2011: 10-3 – Sun Belt Conference champions with 8-0 record, and a GoDaddy.com Bowl berth.
- 2012: 10-3 – Sun Belt Conference champions with 7-1 record, a GoDaddy.com Bowl bid, and a victory over a Top 25 team.
The 2011 season was unexpected. But Freeze’s fast-paced offense, combined with a star-studded defense, got a couple of breaks for early road wins at Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe and took off. If not for an inexperienced and undermanned coaching staff the Red Wolves might of had their first bowl victory a year ago.
The 2012 season, then with Gus Malzahn at the helm, was not expected to be as good, by some.
Meeting with a group of Red Wolves followers in August, we set aside predictions. Mine was 7-5, and I was the low mark in the group. I think there might have been a 9-3, but I am not sure. No one predicted 10 victories.
The early season went as expected — losses to Oregon and Nebraska, and home victories over Memphis and Alcorn State.
In the fifth game, at home with Western Kentucky, the Red Wolves led 13-0 at halftime and it could have easily been 21-0. The second half, after an injury to the Hilltoppers’ quarterback and a special teams miscue, WKU rallied for a 26-13 victory. At 2-3, and looking at the rest of the schedule, finding seven victories was not easy.
The following week at Florida International, a Thursday night game nationally televised on ESPN2, the Red Wolves were dominated in the first quarter and sputtered on offense and seven wins seemed even more unlikely.
But the second quarter of that game seemed to be the turning point. ASU went on to roll the bound-for-Conference-USA Panthers 34-20.
From there, it seemed this team never looked back.
There were a couple of close calls – 36-29 at home vs. South Alabama and 41-34 at Troy – but by the way the team was playing at that time you had the sense it was going to prevail.
By time late October arrived, ASU was rolling on offense and John Thompson’s defense, a unit of tough, hard-nose players, had meshed into a strong group. While Malzahn’s offense was impressive, the better coaching job for the Red Wolves belonged to Thompson, who was almost starting from scratch after the 2011 Red Wolves lost five players to NFL training camps.
In the final two games, ASU shut out Middle Tennessee 45-0 and was the backbone of a 17-13 victory over Kent State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Looking ahead, the schedule looks favorable for new coach Bryan Harsin. The four non-conference games are Idaho and Arkansas-Pine Bluff at home, a trip to Memphis and to Auburn, a game that has been pegged Auburn-geddon because it matches the Red Wolves with Malzahn.
And after the past two seasons, expectations among the energized Red Wolves’ fan base will be high. That’s what comes with success.
Loading ...
