FIU at ASU in-depth preview

FIU at ASU in-depth preview

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 Demario Davis
JONESBORO - Arkansas State plays the first of back-to-back home
games when it faces preseason Sun Belt Conference
favorite FIU at 7 p.m. Tuesday at ASU Stadium in
a nationally-televised game on ESPN2. Every
A-State game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in Jonesboro,
88.3 FM in Little Rock and at AStateRedWolves.com.

2011 ASU SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Sept. 3 at Illinois (TV) L, 15-33
SEPT. 10 MEMPHIS (TV) W, 47-3
Sept. 17 at No. 13 Virginia Tech (TV) L, 7-26
SEPT. 24 CENTRAL ARKANSAS (TV) W, 53-24
Oct. 1 at Western Kentucky* (TV) W, 26-22
Oct. 8 at Louisiana-Monroe* W, 24-19
OCT. 18 FIU* (TV) 7:00 p.m.

OCT. 29 NORTH TEXAS*^ 6:00 p.m.
Nov. 5 at Florida Atlantic* TBA
NOV. 12 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE* 2:00 p.m.
Nov. 19 at Middle Tennessee* (TV) TBA
DEC. 3 TROY* 2:00 p.m.
*SBC game ^Homecoming All Times Central

THE PRINCIPALS: A-State moved its overall record to 4-
2 and Sun Belt Conference mark to 2-0 with a 24-19 victory
over ULM. The Red Wolves played four of their first
six games on the road, including its first two conference
games, but now has four of its final six regular season
games in Jonesboro. FIU, which started the season 3-0,
snapped a two-game skid last week with a 27-17 victory
over Akron and holds a 4-2 overall and 1-1 league record.
A-State brings a 2-0 home record into the game, while
FIU is 2-0 on the road this season.

THE ASU-FIU SERIES: ASU holds a 4-2 onfield record against
FIU in a series that dates back to just the 2005 season. A-State
won the first three meetings, but FIU picked up victories two
of the last three games. FIU defeated ASU 31-24 last season
and its only other victory in the series came 22-21 in 2008.
The Red Wolves are 3-0 at home versus the Panthers, including
a 27-10 win in 2009 when the teams last met at ASU Stadium.
Both FIU wins have been by a touchdown or less, while three
of A-State's four victories have been by 17 or more points

AN A-STATE VICTORY WOULD . . .: Give the Red Wolves
their best record through seven games, their first 3-0
Sun Belt Conference start and their first four-game winning
streak since 2006 . . . Improve its all-time on-field
record against FIU to 5-2.

THROUGH SIX: Arkansas State holds its best record
through six games since 2008 when it was 4-2 as well.
The last time ASU held a 5-2 or be er through seven
games was 2006 when it was 5-2.

ON A ROLL: ASU has won three consecutive games for
the first time since 2006 when it actually won four in a
row over FIU, ULM, Memphis and North Texas. The
wins over FIU, ULM and North Texas during the streak
gave the Red Wolves their only 3-0 start to Sun Belt play
in school history.

 
Ryan Aplin 
TOP 50: Arkansas State is ranked among the top 50
teams in the nation in 11 stats categories, including
total offense (36) and total defense (34). ASU also ranks
in the top 50 in tackles for loss (10), sacks (24), net
punting (24), pass offense (19), pass efficiency (49),
pass efficiency defense (37), scoring defense (T35),
punt returns (25) and rushing defense (44).

HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE: After enjoying successful
stints as both a head and assistant coach at the NCAA
FBS, NAIA and high school levels over the last 18 years,
Hugh Freeze was named Arkansas State's 27th head
football coach on Dec. 2, 2010. Freeze most recently
completed his first season as Arkansas State's offensive
coordinator, guiding the Red Wolves' offense to a
record-breaking year in 2010.

A-STATE vs. SUN BELT CONFERENCE: Arkansas State is
65-63-1 all-time against current members of the Sun
Belt Conference. Since the league's inaugural football
season in 2001, the Red Wolves hold a 36-36 on-field
record against all opponents that have been a member
of the league. Against current members of the conference,
ASU is 31-32 since 2001. The Red Wolves hold
their most all-time victories against Louisiana-Monroe
with 19. The Red Wolves have defeated every team in
the SBC since the football league was formed in 2001.

ASU IN SUN BELT RANKINGS
Stat                     ASU             Rank         Leader
Total Defense         344.8 ypg        1             ASU
Pass Defense          222.0 ypg        1             ASU
Pass Def. Effic.       119.6              1             ASU
Ints                       8 ints             T1             ASU/ULL
Scoring Defense     21.2 ppg         T1              ASU/FIU

ON THIS DATE: Arkansas State stands 3-5 all-time when
playing on Oct. 18, including a 1-2 home record and 2-
4 road mark. The Red Wolves last played on the date in
2008, falling 28-23 to Louisiana-Lafayette on the road.
A-State's last victory on Oct. 18 came 20-17 at Louisiana
Tech in 1986, but ASU has also defeated Cincinnati and
Louisiana-Lafayette on the date.

CROWD SUPPORT: Arkansas State's first two home
games this season were played in front of the largest
back-to-back crowds in ASU Stadium history. The
29,872 in attendance for the Memphis game was the
second largest in ASU Stadium history and the 27,918
announced for the UCA game was the fourth largest.
ASU Stadium reached 94 percent of its maximum capacity
for the Red Wolves' first two home games combined.
Based on attendance sorted by percent of
stadium capacity, ASU ranks No. 41 in the nation.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Red Wolves have won two consecutive
games on the road for the first time since 2006.
ASU's last two victories marked the first time since 1985
it won two road games during consecutive weeks. The
victories also marked the first time in school history that
ASU won back-to-back road games against Sun Belt opponents.

SUN BELT PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Senior safety Kelcie
McCray was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of
the week and junior defensive back Don Jones earned
the league's Special Teams Player of the Week award
following A-State's victory over ULM. McCray recorded
a career-high two interceptions against the Warhawks,
while Jones blocked and returned a punt for a touchdown
in the game. A-State has now had four players
named a Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week, including
McCray, Jones, Ryan Aplin (Jr., QB) and Brian
Davis (So., K).

BIG HITTERS: Arkansas State has recorded at least one
play of at least 40 yards in five of its six games. The Red
Wolves have nine plays of 40 yards or more for all six
games combined, including seven passing. Four different
players have caught a pass for at least 40 yards, including
Dwayne Frampton, Josh Jarboe, Taylor Stockemer
and Frankie Jackson. ASU's longest pass was
a 71-yard completion from Ryan Aplin to Jarboe, and
its longest rush was 48 yards by Jackson.

CAREER DAY: Senior wide receiver Dwayne Frampton
recorded a school-record 13 receptions for a career-high
147 yards and one touchdown last game against
ULM. Frampton's 13 receptions tied the seventh most
in the nation this season and topped his previous school
record of 12, set last season at Indiana. His 147 receiving
yards tied the 15th most in school history.

THREE IN A ROW: Senior WR Dwayne Frampton has
posted three consecutive 100-yard receiving games,
including a career-high 147 yards last game. He also had
99 receiving yards in the season opener at Illinois. Over
the last three games, Frampton is averaging 10.0 receptions
and 124.3 yards per game. For the entire year,
he ranks No. 10 in the nation in receptions (7.8 rpg)
and tied for 24th in receiving yards (101.0 ypg). Frampton
is on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

APLIN TAKES OVER 3RD: Junior quarterback Ryan Aplin
took over third place for career passing yards at ASU
during the Red Wolves' last game at ULM. Aplin, who
holds the school record for passing yards in a game (438
at UL Lafayette in 2010), threw for a season-high 396
(2nd most of his career) earlier this season at WKU.
Aplin is one of just three players to record over 5,000
passing yards (5,474). He is also ranked fourth all-time
at ASU in total offense (6,381 yds.), third in completions
(467) and fourth in TD passes (30).

SCALES STEPS UP: Junior cornerback Chaz Scales got
his first start of the season last game at ULM and responded
with a career-high 10 tackles. Scales previous
high was six, set against Troy last season. He also had a
career-high two pass break-ups against the Warhawks.

ANOTHER INTERCEPTION FOR FEEMSTER: Senior cornerback
Darryl Feemster has recorded one interception
in each of the past two games and has three over the
last four games. Feemster's team-high three interceptions
places him tied for the second most in the Sun Belt
Conference. He now has four interceptions over his
two-year career at ASU. The Reno, Nev., native had five
interceptions in two seasons at Los Angeles Harbor College
before transferring to A-State.

FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE: Arkansas State returned
a blocked punt for a TD during the ULM game
for the first time since 2000 (Sean Mitchell block and
Danny Smith return against Richmond). Junior DB Don
Jones blocked his first career punt and also returned it
for a touchdown. It was ASU's first special teams score
since Kevin Jones returned a punt for a TD against Memphis
in 2007.

UNDER 100: The Arkansas State defense has not surrendered
100 yards rushing to an individual player this
season. FIU's leading rusher, Khedrik Rhodes, has
recorded to 100-yard rushing games this season and is
ranked No. 2 in the Sun Belt in rushing yards per game.
A-State was the first to hold WKU running back Bobby
Rainey under 100 yards in eight games and also held
Virginia Tech's David, Wilson, the nation's seventh leading
rusher, under 100 yards earlier this season. ASU is
ranked No. 44 in the nation in rushing defense.

TWICE AS NICE: The Red Wolves are one of just eight
teams in the nation to record at least 600 yards of total
offense in two or more games this season, joining Georgia
Tech, Houston (3), Oregon, Wisconsin, Oklahoma
State, Baylor and Oklahoma. A-State piled up 646 yards
of total offense, the fourth most in school history,
against UCA. ASU also posted 611 yards of total offense,
the eighth most in school history, against Memphis.

THE RETURN GAME: Senior WR Rod Hall finished the
WKU with 46 kickoff return yards, making him the ninth
player in school history to record over 1,000 career KO
return yards in a career. Senior WR Dwayne Frampton
had a career-long 43 yard punt return, which was also
the longest by an ASU player since 2008. His 50 yards
total against WKU was also the most of his career.

TWO OVER 100: Senior WR Dwayne Frampton
recorded 9 receptions for 126 yards and junior WR Josh
Jarboe hauled in 9 passes for 112 yards against WKU,
marking the fist me two ASU players have posted over
100 yards receiving in the same game since 1997. RB
Austin Tinsley and WR Lenny Johnson were the last duo
to accomplish the feat with 107 and 104 yards, respectively,
against UL Lafayette on Oct. 4, 1997.

 

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