2011-2012 Football Previews – Sun Belt Conference – Arkansas St. Red Wolves
Steve Roberts was at Arkansas State for nine seasons. The Red Wolves seemed to really be on the upswing with Roberts at the helm until the last two seasons.
Sun Belt Conference 2011-2012 Football Previews: Arkansas State Red Wolves
Head Coach: Hugh Freeze
2010 Record: 4-8
Arkansas State Gambling Odds from JustBet to win BCS: +1,500 (Part of Field)
Arkansas State Odds from 5Dimes to win Sun Belt Conference: +675
Arkansas St. Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
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Arkansas State went 4-8 in 2009 when they were favored to win the Sun Belt, and they followed that up with another 4-8 campaign in 2010.
Roberts resigned at the end of last year, and Arkansas State named Hugh Freeze the new head coach. Roberts didn’t leave the cupboard bare, but now it is up to Freeze to take this program to the next level.
Freeze was the offensive coordinator in 2010, and the success of his no huddle offense led the team to believe he was the right man for the job. Arkansas State racked up the points in 2010, but they ranked dead last in the Sun Belt in total defense.
If the Red Wolves are going to improve significantly, they must get better on the defensive side of the ball.
Team Strengths:
Ryan Aplin was the starter last year under Freeze’s fast paced offense, and Aplin absolutely thrived in the offense.
Aplin racked up 2,931 yards and touchdown passes over the course of the season, and he also ran for 477 yards and 11 touchdowns. Aplin is only a junior and I fully expect him to get much better over the next couple seasons.
The Red Wolves will easily have the best group of wide receivers in the Sun Belt. Dwayne Frampton, Taylor Stockemer, and Allen Muse were all terrific last season.
They are all back with an extra year of experience under their belts. In addition to the three stars already at the school, junior college transfer Josh Jarboe, who was previously with Oklahoma, will likely be a huge addition. This group has everything a coach could ever ask for, and they should dominate every secondary they face in the Sun Belt.
Demario Davis leads a group of linebackers that should be much improved from a year ago. Davis is the guy that the coaches are looking to as the leader on the defensive side of the football.
Expect the production from this unit to be up in 2011.
Team Weaknesses:
Center Tom Castilaw is a very good building block for the offensive line, but he is the only returning starter for that unit. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The other four spots along the line will all be filled by inexperienced linemen. Arkansas State has the ability to be great offensively because of their stars at the skill positions, but the offensive line might hold them back.
Arkansas State allowed 230 passing yards per game last season, and they will be using two new starters in the secondary this year. Kelcie McCray is a solid senior leader at the strong safety position, but if the other youngsters don’t catch on quickly this secondary could be exposed by quality passers.
The Red Wolves defensive line was horrific against the run last year. Arkansas State allowed a ridiculous 206 yards per game on the ground in 2010.
The team has a couple of solid defensive ends, but they’ll need someone to step in and clog up the running lanes if they are going to improve a great deal.
2011-2012 Arkansas State Football Prediction: 7-5
Arkansas State lost a lot of close games in 2010, and I definitely think this team will be better this season.
The offense has the potential to be the best in the Sun Belt, but the defense will likely still be a problem. Trips to Illinois and Virginia Tech in the non-conference schedule will be tough, but they also get easy games against Memphis and Central Arkansas. Circle the schedule for the October 18 game against Florida International as a key game for this team.
This team won’t be terrific, but they’ll be much better than last year, and they’ll be a lot of fun to watch.
2011 Arkansas State Red Wolves Schedule
9/3/11 3:30 PM ET @ILL
9/10/11 7:00 PM ET MEM
9/17/11 4:00 PM ET @VATCH
9/24/11 12:00 PM ET CARK
10/1/11 7:00 PM ET @WKEN
10/8/11 12:00 PM ET @ULMON
10/18/11 8:00 PM ET FLINT
10/29/11 12:00 PM ET NOTEX
11/5/11 12:00 PM ET @FLATL
11/12/11 12:00 PM ET ULLAF
11/19/11 12:00 PM ET @MTENN
12/3/11 12:00 PM ET TROY
