Jonesboro – Arkansas State find a homecoming in 2022 in what head coach Butch Jones describes as a breakthrough moment.
The Red Wolves put themselves in position to win their last two games on the road, then failed to close either Memphis or Old Dominion in the fourth quarter. At 1-3 this season, with 13 losses in their last 16 games, they are trying to learn how to win.
“It’s the hardest thing to do when you’re making a program. You really need a defining moment when you have to win one of those games and suddenly, there’s a confidence boost,” said Jones, whose Past head coaching experience includes stops in Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Tennessee. “We’ve been everywhere, when we’ve changed schedules, so I can tell you every single game in three different locations, what the defining moments are.” Yes, what changed it? Once you start having that defining moment, it’s confidence that you’re always going to win. ,
The homecoming offers another opportunity as the Red Wolves (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) host longtime rival Louisiana-Monroe (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt). Kickoff at Centennial Bank Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
While ASU has a three-game losing streak after playing three consecutive road games, the Red Wolves were in a position to win the final two. He led Memphis in less than five minutes before losing 44-32, then leading Old Dominion in the Sun Belt opener before falling 29-26.
Jones said the Red Wolves are closer to the success that fosters a winning mentality. With about 79 percent of the roster freshman and sophistication, many of them have limited experience in college football, let alone the crucible of a close game.
“For a lot of these individuals, this is the first time they’ve actually been in these situations,” Jones said. “As frustrating as it may be at times, you also have to step back, let the emotions out and sort of remedy what you’re doing. I measure it by taking the emotions out.
“It starts teaching me how to win. Are there things we could do better to help support players on game day? Absolutely, those are things we talk about in our schedules, but I think it comes down to a defining moment that changes everything. ,
ASU was close a week ago despite playing without two of its best wide receivers, arguably its best defensive players and an offensive attack.
The Red Wolves led ODU 12-0 at halftime and probably should have enjoyed a bigger margin, Jones said. He began slipping in the third quarter, skipping big plays to fall behind the Monarchs, still running for 80 yards to take a 26-21 lead in the fourth quarter.
An ASU fumble gave ODU a short field and a fourth-down pass interference call kept the Emperors’ game-winning touchdown drive alive.
“I think we’ve always understood what the standard of the game was,” said ASU senior quarterback James Blackman. “For the whole game, we just have to live up to that standard because you can see that as you watch the movie, we are playing good football right now.
“We just have to find a way to finish, finish the game, execute in the late moments when they need us. We can’t get stale when we commit offense and we can’t turn the ball. If we clear some of those things, we will be in a good position. We will be in a good position by the end of the match.”
Sophomore safety Justin Parks said the Red Wolves need to treat every play like it’s their last.
“These last two games have really come down to four or five plays, and four or five plays isn’t really a lot of plays, but they are deciding the game,” Parks said. “That’s one thing I’m learning myself, just treat every play as the last play, like, ‘Dang, this play could make us lose the game.’ You have to play every snap to win. You have to win every snap. That’s one thing we all have to do better.”
ULM head coach Terry Bowden described tonight’s game as a “perception game” for the Warhawks, who have lost 12 in a row against the Red Wolves. Another such game went ULM’s way at Monroe last weekend as the Warhawks rallied with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 21-17 win over Sun Belt champion Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Warhawks have not won at Jonesboro since the Sun Belt’s inaugural football season in 2001. He dropped a 27-24 decision against ASU last season.
“As always we are underdogs and we have to find a way to play close and win close games, but we are excited to play them,” Bowden said.
While the Red Wolves are yet to see improvement in terms of wins and losses, some key statistical areas show positive changes.
Hasty offense and hasty defense are two examples. ASU was the nation’s worst in both categories last season, averaging 82.4 rushing yards per game while opponents averaged 261.1. Through four games, the Red Wolves average 149.8 rushing yards while dropping only 114 per game.
ASU wants to translate those statistics into scoreboard success.
“It’s one thing that I remember Coach Jones said after the Louisiana game last year. We love improvement, but I don’t believe in moral victory,” Parks said. “We want to win. We have to win. That’s just the bottom line.
“It’s good to see improvement, but we have to take the next step. Nothing I love more than winning, and I’m pretty sure everyone feels the same way, so we just have to keep grinding.”