GAME 1
Arkansas State (0-0) at Texas A&M (0-0)
August 30, 2008 - Kyle Field (83,002)
College Station, TX - 6:00 p.m.
Radio: Arkansas State Radio Network (KFIN 107.9 FM, flagship)
-Click here for PDF version of ASU game notes vs. Texas A&M-
ON TAP: Arkansas State will open its 94th season of football when it travels to College State to play Texas A&M, which is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, Saturday. Every Arkansas State game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in the Jonesboro area and the live radio broadcast can be accessed through the Arkansas State athletic Web site (astateredwolves.com).
THE PRINCIPALS: Arkansas State opens its 2008 season at Texas A&M on Aug. 30 before returning to Jonesboro to face Texas Southern in its first of three consecutive home games. The Red Wolves return 48 lettermen and 17 starters, including preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selections Reggie Arnold (Jr., RB), Alex Carrington (Jr., DE), David Johnson (Sr., TE), Matt Mandich (Sr., OL) and Ben Owens (Sr., LB). The Red Wolves are picked to finish fourth in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference race according to the preseason coaches poll, released July 21 at the Sun Belt Conference Media Days.
HEAD COACH STEVE ROBERTS: Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts is in his seventh year at Arkansas State after leading the Red Wolves to the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Championship and its most single-season wins over NCAA FBS opponents in 2006. During his first six seasons as the Red Wolves' head coach, he guided ASU to 31 wins for its most over a six-year span at the school since 1986-1991. Roberts was named the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Under Roberts, the Red Wolves have had 53 All-Sun Belt Conference selections, an Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, SBC Offensive Player of the Year, SBC Defensive Player of the Year and SBC Newcomer of the Year.
ROBERTS CLIMBING VICTORIES LADDER: In his first six seasons as the Red Wolves head coach, Steve Roberts already has the fifth most victories among ASU's 26 all-time head coaches with 31 wins. Larry Lacewell (1979-89) holds the record for victories with 69 and is followed by Bennie Ellender (1963-70) with 52 wins, Bill Davidson (1971-78) with 51 and Forrest England (1946-53) with 49.
DEBUT FOR THE RED WOLVES: The Arkansas State football team will play its first ever game as the Red Wolves Saturday. ASU changed its nickname and mascot from the Indians to the Red Wolves at the conclusion of the 2007-08 athletic seasons. More information on the Red Wolves mascot and logos, as well as the change in names can be found on page 171 of the 2008 ASU Football Media Guide.
THE ARKANSAS STATE - TEXAS A&M SERIES: Arkansas State will face the Aggies for the second time under head coach Steve Roberts and the fourth time ever when they meet in the season opener. The Aggies pulled out a 26-11 victory over ASU at Kyle Field in 2003, the last time the two teams met, and escaped with a narrow 22-21 win in College Station in 1984. Texas A&M collected a 38-0 home victory in the series first game, played in 1983.
ARKANSAS STATE vs. BIG 12: ASU has played nine opponents that are currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, including Baylor (0-1), Kansas (0-1), Kansas State (0-2), Missouri(0-2), Oklahoma (0-2), Oklahoma State (0-2), Texas (0-1) and Texas Tech (0-1) in addition to Texas A&M (0-3). The Red Wolves' three games against the Aggies are its most against any member of the conference. The Red Wolves are 0-14 against Big 12 opponents.
SEASON OPENERS: The Red Wolves dropped a tough 21-13 decision to then-ranked No. 4 Texas in last year's season opener. ASU snapped a 10-game skid in season opening games when it defeated Army (14-6) in its 2006 season opener. ASU is 43-44-6 all-time in season openers.
OPENING WITH THE BIG 12: Arkansas State will open its season with a Big 12 opponent for the fifth time in the last six years. The Red Wolves played Texas A&M in its 2003 season opener, Missouri in 2004 and 2005 and Texas in 2006.
94th SEASON ABOUT TO BEGIN: Arkansas State will kick off its 94th season of football this week with its game against Texas A&M. ASU holds a 402-429-37 record since the inaugural 1911 season and have played in seven bowl games.
ROBERTS AND ASU STADIUM: Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts has led the Red Wolves to a 22-7 record at ASU Stadium over the last six years for a .759 winning percentage. Not only that, the Red Wolves are 13-2 at ASU Stadium over the last three seasons.
ROBERTS IN CLOSE GAMES: Seventh-year skipper Steve Roberts has seen numerous close games during his tenure with the Red Wolves, holding an 18-9 record in games decided by eight points or less (38 percent of all his games). Roberts' teams have been especially successful recently in games decided by just one score, holding a 16-6 record in its last 22 games that ended under those circumstances. Following is his record in close games:
Margin Roberts record
1 point 1-0
2 points 1-0
3 points 5-4
4 points 5-1
5 points 0-1
6 points 2-1
7 points 3-1
8 points 1-1
SENIOR RECOGNITION: Every year at ASU's Football Media Day, head coach Steve Roberts gives his seniors a chance to address those in attendance at the press conference. This year's seniors are: Kevin Jones (Shreveport, La.), Dominique Williams (Bastrop, La.), Brett Shrable (Hoxie, Ark.), Travis Hewitt (Ballwin, Mo.), Kansas Garrett (Covington, La.), Ben Owens (Bearden, Ark.), Brian Flagg (Ripley, Tenn.), Vernon Catlin (Culver City, Calif.), Anthony Harris (West Helena, Ark.), Brandon Ciaramitaro (Batesville, Miss.), Sean Marshall (Ashdown, Ark.), Matt Mandich (Hattiesburg, Miss.), Mark Clemons (Reno, Nev.), Zach Eichenberger (Springdale, Ark.), David Johnson (Pine Bluff, Ark.), Richard Neal (Little Rock, Ark.) and Page Gill (Dumas, Ark.).
PRESEASON ALL-SBC ACCOLADES: Five Arkansas State football players have been tabbed Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference. Junior running back Reggie Arnold (Little Rock, Ark.), senior tight end David Johnson (Pine Bluff, Ark.) and senior offensive lineman Matt Mandich (Hattiesburg, Miss.) all represented ASU on the offensive team, while junior defensive end Alex Carrington (Tupelo, Miss.) and senior linebacker Ben Owens (Bearden, Ark.) were named to the defensive squad . . . ASU's five players on the 28-man squad tied Troy for the second most among all the schools. Florida Atlantic had a league-high eight players named to the team. Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe each had three players on the team, while North Texas and Middle Tennessee both had two players.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: The Red Wolves are predicted to finish fourth in the conference according to the league's 2008 preseason coaches poll, announced Monday, July 21 at the Sun Belt's annual Football Media Days in New Orleans . . . ASU received 39 points, just seven fewer than third-place Monroe, in the poll. Florida Atlantic received six of the eight first-place votes and a league-high 62 points, while Troy was picked to finish second with 51 points and one first-place vote. Louisiana-Monroe picked up the final first-place vote and finished with 46 points in the voting. Middle Tennessee was picked fifth with 32 points, Louisiana-Lafayette sixth with 26 points, North Texas seventh with 19 points and Florida International eighth with 13 points.
TELEVISION TIME: Three Arkansas State games will be televised by ESPN Plus and another game televised by CSS in 2008. The Red Wolves' home games against Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 11 (6:00 p.m.) and Florida Atlantic on Nov. 22 (2:00 p.m.) and road game at Troy on Dec. 6 (6:00 p.m.) will all be televised by ESPN Plus, while their game at Alabama on Nov. 1 will be carried by CSS . . . ASU's four regular-season televised games for 2008 ties the second most in school history, matching the 2005 season. The Red Wolves' had a school-record six televised games during the 2007 campaign.
NEW FLAGSHIP RADIO STATION ANNOUNCED: The Arkansas State University Athletic Department, along with East Arkansas Broadcasters, announced July 16 that KFIN 107.9 FM, a 100,000-watt radio station located in Jonesboro, will become the new flagship station and home of Red Wolves' football broadcasts for the 2008 season. KFIN's 100,000-watt signal reaches parts of Tennessee, Missouri and a large portion of Arkansas, giving more ASU football fans the opportunity to follow the Red Wolves during the upcoming season. The full release can be found on astateredwolves.com.
OWENS ON BUTKUS WATCH LIST: Senior linebacker Ben Owens has been named to the watch list for the 2008 Butkus Award, given annually to the top linebacker in college football. Owens, a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection, was one of 66 players named to the watch list after posting a career-high 96 tackles last season that ranked fifth in the Sun Belt. His 96 tackles were just five fewer than team-leader Koby McKinnon, who was on the 2007 Butkus Award Watch List.
MANDICH WATCH LIST: Senior offensive lineman Matt Mandich is not only a preseason First Team All-Sun Belt Conference by a number of college football publications, he is also on a couple of prestigious watch lists. Mandich is on both the Outland Trophy Watch List and Rotary Lombardi Watch List. Not only that, he was named preseason Honorable Mention All-America by Sporting News.
DOUBLE-DIGIT COMEBACKS: Arkansas State has rallied for a victory in seven games when trailing by double-digits under head coach Steve Roberts. Following is a year-by-year list of ASU's double-digit comeback victories under Roberts:
Year Opponent Trailed by Final
2002 ULM 11 33-2
2003 ULM 14 44-41
2003 NMSU 10 28-24
2005 ULL 16 39-36
2005 UNT 10 31-24
2007 Memphis 25 31-24
2007 UNT 21 31-27
QUICK CLIMB: Corey Leonard is making a quick climb up the all-time passing records at Arkansas State. Leonard, just a junior, is already ranked seventh all-time for career completions (291), seventh for passing yards (3,556) and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns (24). Leonard is also ranked sixth all-time for total offense (4,434).
FAST TRACK TO DEGREE: Corey Leonard, just a junior on the football field, went through ASU's Summer Commencement ceremony this year after earning his bachelor's degree in just three years in Business. Leonard is now enrolled graduate school and will begin working toward his master's degree this fall.
GAINING GROUND: With 2,132 career rushing yards, sophomore running back Reggie Arnold is just 50 yards shy of joining the top 10 career rushing leaders in ASU history. Arnold has rushed for at least 100 yards in a game nine times for his career for the seventh most in school history.
400TH VICTORY: With its victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 13 of last year, ASU became the fifth Sun Belt Conference school with 400 all-time wins. ASU is in its 94th season of football and holds an all-time record of 402-427-37 since its inaugural 1911 season. The Red Wolves have played in seven bowl games, including the 2005 New Orleans Bowl.
SIX-YEAR IMPROVEMENT: During seventh-year head coach Steve Roberts' first six seasons at Arkansas State the football program saw its win total increase by almost 100 percent over the previous six years. ASU posted 31 wins over Roberts' first six years, 14 more than it recorded the six years prior to Roberts. In fact, ASU's 31 wins over those six years are the most for a six-year span since 1986-91.
TEAM CAPTAINS: ASU's senior class will alternate throughout the year as team captains. The team will vote on permanent captains at the end of the year.
17 AND UNDER: Arkansas State holds a 14-3 record under head coach Steve Roberts when holding its opponents to 17 points or less. However, ASU is 11-30 over the last six seasons when allowing 17 or more points. The Red Wolves have won 11 of their last 12 games when holding their opponent to 17 or fewer points and has won 26 straight games when holding their opponents to 10 or fewer points.
TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD: The Arkansas State football team has won the Sun Belt Conference Team Academic Award four of the past five years, including 2007.
A VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR: Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe looked on as the Arkansas State Red Wolves went through a two-hour practice at the ASU practice fields during 2008 fall camp. Beebe, who was the guest speaker at the ASU Touchdown Club banquet Tuesday that night, addressed the team following practice, then took time to pose for pictures with ASU players and fans. “Obviously, it was a privilege for us to have the governor of the state of Arkansas here at our practice and to speak to our team,” said ASU Head Coach Steve Roberts. “We are very proud of what he has accomplished and continues to accomplish as the governor and as an ASU Alumni.”
AFCA AWARD: Prior to the start of the 2007 season, the American Football Coaches Association announced that the Arkansas State University football team was one of just 34 Division I-A football programs that graduated 70 percent or more of its student-athletes from their freshman classes of 2001-02.
A TIME TO BOND: When Head Coach Steve Roberts came to ASU, he brought a tradition with him which caught on in a hurry with the players. The night before each game, team members and coaches get together for milk and cookies. During this time, each player sits by and visits with at least three other players he has not visited with throughout the week in order to learn more about his teammates.
