Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas State 56, Memphis 0

OFFENSE – A
HIGHLIGHTS: The Red Wolves did everything right and then some Saturday night. But that should be expected against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent like Alcorn State (1-3). Ryan Aplin broke multiple records and was able to do so attempting only 13 passes and he completed 12 of them for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Arkansas State got scores from seven different Red Wolves, including two from David Oku. Often unseen Sirgregory Thorton and Rod Smith also got in on the action with touchdowns.

LOWLIGHTS: Only one wide receiver managed to grab more than a single catch Saturday night and that was Freshman J.D. McKissic, who caught six for 49 yards and one touchdown. McKissic has turned out to be Aplin’s favorite target since Allen Muse was dismissed from the team and Taylor Stockemer’s continued absence because of an injury. Eight receivers each had one catch with Jarboe, McCants and Derek Kincy reeling in catches of 55, 54 and 33 yards.

DEFENSE – A
HIGHLIGHTS: The defensive front for the Red Wolves was almost unstoppable, as Tim Starson racked up three tackles for a loss, adding to ASU’s total of 11. Eddie Porter forced his second fumble in two weeks which gave Ronnell Wright the chance to recover for a defensive touchdown, again the second in two weeks. Don Jones picked off Alcorn’s John Gibbs at the Braves 40-yard line and returned it to the 18 in the second quarter, setting up Oku’s second touchdown. The Red Wolves limited the Braves to 130 yards and kept them to just one red zone trip that ended in a missed field goal at the end of the first half.

LOWLIGHTS: It didn’t matter in the long run, but the Braves were able to convert both of their fourth down conversions.

SPECIAL TEAMS — C
HIGHLIGHTS: The special teams weren’t on the field much, with the Red Wolves punting only twice for 89  yards. Brian Davis didn’t attempt any field goals.

LOWLIGHTS: Ryan Wilbourn and Luke Ferguson combined for nine kickoffs for 513 yards, but just one touchback. Alcorn State totaled 106 yards on those returns. The punt return game is still struggling to find any production with Rocky Hayes having one “return” for minus 2 yards while also fumbling one return to the Braves. Hayes has been the returner since McKissic muffed a punt for a touchdown against Memphis.

OVERALL — B
WHAT WE LEARNED:  ASU finished the non-conference schedule 2-2, having faced two Top 25 BCS teams, an improved but still struggling Memphis and a lowly Alcorn State. It's still tough to know what kind of ASU team will show up for the beginning of the Sun Belt schedule next week against Western Kentucky. There’s plenty of depth at running back, but the downfield passing game remains suspect without Stockemer. Right now special teams is the most inconsistent unit and could prove to be a huge liability in the midst of a competitive conference schedule.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
OFFENSE: Ryan Aplin only missed once — a third-and-5 pass to McKissic in the first quarter. He threw for just under 200 yards on his way to breaking the ASU career passing touchdown record previously held by Cleo Lemon and he passed Florida Atlantic’s Rusty Smith for second on the Sun Belt’s all-time offensive yardage list.

DEFENSE: Starson set the tempo early, but it was Wright who got the party started with a fumble recovery for a touchdown. It was his only recorded statistic and he made it count.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Neely Sullivent only had to punt twice Saturday night and he averaged 44.5 yards, the longest going for 50.