Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas State has its non-conference schedule out of the way. Now the real games can begin.

The Red Wolves enter Sun Belt Conference play Saturday against Western Kentucky (3-1) in nearly the same position as last year. They’re 2-2 under a first-year head coach after facing two BCS schools, a down on its luck Memphis squad and an FCS opponent.

Unlike last year, the Red Wolves begin league play as the defending Sun Belt champs. Their title defense begins against a Hilltoppers team that has become a proven threat in the Sun Belt, winning 10 of its last 12 games.

“We’ve definitely turned the page,” Arkansas State Coach Gus Malzahn said. “This is a big game, that’s the bottom line. They’re one of the better teams in our conference, you could tell that early on. They’ve got most of their guys coming back. It was a dog fight last year and Arkansas State pulled it out in the end and I know they remember it.”

Since WKU joined the Sun Belt, the Red Wolves and Hilltoppers have played three games each decided by five or fewer points. ASU won last year’s game 26-22 after WKU took the 2010 game in overtime, 26-25.

Losing to the Red Wolves was the only blemish on Western Kentucky's conference record in 2011. Coach Willie Taggart expects another good game from two teams that figure to factor into the Sun Belt Conference race.

“It’s just two good football teams that like playing football on Saturdays,” said Taggart, whose team beat a SEC team, Kentucky, in Week 2. “It’s a competitive conference and you’ve got two teams chasing the same thing and when you have that, you’re going to get a good football game.”

Western Kentucky builds its offense around a power running game. Junior Antonio Andrew is the Hilltopper’s main rusher with 327 yards and four touchdowns. WKU’s leading receiver is tight end Jack Doyle who has caught 18 passes for 184 yards.

Even in their lone loss to Alabama, Willie Taggert’s defense was formidable, getting six sacks with three coming from senior lineman Quanterus Smith, who ASU offensive line coach J.B. Grimes called “the real deal.”

When it comes to setting up the ASU running attack the offensive line, which has been anchored by true freshman Bryce Giddens, won't alter much.

“If you start tweaking too much, then you don’t believe in what you’re doing,” Grimes said. “We won’t change a tremendous amount. We won’t reinvent the wheel just because we’re going against a great defense.”

With an average of 267 yards per game, ASU, led by junior David Oku, will field the ninth best rushing attack in the country Saturday. Oku is coming off a game in which he scored a career best two touchdowns while taking a few snaps from the Wildcat formation.