Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas State 36, South Alabama 29

OFFENSE – B
HIGHLIGHTS: After a choppy first half, Ryan Aplin settled in for a perfect second half, completing all 12 of his passes to finish 17 of 22 for 203 yards while throwing three touchdowns. The only plus for Aplin in the first half was a 2-yard touchdown run for the Red Wolves' first score. Aplin threw his touchdowns to J.D. McKissic and Josh Jarboe (each catching his third of the year) and Taylor Stockemer, his first. Stockemer extended his streak of games with a catch to 36 while also catching his 14th career touchdown and taking fifth place at ASU for career receiving yards. David Oku, with his running touchdown in the first quarter, raised his season total to a team-high seven.

LOWLIGHTS: Turnovers. While ASU might have put up decent numbers Saturday night, it could have been a lot better if not for three turnovers, all by fumble in the first half. McKissic took one of his signature screen passes on the Red Wolves' first play, but put the ball on ground for USA to recover, setting up Ross Metheny’s first touchdown pass of the game. While Aplin finished strong, he didn’t do much in the first half outside of his touchdown run, only completing five of 10 passes for 43 yards, while committing three fumbles, with two of them coming on consecutive plays. The usually dynamic Aplin managed to finish with just 1 net yard of rushing.

DEFENSE – C-plus
HIGHLIGHTS: Senior linebacker Nathan Herrold made a career high 17 tackles, which is the most by an ASU player since Tyrell Johnson made 25 against North Texas in 2005. Herrold also got his first career interception in the first half when he picked Metheny off at the ASU 19 and ran it to the USA 43. Chris Stone and Ryan Carrethers teamed up for the Red Wolves' only sack, giving ASU at least one in 21 straight games.

LOWLIGHTS: South Alabama, in its first season of Sun Belt play, entered Saturday’s game averaging around 13 points per game and ended with more than twice that. USA had only scored more than 10 points once this season, when it had 31 in a loss to UT-San Antonio to begin the season. USA also averages 300 yards per game and was able to pound out 373 with Metheny and six different running backs. ASU couldn’t keep the Jaguar offense off the field, allowing nine of 20 third-down conversions and continuing to give up fourth-down conversions, this time allowing four of six with the last one a touchdown. It all helped USA win the time of possession with 35:39 while ASU didn’t even come close to its usual goal of 90 plays a game, only getting off 55 on Saturday night.

SPECIAL TEAMS — D-minus
HIGHLIGHTS: It took until the seventh game of the season, but the Red Wolves finally had a decent punt return. Rocky Hayes took a punt 19 yards in the first quarter for the Red Wolves' longest return of the season.

LOWLIGHTS: ASU attempted three punts Saturday night and they pretty much went nowhere. Neely Sullivent’s two attempts shanked, going for 13 and 28 yards, while Ryan Wilbourn, who has been limited in action this year, had his attempt blocked by Maleki Harris, giving South Alabama the ball at the ASU 34.

OVERALL — B-minus
WHAT WE LEARNED: This wasn’t one of those games where it wasn’t as close as the scoreboard suggests. South Alabama had Arkansas State’s number Saturday night if it wasn’t for some key Jaguar penalties that kept ASU drives alive to produce scores. Stockemer’s return to a healthy status proved to be the key for the Red Wolves with his final score the deciding factor. Just when it seems like the Red Wolves are working out the kinks in one facet of the game, something sets them back, though the special teams still doesn’t have anything to be proud of one game past the halfway mark. Something needs to be fixed when South Alabama, a team averaging 13 points a game against teams like Nicholls State, Troy and Mississippi State, puts up 29. ASU doesn’t play for 10 days until it visits Louisiana Lafayette and then we might finally have an answer to what kind of team the 2012 Red Wolves are.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
OFFENSE: Stockemer was at full strength for the first time this season, catching four balls for a team high 65 yards and the earning the difference making touchdown.

DEFENSE: Herrold made a career high 17 tackles and got his fist career interception

SPECIAL TEAMS: Frankie Jackson had three kickoff returns for 67 yards with his longest going for 27.