Red Wolves' defense turns opportunistic
Summary
Pick/market: In three games the Arkansas State Red Wolves' defense has produced seven turnovers and has the team on the plus slide of the turnover margin with a quarter of the season complete.
In three games the Arkansas State Red Wolves' defense has produced seven turnovers and has the team on the plus slide of the turnover margin with a quarter of the season complete.
Sitting 1-2 going into the non-conference finale at home on Saturday against Kennesaw State (1-2), the Red Wolves have collected five interceptions.
"Players have done a very good job and I think we've been very opportunistic,'' said A-State coach Butch Jones. "I think first of all, knock on wood, is we have caught the football and we spend a lot of time from a defensive perspective on ball skills. Usually, when you think about it, when a defensive player makes an interception his body is in an awkward position, the ball is not intended for him, so it's not a perfectly thrown football. I think we have done a good job of breaking and driving and we have taken advantage of our opportunities.
"Every interception has its own story. Sometimes our defensive front has done a good job, other times we have been in transition and able to undercut the route or go up and make a contested catch and play the ball in the air.
"We will be challenged Saturday night. They are going to throw five or six deep balls on us with double moves and all of that. They do a good job with their route tree with the routes looking the same and the distribution looking the same so this will be our biggest challenge to date of playing the ball in the air against a really quality quarterback and a really quality receivers and tight ends."
Jones was mostly pleased with the defense in the 31-7 loss to TCU last week.
"When you look at the film we probably played well enough to win for three quarters and in some areas three and a half quarters but when you play a quality opponent like that you've got to play four quarters of really solid football and you can't have any mental lapses," the coach said. "You have to make them beat you. You can't give them anything but at the end of the day we had too many missed assignments on offense and defense and we didn't make any momentum changing plays on special teams."
Robert Stevens, Five Hamilton, Brandon Greil, Kyle Williams and Dontrae Henderson have the interceptions. Greil also has a fumble recovery.
"I think as a defensive unit I thought we played well enough for three fourths of the football game. Five Hamilton was very active and made some plays and had some big tackles. I thought we tackled better particularly in space. I thought our defensive line took a step forward and they progressed from game one to game two to game three but I think it's the small details, and I've always said this, it's the small details that nobody sees that adds up to the big details that everybody wants.
"When you play like teams they prey off your mistakes. When you play good football teams if you have one bad moment they're going to capitalize off your mistakes and they were able to do that and that's what good football teams do
"If you go back and look at the West Georgia game, that is what we were able to do, so I think it's our players understanding that you play one play at a time, you play it to the best of your ability. Every play has a life of its own and you snap and clear and move on. You can't get that play back whether you're successful or not successful and you've got to let it go and there'll be a time and a place to learn from that and get better but in the moment and I think that comes with the maturity that comes with wisdom.
"I thought we were very active. I thought we played hard. I thought we ran to the football but I think it is the small details of understanding situational football. "
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Teams:
Arkansas State
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