Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
ASU hopes to win ‘lottery’ at Georgia
ATHENS, Ga. — When Arkansas State University faces No. 3 Georgia today at Sanford Stadium, it will represent another venture in ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir’s “lottery.”
Mohajir, who’s known as an aggressive scheduler and has secured matchups with some of the nation’s top programs in his time at ASU, sees games like today in Athens as vital opportunities for the Red Wolves’ program.
“I’ve said it many times that we’re going to try to play the biggest brands in college football, and that’s part of our scheduling philosophy,” Mohajir said last month, in the wake of ASU announcing a 2022 road meeting with Ohio State in Columbus. “The only way that we really change the perception of our program is you got to play elite programs and beat them. It’s like playing the lottery — you got to play them to beat them.”
The national brand exposure is unmistakable, and the monetary payouts are rich. Georgia is cutting ASU a check for $1.8 million, which is tied for the Red Wolves’ most lucrative single-game payout in program history. Michigan next year and Ohio State in 2022 also are paying ASU $1.8 million to come play on the road.
Washington is paying ASU $1.75 million in 2021, Alabama paid $1.7 million last year, and Nebraska paid $1.65 million in 2017. Auburn in 2016 and USC in 2015 each paid $1.3 million, and Tennessee paid $1 million in 2014.
Since ASU Coach Blake Anderson’s first season in 2014, the Red Wolves are 0-7 against Power Five opponents. Beating these caliber of teams is a challenge.
“I know we have to play them. I’m practical,” Anderson said Monday. “I mean we got to pay for this place, and we got to pay for the other sports on campus, and we understand the focus and the job of football.
“We want to play one Power Five, two Group of 5 teams and a [FCS]. That’s our formula. If you’re only gonna play one [Power Five team], there’s only a limited group of people that are gonna pay what you want them to pay, and they’re all good. So you’re picking on the best at that level.
“We don’t have to be better than them all year long. We just got to be good enough to beat them that day.”
Georgia (2-0) is expected to be in the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff mix by season’s end. ASU (1-1) is a 33-point underdog against the Bulldogs.
“You ask how do we do it?” Anderson said of pulling off an upset. “We go play a perfect game, and we hope and pray that they don’t play their perfect game, and we can capitalize on some mistakes and find a way to be in the game in the fourth quarter.
“They’re better than us at most every position. I think we do have a few guys on our team that can play at that level for sure, and we have a few guys that came from that level. But when you look at most of the matchups, they’re gonna be in their favor.”
The Red Wolves learned that the hard way last year.
In the second week of the season, ASU traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face the No. 1 Crimson Tide. Alabama was up 19-0 after one quarter, 40-0 at halftime and rolled to a 57-7 victory, totaling 599 yards of offense in the process.
“Emotionally, I thought we went out there and we were not ourselves for the first 7-8 minutes of the game,” Anderson said. “That could have been a reasonably competitive game, but we were so overwhelmed, just the environment and all that was going on early, we played so bad.”
It should be noted that fellow Sun Belt Conference member Georgia State went into Neyland Stadium two weeks ago and upset Tennessee. As improbable as that was, ASU upsetting Georgia today in Athens is a greater long shot.
After a frustrating season-opening loss to SMU in Jonesboro, ASU rebounded last Saturday by throttling UNLV in Las Vegas. That result came hours after Anderson unexpectedly rejoined the team to coach, ending his nearly three-week absence after losing his wife, Wendy, to breast cancer on Aug. 19.
It’s clear having Anderson back was needed for the Red Wolves. Players and coaches have praised the job that first-year defensive coordinator David Duggan did as the interim coach, but Anderson’s return has infused new energy.
“It was definitely some adjusting that we had to do [without Anderson],” senior cornerback Jeremy Smith said. “We adapted pretty well, but it’s comfortable with Coach A in the position.”
Today in Athens, Georgia fans are planning to wear pink to the game in honor of Wendy Anderson. The initiative was launched this week
by Athens’ nonprofit organization, Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer.
“Blake’s done a tremendous job with this team, this program,” Georgia Coach Kirby Smart told reporters this week. “We know what he’s had to go through and got a lot of respect for him and what he’s been through and how he’s pushed through it.”
On the field, the Red Wolves’ offense will test its mettle against a top-tier SEC defense. ASU’s defense, meanwhile, will have its hands full trying to limit Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, who’s a top NFL prospect in many eyes, as well as an imposing running game led by D’Andre Swift, who led the Bulldogs in rushing last year with 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“This might be one of the best college football teams I’ve ever had to prepare for,” Duggan said.
Anderson and ASU will find out soon whether the benefits of today go beyond the big payday and exposure.
“When we do get it done, everybody in the country is gonna know about it. I’d love for that to be this week that it happens,” Anderson said. “Bottom line, if they’re at their best, we’re not gonna beat them. We need them to be thinking about Notre Dame [which is Georgia’s opponent next Saturday in Athens]. I hope they are.”