Wolves struggle right from start
AUBURN, Ala. — A ball hadn’t been snapped and things were already going poorly for Arkansas State.
ASU broke out new gray jerseys with red numbers for Saturday night’s game against Auburn, but the Red Wolves were penalized after the opening kickoff for not wearing colors that contrasted with the Tigers.
The fashion mistake helped put Auburn at midfield, Nick Marshall threw a touchdown pass 10 plays later, and ASU spent the rest of the night trying to catch up to the Tigers.
ASU never managed to get into the end zone as the Red Wolves lost 38-9 to the Tigers and former coach Gus Malzahn.
A week after rushing for 509 yards, the Red Wolves (1-1) were held to just 150 — 74 coming from quarterback Adam Kennedy — and failed
five times to score a touchdown after driving inside the Auburn 25.
Auburn (2-0) didn’t waste its opportunities, scoring touchdowns on its first three trips inside ASU’s 20 while taking a 21-3 lead into halftime.
“We were moving the ball up and down the field,” Kennedy said. “We just struggled in the red zone, which you can’t do. They took advantage, and they took it to us.”
Those deficiencies near the goal line made a game that was fairly even statistically a bit more lopsided.
ASU gained 422 yards to Auburn’s 468, committed few penalties, and both teams turned over the ball once. It was a defensive performance that surprised even Malzahn, who coached or recruited all but one of ASU’s starters during his 12-month stay in Jonesboro, which included winning last year’s Sun Belt title.
“They have phenomenal skill players,” said Malzahn, who choked up when discussing his former players after the game. “It was pretty emotional. It was a pretty interesting deal when you coach against a team that you’re close to [the] players.
“They have some great kids over there, great competitors.”
Auburn’s defense neutralized most of them.
Kennedy completed 29 of 41 passes for 272 yards without an interception, but the rushing game didn’t complement his passing after four players rushed for more than 100 yards last week against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Those players — David Oku, Sirgregory Thornton, Fredi Knighten and Michael Gordon — were stuffed repeatedly by an Auburn defense that was much bigger, much faster and much deeper than what they saw against an overtmatched UAPB team last week.
Oku was held to 48 yards on 16 carries, Knighten had 24 yards on 4 carries, while Thornton and Gordon combined for minus-8 yards on 6 carries.
Auburn rolled up 301 yards rushing, with 102 coming from Cameron Artis-Payne and 99 coming from Tre Mason.
“They’re good up front,” ASU Coach Bryan Harsin said. “After what we did running the football, you’ve got to believe that was an emphasis. They understand that.
“We’ve just got to do a better job of it, particularly down in the red zone. We’ve got to be able to find the end zone.”
Harsin put all of the blame for the jerseys on himself, saying he knew his team would be penalized for wearing them.
“That was my decision,” He said. “That was the decision I made and wouldn’t change it.”
ASU was penalized to start each half for wearing them, the first of which helped put the Red Wolves in a hole. Quan Bray returned the kick 33 yards, and the 15-yard unspsportmanlike conduct penalty put Auburn at the 48 before Marshall’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Davis to put the Tigers ahead 7-0.
Marshall, who was 10 of 19 for 99 yards in his first start last week, finished 10 of 17 for 147 yards with 2 touchdowns Saturday night and he extended several plays while rushing for 53 yards. His biggest play came right before the half, when he connected with Sammie Coates, who beat Rocky Hayes on a post route, to put Auburn ahead 21-3.
The penalty to start the second half put ASU at its own 12, but the Red Wolves were still able to get to the Auburn 3 on one of the rare drives in which they found running room. Kennedy’s scramble for 28 yards helped the Red Wolves cross midfield, then Oku ran for 12 yards to put them at the Auburn 28. Knighten took the next snap around the right end for 17 yards.
A pair of runs by Oku moved ASU to the 3, but he took a direct snap and lost a yard before Brian Davis’ 21yard field goal made it 21-6.
“We take the blame for not getting the ball in because we got down there three times,” Oku said. “That falls on me. I”m a leader for the offense, and I’ll take the blame for that.”
ASU advanced five times to the Auburn 25 or closer, settling three times for field goals by Davis field goals while fourth-down attempts came up short in the first half with ASU trailing 14-3.
Harsin second-guessed himself afterward for going for it on fourth down while in field-goal range in the first half. Oku was stuffed for a loss of 1 on fourth-and-1 from the 20 on one try with ASU trailed 14-3, and Kennedy was flushed from the pocket and his pass sailed out of bounds near the end zone on the other.
“Looking back, you can say we can get points on the board,” he said. “We do need points, but at the same time, part of our philosophy down there is to take opportunities in the red zone.”