O-lineman breaks up core five
JONESBORO — The objective was to send a message.
Arkansas State University Coach Blake Anderson shook up the starting offensive line for the first time this season, inserting veteran redshirt junior Klint
Harvey at left guard for his first career start in place of redshirt freshman
Andre Harris
Jr. for ASU’s
51-35 victory over Georgia
State on
Thursday at Centennial
Bank
Stadium.
Until Thursday, ASU’s offensive line carried the same starting five throughout the first six games of the season: senior left tackle Lanard Bonner, Harris, sophomore center Jacob Still, senior right guard Marvis Brown and junior right tackle Nour-Eddine Seidnaly.
The Red Wolves had allowed 17 sacks and 97 yards lost in the first six games, including seven total sacks in two losses to Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.
Harvey’s addition was not intended to fix an offensive line that has struggled with three full-time, first-year starters (Harris, Brown and Seidnaly). Harris rejoined the offensive line late in the first quarter.
“I wanted to reward a guy that works his tail off,” Anderson said of Harvey. “And to make sure everybody understands it doesn’t matter if you’ve started before or not, you’ve got to come to work. He had a great week of work, better than the guy he was playing behind — so he gets to play.
“We’re going to do that at every position.
That’s the way it goes. I want constant competition.
I want consistent work, consistent attitude, consistent work ethic. He gave us that, so we put him out there and let him play.”