Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
ASU defense finds right time to click
JONESBORO — Recognized more for its strong passing attack led by senior quarterback Justice Hansen, Arkansas State University had its defense to thank for Saturday’s victory against UNLV.
Against the country’s second-best running game, the Red Wolves’ defense put together its strongest performance of the 2018 season in the 27-20 victory over the Runnin’ Rebels.
“I think we found our identity as a defense tonight,” ASU sophomore defensive end William Bradley-King said.
Five total turnovers kept the Runnin’ Rebels’ offense and its menacing power running game from doing enough damage to prevent the Red Wolves from their third victory in four games, their best season start since 2008.
UNLV’s offensive statistics — 310 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns — support a more productive evening than the final score indicated. With an assist from hours of rain falling at an angle, the Red Wolves allowed just 23 passing yards on 21 attempts from UNLV (2-2) sophomore quarterback Armani Rogers.
Rogers — who was on the throwing end of ASU
sophomore cornerback Jerry Jacobs’ first two career interceptions and another by junior free safety B.J. Edmonds — charged for 181 rushing yards when ASU prohibited UNLV from engineering a passing game.
“You throw the ball for under 50 yards or whatever is was,” said UNLV Coach Tony Sanchez, “it’s going to be tough to win football games.”
Lexington Thomas, UNLV’s speedy tailback who entered Saturday’s game as the nation’s ninth-leading rusher at 129 yards per game, was held to 86, his only game this season of fewer than 100 yards.
“We felt like this defense was really athletic, just really inexperienced,” said ASU Coach Blake Anderson. “They’re growing up every week. To defend a quarterback that can run that well, the speed that [UNLV] had at running back, that’s a huge challenge. I know the numbers in terms of the yards — they had a lot of yards — but we made them earn it. That quarterback, he got hit tonight too. They earned everything that they got.”
The Red Wolves have forced 4 interceptions and 7 fumbles in 4 games.
“It’s huge,” Anderson said of the turnover run.
The Red Wolves have forced eight turnovers in their past eight quarters.
“We practice it all the time,” Bradley-King said. “We want to make it a part of our identity, also, getting the ball back to our offense.”
One week ago, junior defensive tackle Kevin Thurmon clinched ASU’s 2920 victory at Tulsa with a game-saving safety late in the fourth quarter.
Saturday, after UNLV stormed back from a 12-point deficit and took a 20-19 lead, Bradley-King iced the victory with a sack of Rogers leading to a fumble on the Runnin’ Rebels’ final offensive play. Despite UNLV recovering on the fourth-and-19 play, the defensive effort clinched the Red Wolves’ first back-toback victory over nonconference FBS opponents in 26 seasons.
“It’s just getting started,” Jacobs said.