Another week off concludes for ASU
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008
JONESBORO — Bye bye, bye week.
For better or for worse, Arkansas State has concluded the last of three bye weeks and will be trying to end a three-game losing streak when it hosts Florida Atlantic in a Sun Belt Conference game Saturday at ASU Stadium.
The Red Wolves had an unprecedented number of breaks this year. The most byes the team has had in previous seasons, at least since joining the Sun Belt in 2001, was one, and in most cases the number was zero.
The question is, has the time off helped ? Regardless of the chances to rest and recuperate, Arkansas State is 4-5, 2-2 in Sun Belt play, and fighting for its postseason life with three games left.
It’s a situation not much different than the team faced this time last year when it was 4-5 entering Week 10 and went on to finish 5-7.
The Red Wolves had one bye scheduled last season but lost it when the Memphis game had to be rescheduled from Sept. 8 because of severe weather, including lightning strikes near ASU Stadium. The only available make-up date was the bye scheduled for Sept. 27.
“I’ve been asked that 100 times, and I don’t know,” Roberts said of the value of the time off this year. “You look at the last half of our season, five of the last six games on the road, and that’s obviously a very difficult task. And then you throw the bye weeks in there late in the season as well, it may have broken that up some for us, but it’s also extended it. But I don’t know how it affects you.”
Certainly the byes this year had nothing to do with opponents ’ individual efforts, like when Florida International receiver T. Y. Hilton turned a busted end around into a winning touchdown pass late in Arkansas State’s last game. And the time off probably had little to do with poor field position that helped deny the Red Wolves key first downs late in their previous conference loss to Louisiana-Lafayette, when an 11-point lead got away in the final 7: 29 on Oct. 18.
“It is what it is,” Roberts said. “We just try to have the best schedule we can to keep our kids fresh and locked in.”
In that regard, the bye weeks have been beneficial.
Other than a slightly upset stomach this week, junior tailback Reggie Arnold is healthy, unlike last year when he was plagued by a high ankle sprain. Quarterback Corey Leonard is still running and throwing, unlike late last season when a lacerated kidney and shoulder injury held him in check.
Though his team has had the usual share of scrapes, sprains and bruises affecting most teams each year, Roberts said the impact injuries haven’t been as bad.
“Playing our 10 th game of the year, we’re going to have them,” he said of the minor injuries.
Arnold, who has missed spring practice the past two years because of injuries, said the off weeks have been more than welcome from a health standpoint.
“That bye week, you don’t have to put as much force and effort into practicing as you would getting ready for a game plan,” he said.
And there is no fear of losing a step, Arnold said.
“During practice, we still go mostly good on good — the first-team defense against the first-team offense,” Arnold said. “Those guys are the best of the best in the conference.... We feel like if we can play against our defense, we can play against anybody in the conference and that’s going to keep our guys up to speed.”
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