Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

7/21/2010 at 10:51am

The idea of replacing 15 graduated fifth-year senior starters, rebuilding a defensive line, putting in a new offensive scheme and maybe needing to win big to keep his job don't seem to faze Arkansas State football coach Steve Roberts. He's ready for Aug. 4 to arrive, signaling the start of ASU's fall camp, Roberts said Tuesday during a Sun Belt Conference media teleconference.

Roberts and senior defensive linemen Brian Hall visited with Sun Belt media through 21st century technology. They sat at a table in Jonesboro in front of a TV camera while the media watched elsewhere through computer (video) and telephone (audio) arrangements. The Sun Belt used the videoconference media days for the second year Monday and Tuesday.

League favorites Middle Tennessee and Troy University also had their days with the media, which entailed 30 minutes with the head coach and a star player, on Tuesday.

Obviously there has been a lot of work that has taken place since end of last season, recruiting and prepares for spring foortball and

"[We're] extremely excited about the season, exciteded about commitment of players through the player-organized practices this summer," Roberts said. "I have very high expectations."

Hall echoed his coach, describing how hard the players have worked during the summer in Jonesboro -- players may conduct practices and work out in the weight room, but coaches cannot be present -- and added, "We all have our high expectations going into the season."

Cue the redundancy of typical "media days" events. Everybody has high expectations, it seems. Call us when a coach or player actually says, "Frankly, we're not looking forward to this year. We have no chance."

But with ASU, expectations were high and, we all thought, rightfully so last summer when Roberts and the Red Wolves welcomed back 15 fifth-year seniors, including the league's preseason top offensive, defensive and special teams players. Tough early losses and a large number of injuries starting with the offensive line led to a collapse and a 4-8 season, salvaged only by two wins to finish the year of league bottom-feeder North Texas and fledgling D-I program Western Kentucky.

And yet, with all that on paper seems to indicate this would be a rebuilding year in Jonesboro, the positive-geared Roberts was sounding the upbeat, "look out for the Red Wolves" song on Tuesday.

So what if three defensive linemen, including NFL draft choice Alex Carrington, graduated, Roberts seemed to say. This year's line, led by Hall, has a chance to be outstanding with eight or nine players who have played significant minutes, Roberts said.

ASU lost a middle linebacker to graduation and yet this year's corps has a chance to be the best Roberts has had in his eight years in Jonesboro, he volunteered.

Replacing two cornerbacks? Well, there are four good ones who will get a chance to do that, and the safeties -- the middle of the secondary, as Roberts described it -- are solid.

Who cares if ASU lost four-year starting quarterback Corey Leonard and may not name a new starter until just before the season opener, that seemed to be the message. Ryan Aplin, who missed the spring with shoulder surgery, and Phillip Butterfield, who tore up his knee in the first day in pads last August, seem quite capable of operating the offense, geared now to snapping quickly and spreading the defense.

Tuesday almost seemed a perfect day for Roberts to pull from a chapter in the old Bear Bryant book of preseason poor-mouthing his chances, but he wouldn't do it. All he asked for was maybe a little more luck this season, compared with last year's, in the injury department, in which 22 Red Wolves went under the surgical knife.

Others just played through pain, as football players often have to do. Even Hall was one of the walking wounded last season, playing most of the year with a bandaged-up broken hand. And though the senior defensive tackle from Paducah, Ky., might have been overshadowed by Carrington's play last year, the league coaches voted Hall the preseason defensive player of the year this week.

"Brian certainly has had a tremendous career here already," Roberts said Tuesday. "We're proud of his accomplismments in the classroom as well as on the field .. Played over half the season one-handed. He broke his hand and played with a cast on but was still very effective.

"Maybe with Alex Carrington, he probably got overshadowed [in media coverage], but his play was not overshadowed. He was extremely productive for us."

No one tops the intensity Hall brings game after game, Roberts said. "He leads through emotion. He's very vocal. He loves to have fun, but when we tee it up he likes to get after our opponents."

And while the preseason nod was nice, Roberts added that Hall "wants to be the post-season rather than preseason player of the year. I think we'll see him play to achieve that reality."

Spring practice went well, Roberts said, as the Red Wolves put in new offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze's spread, no-huddle offensive scheme. But Roberts also acknowledged the unknowns between spring football and playing an opponent in the fall. "Our players believe in what we're doing offensively. They enjoy it. It's very demanding in terms of reaction and from a quick-thinking standpoint ... from a scheme standpoint, we're going to be very exciting and hopefully score some points."

Some blocking schemes changed, but it's the full-speed tempo that is the most significant difference, Roberts said Tuesday. ASU probably played only 30 percent of the time in a no-huddle look last year. The new scheme requires the defense to be prepared every snap. "Hopefully it will limit what a defense can do."

Freeze will call the plays and Roberts said he's comfortable with his new assistant's ability to call a game, "to design a game plan to motivate our players." Consistency is the goal, he said.

Butterfield, he said, displayed uncanny accuracy, tenacity and mental toughness in the spring after having not faced a defense in almost a year. Aplin took over for Leonard late last season and has game experience. Still, neither is the penciled-in starter for Auburn on Sept. 4. "I'm confident wither one can lead our offense," Roberts said.

Hall said the Red Wolves "have the tools" to battle Middle Tennessee and Troy for the top of the league.

Roberts didn't back down, either. "We think we can compete every year and we are disappointed when we don't."

If ASU does factor in the race, it will have to handle five road games in the first seven contest. "I believe we're up to the task."

Compare that with league favorite Middle Tennessee and Blue Raiders coach Rick Stockstill, who followed ASU's 30-minute session and addressed his team's favored status.

"All these predictions and accolades, they don’t mean anything," Stockstill said. "Yea, it’s a great hoinor for Middle Tennessee and for the players to be honored nationally, but we know as a staff and players it’s just a prediction. How we do is how we perform. It’s nice recognition for our university and program but we know we have to work hard to realize the goals we have set for ourselves.

"If we don’t play like number one, we won’t end the season No. 1."

Tagged: Steve Roberts