FIU@ASU

Arkansas State is coming off the first of two open weeks this season. Since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2001, the Red Wolves hold a 5-6 record in games played after an open week. ASU defeated Middle Tennessee 51-24 last season in its only game following an open week. The game against the Blue Raiders was also an ESPN2 game played on a Tuesday night. The Red Wolves have won four of their last five games played following an open week.

• The Red Wolves have won two consecutive games on the road for the first time since 2006. The victories also marked the first time in school history that ASU won back-to-back road games against Sun Belt opponents.

Series History:   Arkansas State leads FIU 4-2 (last meeting, 2010, 31-24 FIU).

Scouting The Offense:   Arkansas State has recorded at least one play of at least 40 yards in five of its six games. The Red Wolves have nine plays of 40 yards or more for all six games combined, including seven passing. Four different players have caught a pass of at least 40 yards, including Dwayne Frampton, Josh Jarboe, Taylor Stockemer and Frankie Jackson. ASU’s longest pass was a 71-yard completion from Ryan Aplin to Jarboe, and its longest rush was 48 yards by Jackson.

Scouting The Defense:   The Arkansas State defense has not surrendered 100 yards rushing to an individual player this season. FIU’s leading rusher, Khedrik Rhodes, has recorded two 100-yard rushing games this season and is ranked No. 2 in the Sun Belt in rushing yards per game. A-State was the first to hold WKU running back Bobby Rainey under 100 yards in eight games and also held Virginia Tech’s David Wilson, the nation’s seventh leading rusher, under 100 yards earlier this season. ASU is ranked No. 44 in the nation in rushing defense.

This Weeks Game:   Arkansas State vs. Florida International, Oct 18—ASU won the first three meetings, but FIU picked up victories in two of the last three games. The Red Wolves are 3-0 at home versus the Panthers, including a 27-10 win in 2009 when the teams last met at ASU Stadium. Both FIU wins have been by a touchdown or less, while three of ASU’s four victories have been by 17 or more points.

Keys To The Game:   Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin must get the ball out on time to his surplus of receivers so the Red Wolves can try and continue their recent home dominance. The ASU secondary must always know where T.Y Hilton is at all times or he will burn them. ASU is 2-0 at home this season.

FIU

Scouting The Offense:   FIU is getting 156 yards rushing a game behind the efforts of sophomore RB Kedrick Rhodes (86 per game) and senior Darriet Perry (53). Perry is the school’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 26. QB Wes Carroll has completed 63.8 percent of his passes and has only one interception in 152 pass attempts. His favorite target is senior WR T.Y. Hilton, a big-play threat, but junior Wayne Times has upped his production recently.

Scouting The Defense:   FIU’s defense gave a much-needed improved performance in the win over Akron after getting shredded for big plays in the losses to Louisiana-Lafayette and Duke. For the year, the Panthers are holding foes to just under 107 yards a game rushing. They have 17 sacks for the season, but didn’t have any in the two losses.

Quote To Note:   “No one’s really slowed them down, let alone stopped them.”—Coach Mario Cristobal, on the difficulty his FIU defense faces against Arkansas State’s passing game.

This Week  ‘S GAME: FIU at Arkansas State, Oct. 18—The Panthers face one of the hottest teams in the conference in taking on ASU. The Red Wolves have won three in a row and are coming off a road win over Louisiana-Monroe that made them 2-0 in the conference. They are 4-2 overall with the losses to a pair of nationally ranked teams on the road (Illinois and Virginia Tech).

Keys To The Game:   Get pressure on QB Ryan Aplin. That’s not easy because Aplin is a good runner, but the Red Wolves have given up 13 sacks. QB Wes Carroll needs to stay as efficient as he has been in FIU’s passing game.