ASU rolls to bowl eligibility

Arkansas State University is bowl eligible once again.

ASU's offense revved up early in Saturday's 44-16 rout of Coastal Carolina, and it coasted through the Chanticleers without issue in the Red Wolves' first trip to Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. Arkansas State (6-4, 3-3) also won its first Sun Belt Conference game on the road.

For the eighth time in eight seasons, the Red Wolves are bowl eligible.

"It's big," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "We want to keep that streak alive. Hopefully one of these days down the road, we'll look up and it will be one of the longest in the country."

ASU's offense played one of its cleanest games Saturday. Senior quarterback Justice Hansen, who was 18-of-20 passing for 253 yards and four touchdowns, threw three touchdowns on ASU's first three drives.

ASU, which led 27-6 at halftime, did not punt until late in the third quarter.

None of ASU's 12 drives lasted longer than five minutes. ASU had the majority of its starters on the bench in the fourth quarter.

"It was really solid," Anderson said of the offense. "We felt like our matchups were good. Guys made plays. Not punting at all in the first half is about as good as you can ask for."

A 6-yard strike from Hansen to junior wide receiver Omar Bayless with 11:23 remaining in the first quarter put ASU's victory in motion.

With 2:30 to go in the opening quarter, Hansen found freshman tight end Reed Tyler -- who started in place of injured sophomore tight end Javonis Isaac (thigh bruise) -- for a 6-yard touchdown, the first of Tyler's career.

Coastal Carolina freshman quarterback Fred Payton hit freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Miller for a 24-yard touchdown with 10:34 left before halftime to cut the lead to 14-6.

Hansen fired a 14-yard touchdown to freshman running back Marcel Murray in the second quarter to push ASU's edge to 20-6.

ASU senior running back Warren Wand scored ASU's first rushing touchdown of the day on a 7-yard burst with 1:24 remaining before halftime. Murray (65 rushing yards) and Wand (53) led ASU to 173 rushing yards and combined for 4 touchdowns.

Murray, who has eight rushing and receiving touchdowns in his first season at ASU, punched in another 2-yard rushing touchdown with less than five minutes remaining in the third for a 41-6 lead.

Junior wide receiver Kirk Merritt, who did not catch a touchdown, reeled in 11 catches on 12 targets for 180 yards, the most receiving yards by any ASU player this season.

The Chanticleers connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Payton to freshman tight end Isaiah Likely with less than two minutes to go in the third quarter.

ASU will host Sun Belt West Division leader Louisiana-Monroe (6-4, 4-2) on Saturday in Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro. The Red Wolves are tied for second in the West with Louisiana-Lafayette (5-5, 3-3).

"We need to do our job and take care of us," Anderson said.

Sports on 11/12/2018

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