Warren watching, waiting

[IE]

Arkansas State will most likely be without its main horse this weekend.
Senior tailback Antonio Warren, who ranks sixth nationally in rushing, has been missing in action so far this week as the Indians prepare for Louisiana-Monroe. Warren suffered a high ankle sprain in last week?s game against Florida International and didn?t play in the second half of ASU?s 66-24 victory.
Warren spent most of the Indians? practices Tuesday and Wednesday on the sideline wearing a plastic brace taped tightly to his right ankle and watching with anticipation. He did some light stretching and jogging during Wednesday?s work, but didn?t participate in any team drills.
ASU head coach Steve Roberts was noncommittal as to whether Warren will play Saturday at ULM. Backing up Warren are senior Shermar Bracey and sophomore Chris Easley.
?He is progressing very well and I don?t know whether he will play or not,? Roberts said. ?We?ve got two guys behind him in Bracey and Easley who have a lot of experience. They?ve both had some tremendous games for us in the past.?
Warren was injured on the final play of the first half while providing pass protection for quarterback Nick Noce. An offensive lineman fell on top of Warren while he was facing the opposite way, causing him to roll his ankle.
Through four weeks Warren has been one of the most productive running backs in the country. He ran for 143 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against FIU to give him 524 yards this season.
Warren ranks sixth in the country with 131 yards a game and is seventh all-time at Arkansas State with 2,498 yards during his career. Following Wednesday?s practice, Warren indicated the ankle was getting stronger, but he might not be ready by Saturday.
?It?s getting better,? Warren said. ?I?m taking it one day at a time. It?s feeling a whole lot better than it did Saturday, Sunday, Monday. It?s getting there, getting better. Right now, I?m just putting it in God?s hands and trying to take it one day at a time.?
Bracey and Easley spent the better part of team work with the first unit both Tuesday and Wednesday. Bracey is ASU?s second-leading rusher with 237 yards on 22 carries while Easley has been used sparingly.
Bracey was a highly recruited running back in high school at Rison, leading the Wildcats to the Class AA state title his senior year. He will most likely inherit the bulk of the load if Warren isn?t able to play.
Roberts said Bracey and Warren have different styles as running backs, but the Indians won?t change their offense if Warren can?t play.
?Shermar is more of slash back than Antonio is,? Roberts said. ?Antonio is very powerful. He sees things and hits it, but has the ability to really break a lot of tackles and makes things happen after contact. Shermar has a great burst in the hole, sees things fairly well and has a knack for making big plays for our football team. When he gets a crease, he?s very, very fast.?
Bracey said he feels comfortable with the playbook and his duties both running the football and blocking.
?I?m ready for it,? Bracey said Wednesday. ?This is what the second guy always waits on. It?s an unfortunate opportunity with the injury, but it?s a good opportunity.?
Coincidentally, Bracey?s biggest game of his career at Arkansas State came two years ago against UL-Monroe. Bracey ran for 175 yards and two TDs against ULM as ASU won 44-41. The following year Warren ran for 175 yards at UL-Monroe.
The Indians will go through a light practice today and travel Friday to Monroe, where they will do a final walk-through of assignments.
Noce said he doesn?t believe Warren will play against ULM and that Bracey will be making the second start of his career.
?I think this is a chance for Shermar to come in and showcase what he can do as a starter,? Noce said. ?This is a great opportunity for him.?
Warren is off to the best start of a season during his career at Arkansas State. He has topped 100 yards rushing in each of his first four games, giving him eleven 100-yard rushing games for his career.
But he?s taking the setback in stride.
?There?s a reason for everything,? Warren said. ?I just thank God that it wasn?t anything serious and it was just a sprain. Looking at the film, it looked like it should have been much worse, but I?m glad that it wasn?t.?

 

[IE]

Analysis: ASU poised to win again in Monroe

By Matthew V. Roberson
Sun staff writer
JONESBORO ? There are several convincing reasons why Louisiana-Monroe might and might not turn the tables on Arkansas State this Saturday in Monroe.
It?s all in the way one looks at them.
UL-Monroe hasn?t beaten Arkansas State since 2001, but ULM has been very close in each of the last three meetings. Sooner or later, one has to figure the ball is going to bounce the right way for Louisiana-Monroe.
Clearly in the last two games between Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe, though, the ball has bounced the wrong way for ULM.
Last season, ASU defeated Louisiana-Monroe 28-21 in a game that wasn?t decided until the final minutes. ULM turned the ball over four times in the loss, including fumbles on its final two possessions.
Two years ago Arkansas State won 44-41 in a shootout at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. A muffed punt late in the fourth quarter, which ASU?s Jerome Stegall scooped up and returned for a touchdown, helped determine the outcome that night.
This year, Louisiana-Monroe is once again having problems holding on to the football. ULM leads the Sun Belt with 13 turnovers, but has managed to counter its own mistakes with 12 takeaways.
On the other hand, Arkansas State leads the league in turnover margin. ASU has turned the ball over eight times, but the Indians have 14 takeaways for a plus-1.5 turnover ratio through four games.
ULM started the season 0-3, but won for the first time last week when defensive back Chaz Williams intercepted a pass to set up a late touchdown in a 28-21 victory at Florida Atlantic.
Louisiana-Monroe is led by senior quarterback Steven Jyles, a 4-year starter who has become a household name in the Sun Belt. Jyles is the league?s all-time leader for passing offense with 7,474 yards, and he needs just 353 yards more to become ULM?s career leader.
Arkansas State?s defense, which is giving up 405 yards a game, will have to find a way to stop the ULM quarterback.
Last week, ASU stopped Florida International quarterback Josh Padrick by picking him off almost every time he drove the Golden Panthers near or across midfield. Five different Arkansas State defenders had interceptions, including an 85-yard return for a touchdown by linebacker Koby McKinnon and a 92-yard return by strong safety Tyrell Johnson that set up another score.
Jyles has been prone to mistakes through the air this season, too. In four games, Jyles has thrown seven interceptions, including three last week at FAU.
The biggest question mark this week, though, has to be with Arkansas State?s bread-and-butter ground game. ASU may be without senior tailback Antonio Warren.
Warren, who ranks sixth in the nation with an average of 131 yards rushing a game, suffered a high-ankle sprain against Florida International on the final play of the first half and did not return in the second half.
ASU will turn to Shermar Bracey and Chris Easley, both of whom are capable replacements. Bracey has rushed for 237 yards and three TDs while Easley has seem very limited action so far.
Don?t expect Bracey or Easley to have the type of game Warren had last year at ULM ? 175 yards on 22 carries. But do expect the pair to find success against a ULM defense that is allowing nearly 200 yards a game on the ground.
Two of Louisiana-Monroe?s three losses this season came against respectable opponents on the road. That doesn?t explain how ULM lost to Division I-AA Northwestern State in the season opener at home, though.
ASU is a perfect 3-0 against Louisiana-Monroe since Steve Roberts took over the program in 2002. Two of those games were also at Monroe. And Roberts doesn?t lose to I-AA teams.
Make it three in a row at Monroe.

 

[IE]

'Pickture' perfect
ULM's defense has hauled in 10 interceptions through 4 games


Louisiana-Monroe's defense is in a zone when it comes to forcing turnovers.

The Indians enter their fifth playing date tied for the national lead in interceptions with 10. ULM also ranks third nationally in forced turnovers with 12.

"We try to disguise our coverage as much as we can," ULM's first-year defensive coordinator Kim Dameron said. "A lot of them have been really good breaks on the ball and being in the right spot at the right time."

Takeaways are half of the all-important turnover margin that can ultimately be the difference in winning and losing a close game.

ULM (1-3, 1-0) plays host to Arkansas State (2-2, 1-0) on Saturday at 6 p.m. in a series has been decided in recent years by the team that did the best job protecting the football.

ULM outgained ASU last year with 434 to 341 yards at Malone Stadium, but lost three fumbles and an interception to fall, 28-21. The Indians have made eight turnovers in their last two games with Arkansas State.

"Turnover margin is the difference in a ballgame," linebacker Josh Alexander said. "It can win games for you and lose games for you. If your offense is giving them away, you've got to take them away right back. You've got to get the takeaways constantly."

Arkansas State ? which leads the nation in takeaways with 14 ? has been even better than ULM this year at forcing turnovers. ASU recorded five interceptions against Florida International Saturday in a 66-24 Sun Belt win.

"The last couple of years, Arkansas State hasn't beaten us," ULM coach Charlie Weatherbie said. "We've beaten ourselves. We had four last year against them. We cannot beat ourselves and have a chance to win this football game."

ULM's takeaways aren't just a meaningless stat. The Indians led 21-0 in its first game after intercepting Northwestern State quarterback Davon Vinson three times. ULM allowed that lead to evaporate with a flurry of second-half turnovers.

In winning its Sun Belt Conference opener last Thursday at Florida Atlantic, ULM made two crucial picks in the final minutes to set up the game-winning score and then preserve the lead.

"We've finally got some guys back there who are tough mentally," ULM cornerbacks coach Greg Jackson said. "We've gotten these big interceptions when teams have been driving on us. We've been tired, but we've been able to focus and concentrate."

Several factors have gone into ULM's knack for interceptions ? starting with a good pass rush.

"All 10 we've had, have been on four-man rushes with zone coverage," Dameron said. "We're getting good coverage and a good pass rush."

The rush starts with defensive end Brandon Guillory, one of the top sack specialists in the Sun Belt Conference. ULM's veteran line has been able to create the disruption that sometimes leads to turnovers.

"Those guys are working very hard to get a pass rush," Dameron said. "We've got a Brandon Guillory and guys who can rush the passer. We try as much as we can to allow them to do that."

Said Alexander: "Our defensive line gets so much pressure. That's why we're having a great year with interceptions, because our D-line puts so much pressure on quarterbacks. Sometimes they don't know what to do with it and end up throwing it up."

Jackson said that Dameron's attacking mentality as coordinator is paying off too.

"When we come at you," Jackson said, "we come at you."

Once the ball takes flight, the defense needs players with good enough hands to bring it in. Cornerback Chaz Williams, who leads the team with three interceptions and scored on a return against Northwestern, is the secondary's biggest playmaker.

"Chaz is a very instinctive player and does a great job breaking on the ball," Dameron said.

The interceptions are scattered throughout the lineup. Cornerback Darrius Battles, who missed the game last week, has two. Alexander has two. Safeties Josh Thompson, Kevin Payne and Shelton Williams each have one.

"A lot of times guys are in position, but because they play on the defensive side they are not used to catching the ball and don't catch them," Dameron said. "This group has good at catching the ball."

Arkansas State wide receiver Levi Dejohnette, a Bastrop product, knows what his team is up against. Dejohnette has studied ULM's cornerbacks on film all week.

"They're not afraid to make big plays," Dejohnette said. "They're either going to pick it, or the receiver is going to score. Most of the time, they're guessing right."

Last year ULM had 13 interceptions in 11 games as former ULM safety Chris Harris tied for the individual national lead with seven. The school record is 27 interceptions in 1982.

"It's way to early to talk about stuff like that," Dameron said. "We've had a good run, and hopefully we'll continue to take advantage of the opportunities given to us."

 

[dopeslayer]

good info there IE.

i love this game. even though the starting RB maybe out, the backups are just as experienced if not more so. and as far as the INT for ULM are concerned, with ASU running game , the ball will not be in the air that much.

ASU by 10-14