Team: Arkansas State Red Wolves

WHERE: Sanford Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 14

2018 RECORD: (8-5, 5-3 in Sun Belt Conference)

RETURNING STARTERS: Offense - 6 (WR Kirk Merritt, WR Omar Bayless, TE Javonis Isaac, LG Andre Harris, C Jacob Still, RT Nour-Eddine Seidnaly); Defense - 7 (DR Forrest Merrill, DT Kevin Thurmon, LB Tajhea Chambers, LB Derrick Bean, DB Darreon Jackson, CB Jerry Jacobs, S B.J. Edmonds); Special Teams – 2 (K Blake Grupe, P Cody Grace)

KEY LOSSES: QB Justice Hansen, OL Lanard Bonner, DB Justin Clifton, RB Warren Wand.

NOTE TO KNOW: Of Arkansas State’s first six games, four are on the road.

After getting off to a slow start, Arkansas State won five its last six regular season games, earning a berth in the Arizona Bowl before falling to Nevada in overtime, 16-13.

The Red Wolves boasted both the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, quarterback Justice Hansen, and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Ronheen Bingham.

ASU’s key wins included victories of 29-20 at Tulsa and 38-14 at South Alabama. However, when the Red Wolves stepped up in competition against SEC power Alabama, the results were much different, as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 57-7 victory.

Arkansas State has to find a new quarterback, but the Red Wolves do return Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Kirk Merritt, who caught 83 passes for 1,005 yards.

SBC Freshman of the Year Marcel Murray (860 yards) is also back, so it’s not as if ASU won’t have some weapons that the Bulldogs won’t have to concern themselves with during their game on Sept. 14.

ASU will go into the year with brand new coordinators, with Kevin Heckendorf (formerly the quarterbacks coach at N.C.) State taking over the offense with former Southern Miss defensive coordinator David Duggan taking over the same duties with the Red Wolves.

This will be another game in which Georgia will be heavily favored, most likely by 20-plus points.

Once again, the key for the Bulldogs will be making sure everyone gets through the contest healthy.

Notre Dame is on deck the following week.

UGASports: There’s been a lot of turnover on the coaching staff, including new offensive and defensive coordinators. What kind of changes, if any, are you anticipating?

Matheson: “It was a strange year, with so much turnover in the assistant coach ranks. Blake Anderson fired two assistants after a loss in the Arizona Bowl, then lost two offensive assistants to Louisville, two defensive assistants—including his defensive coordinator—to Houston, giving him a total of six assistants to replace.

I do think you will see a lot of similarities to the way it has been, with the offense being a little more aggressive than it's been the past couple of years. Blake Anderson has noted that he wants the offense to attack more, and he trusts new OC Keith Heckendorf enough to turn the reigns over to him."

I believe the defense will be the strength of the team, especially early on. There are multiple All-Sun Belt players returning on defense, and they like to get after opposing offenses and quarterbacks."

The players responded well to the new coordinators and coaches during the spring, so it will be interesting to see how they look this year.”

UGASports: ASU lost its QB, Sunbelt POW Justice Hansen. Break down the players who will be vying for his job.

Matheson: “According to Blake Anderson, the job is Logan Bonner's to lose. Bonner played a back-up role to Hansen for the past two years, so he knows the offense and what Anderson and Heckendorf will be looking for. True freshman Coltin Clack graduated early and went through spring workouts, and quickly escalated to the number two spot behind Bonner.

The big question will be how transfer Layne Hatcher, who transferred from Alabama, will look in fall camp. Anderson noted that Hatcher is a "gym rat" who is constantly working. He has been out with the starting receivers quite a bit, and they say he already knows the playbook.

Due to the fact that he never signed an NLI or took an unofficial visit to Alabama, Hatcher has immediate eligibility at Arkansas State, despite running their scout team over the past year. If there is anyone who can throw a wrench in Bonner or Clack's plans, it is Layne Hatcher.”

UGASports: What will the strength and weaknesses be for ASU this year?

Matheson: “As noted above, the defense is going to be the overall strength of the team. They have enough to roll three-deep on the defensive line, and the defensive backfield has been able to sit back and make plays—especially in conference play—the past few years.

The quarterback situation is the biggest question going into fall camp for the offense, but whoever the quarterback is will have a lot of weapons in the backfield, in addition to wide receiver and tight end. Oklahoma transfer Dahu Green, Oregon State transfer Kirk Merritt, Boise State transfer Bubba Ogbebor, and Omar Bayless have all shown they can be playmakers as receivers in this offense, while the Red Wolves return Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Marcel Murray at running back.”