The
Arkansas State Red Wolves football team held a full-contact scrimmage Saturday
evening at ASU Stadium as part of its annual Fan Appreciation Day.
This
was the first look at the 2012 team under new head coach Guz Malzahn since
preseason camp began August 1.
The
Red Wolves hit the field around 6 p.m. and began the scrimmage at approximately
6:30 p.m., running over 80 plays that were highlighted by a pair of touchdowns
and several big plays on the defensive side of the ball. The scrimmage was
A-State’s second this year and counted as its 11th practice this fall.
“It
was good to get out there in front of a crowd,” said ASU?head coach Gus
Malzahn. “That was the first time we really had our coaches in the press box,
and we tried to treat it as close to a game as we could. I really appreciate
the crowd. Our players were talking about it and it was exciting for them. It was
good to see our guys in front of a crowd too here in the fall.”
Sophomore
running back Rod Smith led the rushing attack, recording 50 yards on eight
attempts. Junior quarterback Ryan Aplin completed 14 passes for a team-best 102
yards and junior receiver Julian Jones collected a team-high 76 receiving
yards. Defensively, senior Don Jones posted a scrimmage-high seven tackles,
while senior safety Sterling Young intercepted two passes.
