The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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130 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Like Michigan, Arkansas State has a true quarterback battle going on, which means head coach Blake Anderson will have a decision to make. The good news for him is that he has two solid options to lead a team that won eight games a year ago (including five of its last six). Quarterback play will always be especially important in close games. The Red Wolves saw five of their eight victories last season come in one-possession games. Redshirt junior Logan Bonner was the starting signal-caller at the outset of the 2019 campaign, and threw for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first four games before a hand in- jury held him out the rest of the year. That's when Alabama transfer Layne Hatcher stepped in and accumulated 2,946 yards and 27 touchdowns while completing 65.8 percent of his passes (17th in the country) to win the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year award. Hatcher, now entering his redshirt sophomore season, has a legit shot of taking over the full- time duties. The Red Wolves must replace All-Ameri- can wide receiver and Sun Belt Player of the Year Omar Bayless, who had 93 catches for 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Senior wideout Jonathan Adams Jr. is the leading candidate to be the top pass catcher this season. He brought down 62 receptions for 851 yards and five scores a year ago. Perhaps the biggest positive for an offense that averaged 33.7 points (26th nationally) and 439.3 yards (33rd) per game last season is that all five starting offensive linemen return. The group is headlined by two third-team All-Sun Belt performers in junior left tackle Jarrett Horst and senior center Jacob Still. Running behind that line will be a two- headed monster backfield, manned by junior back Marcel Murray (820 rushing yards, six touchdowns in 2019) and fifth-year senior Jamal Jones (375 yards, three scores). It's safe to say the offense is in ca- pable hands, with nine total return- ing starters. But the defense is where the Red Wolves need to improve. Ar- kansas State finished second-to-last in the conference and 124th nation- ally in total defense a year ago, giv- ing up a staggering 477.8 yards per game. The Red Wolves were also in the bottom 20 nationally in scoring defense, rushing defense and pass- ing defense. Key departures from that unit, which returns just three starters, are a cause for concern. The big- gest blows are the losses of defen- sive end William Bradley-King and cornerback Jerry Jacobs as graduate transfers to Baylor and Arkansas, respectively. There's still some talent remain- ing. Senior outside linebacker Caleb Bonner had 65 stops and 5.5 tackles for loss in 2019. Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Forrest Merrill played just six games last fall due to injury, but the 6-1, 338-pound behemoth was pro- ductive in those limited snaps (4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks) after being a second- team All-Sun Belt standout the year prior. The secondary is highlighted by junior safety Antonio Fletcher. He posted 58 total stops and four tackles for loss in 2019. It may be another season in which the offense has to essentially carry the Red Wolves' defense. They did it in 2019, and it amounted to a successful season. The program has won eight-plus games in four out of six seasons under Anderson and made a bowl game 10 straight years. A challenging schedule — which includes tilts at Memphis and at U-M — will make keep- ing the streak alive a tough task, but there's confidence the club can do it. Notes Two of the team's five 2019 losses came in one possession contests … Layne Hatcher threw for 9.5 yards per attempt in 2019, which ranked sixth in the country … The Red Wolves threw for 312.1 yards per game, which ranked second in the Sun Belt and 10th nationally … Coach Blake Anderson took a leave of absence at the beginning of last season as his late wife battled breast cancer — he earned the FWAA Orange Bowl Courage Award after a trying year. ❑ Offense Will Lead The Way For Red Wolves 2020 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2019 Result Sept. 5 at Memphis — Sept. 12 Howard — Sept. 19 at Michigan — Sept. 26 Tulsa — Oct. 3 at Coastal Carolina W, 28-27 Oct. 15 Georgia State L, 52-38 Oct. 24 at Appalachian State — Oct. 31 Troy W, 50-43 Nov. 5 at Louisiana L, 37-20 Nov. 14 Louisiana-Monroe W, 48-41 Nov. 21 at Texas State W, 38-14 Nov. 28 South Alabama L, 34-30 PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Jonathan Adams Jr., Sr., WR Was a third-team All-Sun Belt choice in 2019 … Has 1,195 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his career … The 6-3, 209-pounder was second on the team in receiving yards (851) last season. Defense: Caleb Bonner, Sr., LB Had one interception and two passes defended in 2019 … His 65 tackles last year ranked fifth on the team … Has to- taled 112 career tackles. Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Forrest Merrill, an All-Sun Belt performer in 2018, returns from a bicep injury that held him out of seven games last season. PHOTO COURTESY ARKANSAS STATE ATHLETICS GAME 3 • ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES • SEPT. 19 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: First meeting Head Coach: Blake Anderson, 47-30 at Arkansas State and overall (7th year) 2019 In Review: 8-5, 5-3 Sun Belt West (2nd) Final 2019 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 14 (9 offense, 3 defense, 2 spe- cialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2019 (Camellia Bowl vs. Florida International, W 34-26) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Layne Hatcher (2,946 yards, 27 TD, 10 INT) Rushing: Marcel Murray (820 yards, 6 TD) Receiving: Jonathan Adams Jr. (851 yards, 5 TD) Tackles: Caleb Bonner (65) Sacks: Forrest Merrill (3.5) Interceptions: Caleb Bonner, Jarius Reimonenq (1)