Ryan Applin has the Red Wolves close to an Sun Belt. (Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE)
Arkansas State has positioned itself in the driver’s seat of the Sun Belt Conference championship race.
The Red Wolves, (7-3, 5-1) moved atop the standings with last week’s midweek victory over Louisiana-Monroe, moving into a tie with Middle Tennessee State, which the Red Wolves host in the final game of the regular season.
If ASU does manage to win the remaining two games on its schedule, a nice bowl destination may be on the horizon for a second year in a row.
ASU seems to be looking good in the eyes of many as bowl representatives from multiple games, the New Orleans Bowl and Liberty Bowl both attending last week’s game in Jonesboro showing the Red Wolves may actually be a marketable team come bowl selection time.
“You see the product in the field and the fans in the stands and you see this is what we live for,” New Orleans bowl committee member Paul Valteau said. “They (ASU) are 6-3 overall and 4-1 in conference with an exciting brand of football that is fast paced. They have a good passing attack and great quarterback in Ryan Aplin. We were down at the Spring meetings when he received the award and I was very impressed with him then. I think he has a great future. Everything excites us about ASU.”
Said Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin, “it’s pleasing to know that your team is attractive.”
“It feels great; I was actually just talking about this with Nathan (Herrold, ASU linebacker). I wasn’t for sure if anyone was here but he thought they were,” Aplin said when finding out Bowl representatives were in the stadium for last week’s game. “Our goal is to win conference and right now we’re just one game at a time pushing for that Sun Belt championship. Whatever happens or wherever the ball falls that’s where we are going to be.”
