GAME 11
Arkansas State (5-5, 3-2) at Troy (5-4, 4-0)
November 18, 2006
Movie Gallery Stadium (30,000)
Troy, Alabama
6 p.m. (CST)
Radio:  Arkansas State Radio Network (KCJF 103.9 FM, flagship)
Television:  ESPN Regional (Channel 22, Jonesboro)

Click here for PDF version of Arkansas State notes vs. Troy

ON TAP:  Arkansas State will play its final two regular-season games on the road, starting at Troy on Saturday at 6 p.m. in a game televised by ESPN Regional.  Every Arkansas State game can be heard live on 103.9 FM in the Jonesboro area and the live radio broadcast can be accessed through the Arkansas State athletic web site (ASUIndians.com).

THE PRINCIPALS:  Arkansas State was eliminated from contention for the Sun Belt Conference title last week, but still has a shot at its first winning season since 1995.  The Indians are currently on a three-game skid and are 2-3 in road games this season.  Troy enters the game undefeated in Sun Belt Conference action at 4-0 and will play three league opponents in Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee and Florida International to finish its regular season.  The Trojans are riding a four-game winning streak, all over Sun Belt opponents, including a 24-17 win over Florida Atlantic its last time out.

THE COACHES:  Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts is in his fifth year at Arkansas State after leading the Indians to the Sun Belt Conference championship and New Orleans Bowl last year.  He has guided ASU to 25 wins since his arrival.  Even with two games remaining on its 2006 schedule, the ASU football program's 25 victories during Roberts' first five years at the helm are its most over a five-year span since winning 33 from 1986-1990.  Roberts was named the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.  Larry Blakeney is in his 16th season as Troy's head coach, holding a 125-63-1 record at the school.  He is the all-time winningest coach in school history and has led the Trojans to nine winning seasons, including four seasons with 10 or more victories.  He is 70-10-1 in games played at Movie Gallery Stadium.
 
SCOUTING THE TROJANS:  Troy posted a 1-4 record through its first five games before going on a four-game winning streak to bring its record to 5-4.  Two of the Trojans four losses came against nationally ranked opponents in Florida State and Nebraska.  Troy is 4-0 in Sun Belt play with games against Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee and Florida International remaining on its league schedule.  They are 4-0 in home games this season.  The lead the Sun Belt Conference in three statistical categories, including kickoff coverage, passing efficiency and fourth-down conversions.  Quarterback Omar Haugabook leads the Troy offense, passing for a Sun Belt Conference best 181 yards per game.  His favorite target is junior receiver Gary Banks, who leads the league in receptions with 57 to his credit.  The Troy defense is paced by safety Brannon Condren with 71 tackles, the fourth most in the Sun Belt.

THE ARKANSAS STATE - TROY SERIES:  Arkansas State leads the all-time series that dates back to 1951, 4-1, and has outscored the Trojans 88-70 in those five contests.  The Indians have won the only two games played as Sun Belt Conference opponents, defeating the Trojans 9-3 last season and 13-9 in 2004.  Troy's lone victory in the series came 41-7 in 1992. 
 
THE LAST TIME vs. TROY:  JONESBORO, Ark. (11/12/05) ? Dominique Williams' interception on the goal line helped Arkansas State to a perfect home record and remain in the Sun Belt Conference title race as the Indians knocked Troy out of the New Orleans Bowl hunt, 9-3, in another defensive game between the two schools.  Eric Neilhouse booted a 27-yard field goal to push the ASU lead to 9-3 with just 3:01 left to play.  His kickoff dropped into the arms of Leodis McKelvin, who took the ball at the Troy 4 and returned it to the 41.  From there, the Trojans began moving the ball down the field with the help of some untimely penalties by the Indians.  But the worst penalty of all for the Tribe seemed to be when a false start by the Trojans was called, but an ASU player played through and knocked down the quarterback for a personal foul.  The penalty moved the ball to the ASU 18 with under a minute remaining.  The next play, quarterback Julian Foster looked left and threw right, into the teeth of ASU's zone coverage and where ASU's Williams was lurking.  Williams' interception, the first of his career, came in his first start.  The Indians scored the first of three field goals when Eric Neilhouse, kicking with the wind, nailed a 49-yard field goal as the clock rolled over to halftime, tying the game at three.  ASU's defense again found inspiration at Indian Stadium, limiting the Trojans to just 167-yards of total offense, including 98-yards passing and 69 rushing.

ARKANSAS STATE vs. SUN BELT CONFERENCE:  Arkansas State is 48-46-1 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.  Since the league's inaugural football season in 2001, the Indians are 19-19 against all opponents that have been a member of the league.  Against current members of the conference, ASU is 14-15 since 2001.  The Indians hold their most all-time victories against Louisiana-Lafayette with 16, while its most victories against a Sun Belt opponent since 2001 is Louisiana-Monroe with four.  The Indians have defeated every team in the Sun Belt Conference since the football league was formed in 2001.
 
ON THIS DATE:  Arkansas State has played seven times on November 18 since the 1961 season and holds a 3-4 record in those games.  The Indians dropped their last game played on the date, a 31-7 decision against North Texas.  ASU's previous game played on November 18 was against Mississippi Valley State and it walked away with a a 55-3 win.  In addition to Mississippi Valley State, the Indians hold victories over Lamar (1978) and Trinity University (1967) when playing on November 18.  ASU is 1-2 in road games played on the date.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT:  JONESBORO, Ark. (11/11/06) ? The ASU Indians saw their eight-game home win streak snapped with a 38-10 loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Indian Stadium.  Middle Tennessee jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before ASU got on the board with a 33-yard field goal from Josh Arauco with 4:58 remaining in the second quarter, then blocked a Blue Raider field goal on the final play of the half to swing the momentum in the Indians' favor heading into the locker room.  Arkansas State opened the second half by driving to the Blue Raider 15, but Middle Tennessee's Brandon Robinson intercepted a pass by ASU quarterback Corey Leonard and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown to stretch the Middle Tennessee lead to 17-3.  The Blue Raiders added a seven yard touchdown run by Desmond Gee later in the quarter, and a five yard score from DeMarco McNair to make it 31-3.  ASU made it 31-10 when Leonard connected with Levi Dejohnette for a 14-yard touchdown with 4:38 remaining, and Middle Tennessee set the final score at 38-10 when McNair scored from 48 yards out on the Blue Raiders' next possession.  ASU tailback Reggie Arnold rushed for 116 yards to lead the Indian offense, while Josh Williams led the Indian defense with nine tackles and a blocked field goal.
 
ROBERTS CLIMBING VICTORIES LADDER:  In his first five seasons as the Indians head coach, Steve Roberts already has the fifth most victories among ASU's 26 all-time head coaches with 25.  Larry Lacewell (1979-89) holds the record for victories with 69 and is followed by Bennie Ellender (1963-70) with 52 wins, Bill Davidson (1971-78) with 51 and Forrest England (1946-53) with 49.
 
ROBERTS IN CLOSE GAMES:  Fifth-year skipper Steve Roberts has seen numerous close games during his tenure with the Indians, holding a 14-6 record in games decided by eight points or less (34 percent of all his games).  Roberts' teams have been especially successful recently in games decided by just one score, holding an 12-3 record in its last 15 games that ended under those circumstances.  Following is his record in close games:
Margin   Roberts record
1 point 1-0
2 points 1-0
3 points 4-3
4 points 3-1
5 points 0-1
6 points 2-0
7 points 2-1
8 points 1-0
 
ROBERTS AND INDIAN STADIUM:  Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts has led the Indians to a 17-6 record at Indian Stadium over the last five years for a .739 winning percentage.  Not only that, the Indians held an eight game winning streak at Indian Stadium that dated back to last season (snapped last week vs. Middle Tennessee), which was their longest home winning streak since capturing 17 in a row from 1984-86.
 
MILESTONE Victory at Indian Stadium:  Arkansas State's 10-6 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 7 was the 100th victory for the Indians in their home stadium.  ASU now stands at 101-64-1 all-time at Indian Stadium.
 
17 AND UNDER:  Arkansas State holds a 14-2 record under head coach Steve Roberts when holding its opponents to 17 points or less.  However, ASU is 11-30 over the last five seasons when allowing 17 or more points. The Indians have won their last 11 consecutive games when holding their opponent to 17 or fewer points and has won 26 straight games when holding their opponents to 10 or fewer points.

GOING FOR NO. 6:  If Arkansas State picks up one more victory over its final two games, it will become bowl eligible and also have recorded at least six victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1986 and 1987 seasons.  If Arkansas State wins its final two games, it will guarantee itself its first winning season since 1995.

BEST SUN BELT START:  With its win over North Texas, Arkansas State earned its best-ever start in Sun Belt Conference play at 3-0.  It's previous best start was 2-1.  ASU has since dropped its last two league games, but can still finish with a winning Sun Belt Conference record for second consecutive season.  ASU posted a 5-2 record in Sun Belt games last year.
 
SUN BELT STREAK:  Dating back to last season, ASU won five consecutive Sun Belt Conference games before falling to Florida Atlantic on October 28.  That was the longest winning streak ever by ASU in the Sun Belt.  The last time ASU won five or more consecutive games in any league was 1985-86 when it won 10 Southland Conference games in a row.
 
BEST OVERALL START IN MORE THAN A DECADE:  With its 29-10 win over North Texas on October 21, ASU matched its best start since 1987 when it was 5-2 as well.  ASU's 5-5 record through 10 games matches it record at the same stage last year.
 
FOUR IN A ROW:  Arkansas State won four consecutive games from Sept. 30 - Oct. 21, marking the first time since the 1986 season it has done so.
 
BREAKING THE TREND:  ASU's victory over Army was its first over a non-conference Division I-A opponent since defeating Tulsa 21-19 in 2002.  With its victory over Memphis, ASU has now defeated two non-conference Division I-A opponents in the same season for the first time since returning to Division I-A in 1992.
 
TURNING IT AROUND ON THE ROAD:  With back-to-back road victories over Florida International and Memphis, ASU won two consecutive road games in the same season for the first time since 1988.  The Tribe, which posted a 1-4 record in road games last season, is 2-3 this year in true road games.
 
CONTROLLING THE CLOCK:  The Indians have won the time of possession battle in nine of its 10 games this season and lead the Sun Belt Conference in time of possession at 32:41.  That figure also ranks the Indians No. 6 nationally.
 
FAN INTEREST:  Arkansas State's average attendance of 17,882 in its four games played at Indian Stadium is a school record for single-season attendance at the stadium.  ASU's next highest single-season average attendance record at the stadium was 17,454 in 1991.  The Indians opened its season at Indian Stadium for the first time since 1995 and the crowd of 23,426 in attendance for the Army game was the fourth largest in Indian Stadium history.  The official attendance of 19,141 vs. North Texas was the 10th largest crowd in the history of Indian Stadium.  The largest crowd in school history was 30,427 when ASU played Memphis in 2004.  The 23,816 fans on hand to watch ASU's game against Oklahoma State was the largest ever to watch an Arkansas State game at War Memorial Stadium.

FIVE-YEAR IMPROVEMENT:  Since head coach Steve Roberts arrival in 2002, Arkansas State's football program has seen its win total increase by almost 100 percent over the previous five years.  ASU has posted 25 wins over the last five years, 10 more than it recorded the five years prior to Roberts.  In fact, ASU's 25 wins over the last five years are the most for a five-year span since it collected 33 victories from 1986-90.
 
AMONG THE BEST IN THE BELT:  Arkansas State leads the Sun Belt Conference in five statistical categories and is ranked among the top half of the league in 14 categories.
 
RISING STAR:  Arkansas State redshirt freshman tailback Reggie Arnold is ranked second in the Sun Belt in rushing with an average of 83 yards per game.  That figure is also good enough to rank Arnold at No. 36 nationally.  He needs just 170 more yards to become the 16th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.
 
ARNOLD AMONG TOP THREE FRESHMEN RUSHERS:  Redshirt freshman Reggie Arnold is not only ranked 36th in the nation in rushing among all players, he is No. 3 in the nation in rushing among all freshmen.

WILKERSON HAS CAREER GAME:  In his very young career, redshirt freshman Cedric Wilkerson  had his biggest game of the year against Memphis on Oct. 14. Wilkerson carried the ball 23 times for a career-high 116 yards and added 23 receiving yards on two catches.
 
BREAKING INTO THE TOP 10:  ASU Junior wide receiver Levi Dejohnette of Bastrop, La., moved into the top-10 all-time leaders at ASU this season and now sits in eighth place with 86 receptions to his credit.  He needs just three more reception to tie Corey Walker at the No. 7 spot.

DEJOHNETTE HITS MILESTONE:  Dejohnette also reached another milestone this season, going over 1,000 yards receiving for his career.  He now has 1,067 career receiving yards and needs just 15 more yards to take over 10th place all-time at ASU for career receiving yards.
 
DEFENSE SHINES:  The Indian defense is ranked second in the Sun Belt and No. 32 nationally in total defense.  ASU's defense yields just 298.60 yards per game.  The Indian defense is also 41st in the nation in turnovers gained, taking the ball away from its opponents 21 times through 10 games
 
ASU AMONG TOP TEAMS NATIONALLY IN INTERCEPTIONS:  Just three teams are ranked ahead of Arkansas State's defense in total interceptions.  ASU has 16 interceptions on the season.  Cornerback Dominique Williams leads the team with three interceptions to his credit.
 
TOP 10 PASS DEFENSE: ASU's pass defense is ranked eighth nationally.  The Indians are giving up just 155.7 yards per game through the air, a figure that is the best in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS THREAT:  Defensive back Darren Toney became the seventh player in school history to surpass 1,000 kickoff return yards in a career earlier this season and is now ranked fourth all-time at ASU with 1,188 yards to his credit.  Toney needs 25 yards to take over third place.  James Hickenbotham (1999-02) is the all-time leader with 1,746 yards to his credit.
 
SPREADING THE BALL AROUND:  A season-high eight different players caught a pass against SMU  on Sept. 23 and against Middle Tennessee last week.  Fifteen different ASU players have caught at least one pass this season.  ASU has completed a pass to at least six different players in eight of its 10 games this year.
 
UNBUCKLE THE BELT:  Arkansas State is in its sixth year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, joining the league for its inaugural 2001 season.  After defeating Florida International in its Sun Belt opener Sept. 30, ASU is now a perfect 6-0 in Sun Belt openers with wins over Louisiana-Lafayette (2001), Louisiana-Monroe (2002-2004) and Florida International (2005-2006).
 
STANDOUT LINEBACKER MAKES RETURN:  Linebacker Josh Williams is back after missing the entire 2005 season and recorded 43 tackles in his first nine games despite missing some playing time due to injuries.  Against ULM Oct. 7, he notched his first pass interception of the season.  As a freshman in 2004, Williams started all 11 games, led the team in tackles with 110, and was the top freshman tackler in the nation. He was also named first-team Freshman All-America by CollegeSportsReports.com and second-team Freshman All-America by the Sporting News and by Rivals.com. The 6-1, 255-pound junior from Beaumont, Texas, was the only freshman in the nation in 2004 to finish among the top 50 tacklers in the country.
 
LEONARD NAMED SUN BELT CONFERENCE
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Arkansas State redshirt freshman quarterback Corey Leonard (Covington, La.) threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns, both career highs, in a 26-23 road victory over Memphis, earning him Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Leonard threw a 53-yard touchdown bomb with time expired in the fourth quarter to lift ASU to a three-point victory over its oldest rival, Memphis. He completed 12-of-23 passes and in addition to his 219 yards through the air, also added 35 yards on the ground that included a career-best 20 yard run during a third-quarter drive that helped set up a field goal. Leonard completed passes to six different receivers and had four passes go for at least 25 yards, including a 26-yard scoring strike to receiver Patrick Higgins. He had three rushes of 10 or more yards as helped ASU dominate time of possession (34:25 to 25:20) and pick up its first win over Memphis since 1989.

ARNOLD NAMED SUN BELT CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Redshirt freshman tailback Reggie Arnold (Little Rock) rushed for 121 yards and a career-high three touchdowns to lead ASU to a 3-0 start in Sun Belt play with a 29-10 victory over North Texas.  Arnold carried the ball a career-tying 25 times and averaged 4.8 yards per rush, while leading all players in rushing yards.  Arnold rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season and is now 26th in the nation in rushing after Saturday's game.  He posted a long run of 15 yards and had three carries go for 10 or more yards.

WADE HONORED:  ASU senior linebacker Devrett Wade was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 8 following his team-high 11-tackle performance in the Indians' 10-6 victory over Louisiana-Monroe at Indian Stadium.  With the Warhawks threatening to score on ULM's final possession, Wade broke up a pass on 4th-and-10 with 28 seconds remaining to help seal the win.  Wade's 11 tackles in the game were a season high for the senior from Galveston, TX, and one shy of his career high. Wade's 11 stops also put him over the century-mark for his career, with 109 tackles.
 
ARNOLD NAMED SUN BELT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Redshirt freshman running back Reggie Arnold was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4 after rushing for a game-high 140 yards and one touchdown to help lead ASU to a 14-6 victory over Army.  Arnold was awarded the honor again last week for his 25-carry, 121 yard performance that included three touchdowns.  In his first collegiate game, Arnold carried the ball 25 times for a 5.6 average and had six rushes that went for at least 10 yards.  His longest run went for 22 yards, while his touchdown rush covered 17 yards.
 
JAMES NAMED SUN BELT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Senior defensive lineman Jamarrow James was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4 after recording a career-tying seven tackles, including three for a loss of 12 yards, in a 14-6 victory over Army.  His seven tackles tied the second most on the team and his three tackles for a loss led all players.  Out of his seven tackles, five were solo.
 
THE ROCK CLASSIC:  Arkansas State returned to War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock for the first time since 2003 when it played Oklahoma State on Sept. 9. ASU's games played at War Memorial Stadium have been branded "The Rock Classic" and there is a trophy that lists the scores from each previous ASU game at the stadium.  Following is a list of "The Rock Classic" games:
1967, ASU vs. The Citadel (L, 7-20)
1968, ASU vs. Trinity (W, 31-14)
1969, ASU vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (W, 26-0)
1970, ASU vs. The Citadel (W, 24-7)
1971, ASU vs. Abilene Christian (W, 35-9)
1972, ASU vs. Louisiana Tech (L, 17-38)
1973, ASU vs. Xavier (W, 37-0)
1975, ASU vs. Southern Illinois (W, 35-12)
1978, ASU vs. Southern Miss (L, 6-21)
1983, ASU vs. North Texas (L, 0-17)
2002, ASU vs. San Jose St. (L, 14-33)
2003, ASU vs. Louisiana-Monroe (W, 44-41)
2006, ASU vs. Oklahoma State (L, 35-7)
 
FOR STARTERS:  Arkansas State won its season opener for the first time since 1995 with a 14-6 victory over Army.  The game also marked the first time the Indians had opened the season at Indian Stadium since 1995 and the 11th time that ASU had ever opened its season at Indian Stadium since it opened in 1974.  ASU improved to 9-2 in season opening games at Indian Stadium.  ASU is now 43-43-6 all-time in season openers.
 
92nd SEASON UNDER WAY:  Arkansas State kicked off its 92nd season of football with its game against Army.  The Indians hold a 395-420-37 record since the inaugural 1911 season and have played in seven bowl games.    With five more victories, ASU can become the fifth Sun Belt school with 400+ wins.
 
STRONG DEFENSE:  The ASU defense held Army to just 164 yards of total offense, which is the Indians' fewest offensive yards allowed since holding Sam Houston State to 150 yards in 1986, in its season opener. 
 
TEAM CAPTAINS:  ASU's senior class, made up of 15 players, will alternate throughout the year as team captains.  The team will vote on permanent captains at the end of the year.
 
PRESEASON PICKS:  Defending Sun Belt Conference champion Arkansas State has been picked to finish second in the 2006 Sun Belt Conference football race according to a preseason poll of the league's eight head coaches.  The Indians received 50 points, just eight fewer than preseason favorite Louisiana-Lafayette, and picked up two first-place votes.  Troy followed Arkansas State with 48 points, while North Texas was selected fourth, Louisiana-Monroe fifth, Middle Tennessee sixth, Florida Atlantic seventh and Florida International eighth.
 
JENKINS & JOHNSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT:  Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson and center Tanner Jenkins were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team, the league announced Monday at its 2006 Media Day.  Johnson was an All-Sun Belt Conference selection his first two seasons with the Indians, actually leading the team in tackles last year as a sophomore with 112 stops to his credit . . .   Jenkins, the Indians player representative at the Sun Belt Media Day, continued to pile up his accolades with his selection to the preseason All-Sun Belt Team.  The senior standout has also been named to the Dave Rimington Trophy List and the Rotary Lombardi Watch List.  He was a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2005 . . . Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Jerry Babb was named the league's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Florida International linebacker Keyonvis Bouie was picked as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
SUN BELT ANNOUNCES TV SCHEDULE:  The Sun Belt Conference office released its 2006 football TV schedule on Monday at its annual Football Media Day and defending league-champion Arkansas State will play five televised games during the upcoming season.  The Indians TV schedule features two non-conference games, including its game against Oklahoma State on Sept. 9 in Little Rock and its game at Auburn on Nov. 4, and three games against Sun Belt opponents . . . Two of ASU's three televised conference games will be played at Indian Stadium.  The first of those two will be against Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 7 and the other will be against North Texas on Oct. 21.  The Indian's final televised game will be on Nov. 18 at Troy . . . All five ASU games be seen on Cable Channel 22 in the Jonesboro area.
Arkansas State's Televised Games
Sept. 9 Oklahoma St. at ASU.+ ESPNU
Oct. 7  UL Monroe at ASU ESPN Regional
Oct. 21 North Texas at ASU ESPN Regional
Nov. 4 ASU at Auburn CSS
Nov. 18 ASU at Troy ESPN Regional
+War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock, AR)
 
A NEW LOOK:  Arkansas State will play four games on brand new ProGreen turf in Indian Stadium during 2006. The Indians host Army (Sept. 2), Louisiana-Monroe (Oct. 7), North Texas (Oct. 21), and Middle Tennessee (Nov. 11). ASU's fifth "home game" is set for Sept. 9 in Little Rock against Oklahoma State.
 
HIGHLY DECORATED:  Center Tanner Jenkins is looking to be one of the most decorated players ASU has had. He has been selected to the 2006 Dave Rimington Trophy Watch List, the Outland Trophy Watch List, and to the Rotary Lombardi Watch List. The Sporting News has tabbed him as a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference performer and NationalChamps.net has picked Jenkins to its 2006 preseason All-america team. Jenkins has also been chosen to the preseason All-America list by Street & Smith. He is also a selection to the CollegeFootballNews.com preseason All-SBC team.
 
SAFETY WORTH MORE THAN TWO POINTS:  Safety Tyrell Johnson was named to The Sporting News 2006 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference football team and the publication's Defensive Player of the Year.
 
AMONG THE BEST IN THE BELT:  Eight members of ASU's football team have been named to the CollegeFootballNews.com preseason All-Sun Belt  Conference team and four are listed in the organization's Top 30 players in the Sun Belt. LB Josh Williams and S Tyrell Johnson are ASU's representatives on the first team defense. The second team includes WR Levi Dejohnette, C Tanner Jenkins, OL Matt Mandich, DL Jamarrow James, LB Devrett Wade and DB Khayyam Burns. Williams is rated the third-best player in the SBC followed by number four by Johnson. Burns is ranked 22nd and FB Oren O'Neal is 30th.
 
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY:  Fullback Oren O'Neal, a walk-on who overcame serious medical problems to come back and earn a scholarship, has been recognized in a special feature for "Walk-on of the Year" on CBSSportsLine.com. The 6-0, 248-pound senior from Stuttgart was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after ASU filed an appeal for the extra year due to medical reasons. After arriving in 2001, O'Neal was diagnosed with chylothorax, a condition that produces a buildup of fluid in the chest through a duct. Surgery repaired the duct and O'Neal returned to the team and worked on getting stronger and earned a scholarship.
 
SPECIAL RECOGNITION:  Speaking of O'Neal, he was the named the recipient of the 2006 Terry Gwin Award at a special senior recognition ceremony in April. The Gwin Award is the highest award an ASU senior may receive and recognizes the academic and athletic accomplishments along with character and leadership qualities.
 
LETS SEE THAT AGAIN:  XOS Technologies, a leading provider of sports technology and media solutions to professional and collegiate teams and conferences, has been selected by the Sun Belt Conference to provide in-game instant replay capabilities during all of its conference and non-conference football games in 2006. XOS Replay is a fully integrated digital video recording solution that will enable replay officials to watch, and simultaneously record, live feeds from the various cameras mounted in the stadium.
 
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM:  The Indian football team has won the Sun Belt Conference team academic award twice in the last three years, including 2005.  This marks the first time the team GPA award and conference title went to the same football team in the Sun Belt. Along the academics line, ASU traveled 98 players to the New Orleans Bowl in 2005. In a recognition ceremony at the hotel, 41 of those players were cited as having a GPA of 3.00 or better.
 
RETURN TO CHAMPIONSHIP FORM:  ASU's conference championship in 2005 was the first for the Indians since 1986 when ASU finished the season with a record of 12-2-1 and earned a trip to the Division I-AA national championship game-the Diamond Bowl. The last time ASU played in a Division I bowl game prior to 2005's New Orleans Bowl was in 1970.
 
ROBERTS RECEIVES LEAGUE'S TOP COACHING HONOR:  Head Coach Steve Roberts is the 2005 Sun Belt Conference "Coach of the Year."
 
"RED" RECOGNIZED:  ASU's spirit character "Red" finished second overall at the national mascot competition in January 2006.
 
THERE IS A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING:  Arkansas State faces two opponents in 2006 for the first time ever. The Sept. 23 game at Southern Methodist marks the first these two schools have met on the football field and the matchup with Auburn Nov. 4 is a first for the Indians. SMU will come to Jonesboro in 2007.
 
TWO-SPORT STARS:  Darren Toney and Evan Van Dolah also compete as members of ASU's track and field team. Toney competed both indoors and outdoors with Van Dolah competing indoors only. Toney, had an indoor season best of 6.56 in the 55-meter dash while Van Dolah clocked 6.83. In the 60-meter dash, Toney ran 7.01 and then 22.70 in the 200. Van Dolah turned in his best of 8.60 in the 60-meter hurdles. Outdoors, Toney posted the fastest 100-meter time on the team with 10.85 and third in the 200 with 22.12. He also ran the anchor leg on the 4x100-meter relay which ran a best of 41.35 and the third leg on the 1:26.96 4x200-meter squad.
 
FAMILY TIES:  Players Chris James and Jamarrow James are cousins.  Quarterback Travis Hewitt's father is the equipment supervisor for the NFL St. Louis Rams.
 
A TIME TO BOND:  When Head Coach Steve Roberts came to ASU, he brought a tradition with him which caught on in a hurry with the players.  The night before each game, team members andcoaches get together for milk and cookies.  During this time, each player sits by and visits with at least three other players he has not visited with throughout the week in order to learn more about his teammates.

FIVE INDUCTED INTO ASU HALL OF HONOR: Five Arkansas State University athletic legends joined the ASU Hall of Honor Friday, Sept. 1, when induction ceremonies were held at the Fowler Center. The inductees, which bring the Hall total to 114, are former football coach Mike Malham, Sr., football All-American Charlie Fredrick, track and field NCAA All-American Jerald Spencer, volleyball record holder and 1994
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Margie Kolat McGee, and football standout Major General James E. Simmons. The group was recognized during halftime of the ASU-Army football
game Saturday (Sept. 2).

NFL GREAT RAY BROWN SPEAKS TO ASU TOUCHDOWN CLUB: Former Arkansas State and National Football League great Ray Brown was the featured speaker at the ASU Touchdown
Club meeting at the Holiday Inn in Jonesboro Thursday evening. Brown, who played at ASU from 1983-85, recently retired after 21 years in the NFL. After being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986, he went on to an illustrious career with the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers. He joined the Detroit Lions in 2002 and immediately earned a starting spot and won the Eric Andolsek Top Offensive Lineman Award. He rejoined the Redskins in 2004 and played in all 16 games and started 13. Brown played in the Pro Bowl in 2001. At ASU, Brown was an All-Southland Conference selection and the first player in conference history to
be named first-team all-conference at two different positions in same season (OL and TE).

JAZZ IN JONESBORO:  On Nov. 11, in addition to Senior Day, Indian Stadium was the site of the Jazz in Jonesboro festivities as well as the Memphis in May barbeque qualifying event.  A full slate of music, barbeque, holiday, and football activities was scheduled during the “Jazz In Jonesboro” weekend Nov. 10-11 on the Arkansas State University campus next to Indian Stadium. “Jazz In Jonesboro” is sponsored by KCJF (EARL-FM 103.9) radio station and is FREE to all of the public.

GWIN BECOMES MEMBER OF ASU RING OF HONOR:  Terry Gwin, a former Arkansas State football standout and the namesake of the prestigious Terry Gwin Award, became a member of the elite ASU Ring of Honor Nov. 11 when the Indians hosted Middle Tennessee in Indian Stadium.  Gwin, a Dallas, Texas, businessman, became the 12th member of the Ring to join Calvin Harrell (1996), Bill Bergey and Bill Templeton (1997), J.A. “Ike” Tomlinson and Harry Larche (1998), Bill Davidson (1999), Bennie Ellender (2000), Larry Lacewell and Frank Farella (2001), Maurice Carthon (2002) and Bill Phillips (2003).  The induction ceremony took place during halftime of the game. All ASU football lettermen were invited to come to the field to form a ring for the induction.