ON TAP: Arkansas State remains on the road for the second straight week and continues non-conference play Saturday, facing Miami at 2:30 p.m. (CT) in an ESPNU-televised game at Sun Life Stadium.  Every A-State game can be heard live on 107.9 FM in the Northeast Arkansas area, and the live radio broadcast can be accessed through the official A-State Athletics web site (AStateRedWolves.com).

THE PRINCIPALS:  A-State plays its second consecutive road game against an opponent from one of the high resource (Power 5) conferences, facing ACC foe Miami after falling 34-19 against SEC member Tennessee last week.  The Red Wolves and Hurricanes, meeting for the second time ever, will both enter the contest with a 1-1 record.  A-State opened the season with a 37-10 victory over then FCS-ranked No. 19 Montana State, while Miami claimed its first win of the year last week by defeating Florida A&M 41-7.

HEAD COACH BLAKE ANDERSON: Blake Anderson, a 13-year coaching veteran at the NCAA FBS level who also coached in an NJCAA National Championship game, was named the Red Wolves' 30th all-time head football coach on Dec. 19, 2013.  Working on head coach Larry Fedora's staff as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at both North Carolina and Southern Miss over the last four seasons, Anderson's dynamic offense helped lead the two programs to 34 victories, three bowl game appearances and two conference or divisional titles.  Along the way, his potent offense was responsible for breaking both schools' total offense records while also ranking among the most productive teams in the nation.  The Hubbard, Texas native comes to A-State after spending the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina.

STARTING STRONG:  Blake Anderson is A-State's 30th all-time head coach, but became just the 11th to claim a victory in his first ever game at the school.  Last season Bryan Harsin became the first A-State head coach to win his initial game since Larry Lacewell in 1979, snapping a streak of seven head coaches to drop their debuts.  A-State's head coaches to win their first game at the school include Anderson, Harsin, Lacewell, Bill Davidson (1971), Gene Harlow (1955), Glen Harmeson (1954), Bill Adams (1939), Jack Dale (1931), Bill Stanley (1924), Foy Hammons (1919) and Clint Young (1913).

THE ARKANSAS STATE - MIAMI SERIES:  Saturday's game will mark just the second all-time meeting between Arkansas State and Miami.  The Hurricanes claimed a 42-10 home victory over A-State in 1997.  The game was tied 7-7 after the first quarter, but Miami outscored Arkansas State in the second and third quarters by a combined 28-0. A-State running back Austin Tinsley (1992-97) rushed for 100 yards, while quarterback Cleo Lemon (1999-2000) completed 13-of-22 passes for 119 yards and scored the team's only touchdown on a one-yard run.

A-STATE vs. THE ACC:  Arkansas State is 0-2 all-time versus teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference, including a 38-31 setback at North Carolina State in 2000 and a 26-6 loss at then-ranked No. 13 Virginia Tech in 2011.  The Red Wolves have also played current ACC members Louisville and Miami, but those two programs were not a member of the ACC at the time of the game.  A-State also played Virginia Tech two additional times before the Hokies were a member of the ACC.  Versus current ACC members, A-State is 0-7 all-time regardless of their conference affiliation at the time of the games.

FLORIDA RED WOLVES:  A-State has two players on its roster from the state of Florida, including freshman cornerback Charles “Fudge” Gaskin (Tallahassee) and sophomore safety Sterling Wright (Miami).  Gaskin helped lead Gorby High School to a 10-2 record and the 2013 Florida 5A state playoffs as a senior.  Wright played at Coral Reef High School, receiving All-Dade County honors as both a junior and senior.

STARTING FRESH:  The Red Wolves had seven players make their first career start in one of the first two games of the season.  Six of them earned their first start against Montana State, including offensive linemen Jemar Clark, Devin Mondie and Tyler Greve, wide receiver Dijon Paschal, quarterback Fredi Knighten and defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones.  Defensive lineman Chuks Ota got his first career start last week against Tennessee.

NEW FACES:  Arkansas State has seen 27 total players, including 13 true freshmen, achieve their first game experience this season at A-State.  Six of those true freshmen are listed on the two-deep, including defensive lineman Chuks Ota -- the only one to start a game this year (at Tennessee).

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH:  Entering the opening week of the season, Arkansas State had 27 (26 this week) combined freshmen and sophomores on its depth chart to tie for the 10th most in the nation.  The Red Wolves' 10 seniors (10 again this week) on the depth chart were tied for the 10th fewest in the country.

AN A-STATE VICTORY WOULD . . . :  make it 2-1 after three games for the second straight year and also give it a winning record through three games for just the fifth time (1995, 2003, 2008, 2013) since joining the FBS in 1992 . . . give the Red Wolves their first ever victory over an ACC opponent . . . give it a road victory over a non-conference opponent for the first time since 2008 . . . improve its record over the last four seasons to 30-12 . . . give the Red Wolves their first win over a high resource (Power 5) conference since defeating Texas A&M in 2008 while the Aggies were a member of the Big 12 Conference.

STOP THE BLEEDING:  Coming off a 34-19 setback to Tennessee, Arkansas State has dropped back-to-back games only once over the last four seasons (2011-14).  The Red Wolves suffered back-to-back losses last year (3rd and 4th games of the season), but previously had not dropped back-to-back games in the same season since falling in the last two contests of the 2010 campaign.

HOME OPENERS:  With its 37-10 victory over Montana State, Arkansas State won its 10th consecutive home opener at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to the 2005 campaign.  The Red Wolves now stand 30-11 all-time in home openers at the stadium and are also 16-6 in such games since moving to the FBS in 1992.

SEASON OPENERS:  A-State won its season opener for the second consecutive year for the first time since 2008 and 2009.  The last time Arkansas State won its first two games of a season was 2008 when it defeated Texas A&M and Texas Southern to begin the year.

RED WOLVES TABBED SECOND IN PRESEASON SBC POLL:  The Red Wolves were picked second in the preseason coaches poll announced in conjunction with the league's annual Media Day.  A-State received 102 points behind Louisiana-Lafayette, which received 121 points and all 11 first-place votes.

PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE:  Arkansas State placed 10 players on the 2014 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team, which tied Louisiana-Lafayette for the most in the league.  Senior linebacker Qushaun Lee was named the conference's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and he was joined on the first team by four other teammates.  The Red Wolves placed four offensive and six defensive players on the all-conference squad, while junior receiver J.D. McKissic also made the team as a return specialist.

CENTENNIAL SEASON:  Arkansas State kicked off its 100th season of football on Aug. 30 versus Montana State.  A-State now holds a 435-462-37 record since the inaugural season and has played in 10 bowl games.  A-State did not field a team from 1942-44 due to World War II.  Arkansas State also didn't have a team in 1918 as World War I was ending.  In honor of its 100th football season, the athletics department has created a microsite that can be viewed at AStateFootball100.com.

SUN BELT CHAMPIONS:  Arkansas State claimed its third consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship in 2013.  A-State has won 10 conference championships all-time.  It won the Southland Conference seven times (1986, 1985, 1978, 1975, 1970, 1969, 1968).  A-State also won the 2005 Sun Belt Conference title, but it was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions.  Prior to the 2011-13 seasons, the last time A-State won three straight conference championships was 1968-70 when it was a member of the Southland Conference.

A WINNING RECORD:  Arkansas State secured its third straight winning season in 2013 for the first time since 1985-87.  A-State won 10 games in both 2011 and 2012, while collecting eight victories last season.  The Red Wolves' 28 total victories from 2011-13 were the most over a three-year span since winning 29 games from 1985-87.

OVER .500 IN THE SUN BELT:  With a 5-2 conference record last season, A-State posted a winning Sun Belt record for the sixth time since the league's inaugural season in 2001.  A-State has put together three straight winning records against conference opponents for the first time since 1984-86 when it was a member of the Southland Conference.

THREE-PEAT:  Last year, Arkansas State became the third program in Sun Belt history to claim at least a share of the conference championship in three consecutive seasons, joining Troy (2006-10) and North Texas (2001-04).  The Red Wolves also won three league championships in a row for the just the second time in school history, also claiming the Southland Conference titles from 1968-70.

HOME SWEET HOME:  With a 5-1 home mark last season, Arkansas State secured its ninth consecutive winning record at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to 2005.  A-State is now 42-9 at Centennial Bank Stadium since the 2005 season and has won 17 of its last 19 home games.  The Red Wolves actual on-field record all-time at Centennial Bank Stadium is 134-72-1 since it opened in 1974. A-State's six home wins in 2011 were its most since 1985.

TEN FORMER WALK-ONS EARN SCHOLARSHIP:  Head coach Blake Anderson announced during A-State's fall camp that 10 former walk-ons to the Red Wolves football team have been awarded full athletics scholarships.  While some of the 10 have been placed on scholarship in the past, they have all been a walk-on member of the team at some point during their careers.  The list includes Brock Barnhill, Travis Bodenstein, William Boyd, Darius Buckley, Ryan Eustace, Charleston Girley, Ryan Jacobs, Booker Mays, TeDarius Turner and Raziel Velgis.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

OPENING DRIVE:  A-State scored a touchdown on its first offensive possession in each of its first two games this season.  The Red Wolves' opening drive versus Tennessee covered 40 yards, while their first drive versus Montana State covered 75.

HOUSTON, WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM:  Junior wide receiver Tres Houston is off to a fast start this season, leading the team in both receptions (12) and receiving yards (135).  Houston caught eight passes for 135 yards, both career highs, against Montana State and hauled in his first career receiving touchdown last week against Tennessee.  Houston, who had eight receptions for 44 yards all of last season, is ranked tied for fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in receptions.

300-PLUS: Dating back to the 2010 season, Arkansas State has posted at least 300 yards of total offense in 47 of its last 53 games.  A-State went over 300 in each of its first two games this season, including 547 yards versus Montana State and 331 against Tennessee.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD:  A-State has posted at least 30 points in 26 of its last 37 regular-season games dating back to the 2011 season. The Red Wolves have won 16 of their last 17 games when scoring at least 30 points.

TAKING OVER AT QB:  In his first two career starts, junior quarterback Fredi Knighten has posted over 200 yards total offense in each game.  Knighten piled up a career-high 312 yards against Montana State before coming back to record 231 last week versus Tennessee.  The 2014 GoDaddy Bowl MVP recorded a career-high 21 completions last week against the Volunteers.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE:  Arkansas State's collective offensive line entered the 2014 season with the nation's third fewest combined starts in the nation.  The Red Wolves returned just two offensive lineman with starting experience, including sophomore Colton Jackson and senior Alan Wright.  The 22 combined starts entering the year were the fewest behind just Tennessee (six) and Ohio State (20).  Following A-State was San Jose State with 23 and Army with 24.

RECEIVING RECORDS:  Just a junior, J.D. McKissic is already taking over the Arkansas State record books in almost every major receiving statistical category.  He holds the school record for receptions in a game (15), season (103) and career (194).  He is ranked sixth for career receiving yards with 1,793 to his credit and has nine receiving touchdowns rank tied for ninth.  He is the only player in school history to have 70 or more receptions in two different seasons.  He is also currently ranked fifth in the nation in career receptions among active players, and he is the only junior among the top-10 leaders.

ON A ROLL:  A Freshman All-America selection in 2011 and Sports Illustrated Honorable Mention All-America in 2012, sophomore WR J.D. McKissic has caught at least one pass in all 28 games of his career at A-State.  His 28 consecutive games with a reception is tied for the 12th longest streak in the nation.  He had a school-record 15 against Missouri last season.  McKissic also has five career 100-yard receiving games.

100-YARD RUSHER:  Junior RB Michael Gordon.  Gordon accumulated over 100 yards rushing a team-high four times last season, including two of the last three regular-season games.  Gordon posted 606 of his 754 rushing yards in conference games, averaging 86.6 yards per contest that ranked second in the league.

GRISWOLD BREAKS OUT:  Senior tight end Darion Griswold enjoyed a break-out season last year,  catching 24 passes for 312 yards. His receptions total was the most in a season by an A-State tight end since Trevor Gillott recorded 24 in 2009 as well, while his 312 receiving yard were the most by a player at the position since David Johnson had 356 in 2008.

A FLARE FOR THE DRAMATIC:  Sophomore RB Michael Gordon was responsible for three of the four longest runs by A-State last year, including a 92-yard outburst against UAPB that was the second longest in school history.  Gordon posted a 64-yard touchdown run against Troy and had a 40-yard touchdown rush against Texas State as well.  He had a 42-yard run against Montana State during the season-opening week, giving him four career carries that went for at least 40 yards -- and he also scored a touchdown on all four.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK:  Arkansas State recorded a combined eight sacks against its first two opponents, giving it a 4.0 average per game that ranks ninth in the nation.  The Red Wolves had six sacks against Montana State, which were its most since posting the same number against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in its 2013 season opener.

PLAYING BEHIND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE:  Thirteen players have combined to record 14 tackles for loss over the first two weeks of the season, giving the Red Wolves a 7.0 average per game that ranks 32nd in the nation.  Senior cornerback Andrew Tryon is responsible for a team-leading two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

TRY-THIS-ON FOR SIZE:  Senior corner Andrew Tryon enjoyed one of the best games of his career last week versus Tennessee, recording a career-high seven tackles, team-tying two pass break-ups and his first career sack.  Tryon leads the team this season in pass break-ups and tackles for loss with three and two, respectively.  He also has 13 tackles, which is just two shy of the most on the team.

LOADED SECONDARY:  Arkansas State's secondary has combined to start 107 career games, which is among the six highest in the nation.  Just UTSA, Virginia, Colorado, Ole Miss and Arizona have more.  A-State's players in the defensive backfield with starting experience include Sterling Young, Chris Humes, Money Hunter, Artez Brown, Andrew Tryon, Rocky Hayes, Frankie Jackson and Charleston Girley.

COVERING AT CORNERBACK:  Junior corner Rocky Hayes made a big impact in his first season on the defensive side of the ball in 2013, leading the team in both pass break-ups (10, tied for most) and interceptions (3).  He ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference in passes defended with 13.  Hayes ranked 43rd in the nation in passes defended.  Hayes picked off his fourth career pass in the season opener against Montana State . . . Additionally, senior Artez Brown had a career-best 10 pass break-ups last season and had 11 passes defended.  Brown ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in passes defended, and he has two pass break-ups this season -- the second most on the team.

LEAVE NO STONE UNBLOCKED:  Sophomore defensive end Chris Stone made a habit of disrupting the opponent's backfield last season, recording a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss that ranked 11th in the Sun Belt Conference.  Stone recorded at least one tackle for loss in seven games last season and posted a career-high two in two different games.  He had three tackles for loss as a redshirt freshman in 2012.  Stone posted one tackle for lost in the Red Wolves' 2014 season opener.

ANOTHER 100:  Senior linebacker Qushaun Lee recorded a team-high 134 tackles last season, making him the first A-State player to record over 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons since linebacker Les Echols in 2002 (105) and 2003 (123).  He ranked 12th in the nation in tackles and led the Sun Belt Conference.  Lee recorded a career-high 16 tackles at South Alabama and had at least 10 tackles in six of the last eight games, giving him 10 career games with double-figure stops.  His 134 tackles were the fifth most in school history.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

 FERGUSON HONORED:  Junior punter and kicker Luke Ferguson was named both the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week and a College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) national Honorable Mention Specialist of the Week for his performance against Montana State.  Ferguson, handling placekicking duties for the first time, was a perfect 3-of-3 on his field goal attempts and all four of his punts pinned the Bobcats inside their own 20-yard line.  He finished the game with 13 points by kicking, which tied the seventh most in school history.

BIG BOOT:  Junior punter Luke Ferguson punted seven times against Tennessee for 303 yards - both career highs - for a 43.3 average, while also pinning the Volunteers inside their own 20-yard line three times.  His punts and yardage were both the most by an A-State player since Ryan Wilbourn punted seven times for 314 yards versus Middle Tennessee in 2007.  He has seven punts inside the 20 this season and his 45.2 punting average is the 26th best in the nation.