INSIDE SLANT

   Arkansas State has two realistic chances to finish the season with two victories in its remaining games, which will be small consolation after the woeful year overall but could provide the Red Wolves something to build on for next spring.

   The Wolves are host to North Texas, also a struggling team, and then finish at Western Kentucky, which is buried in the Sun Belt cellar and already has hired a new coach for next year.

   Combined, the next two ASU opponents are only 2-19 on the season, and North Texas has the only conference win.

   The Wolves aren’t much better at 1-5 in the league and 2-8 overall, but that just adds to the importance of the games.

   “Obviously, the season hasn’t gone the way we would like,” said coach Steve Roberts, who noted the impact of injuries on the team that was picked to challenge for the conference title. “We’re not the same football team from a personnel standpoint as the team we started fall camp with.

“We’ve got a lot of players that are getting a lot of valuable experience, and to go into recruiting and the offseason winning games, I think it would be very, very important for our program.”

   The Wolves will be without senior quarterback Corey Leonard in the two games. Leonard is scheduled for surgery after sustaining a knee injury. He is the eighth ASU player to require knee surgery this season.

NOTES, QUOTES

   —FS M.D. Jennings recorded his first interception of the season against Middle Tennessee and ended a two-game drought in picks for the Red Wolves. The Wolves have only six interceptions for the season. Only North Texas and Florida Atlantic, with four each, have fewer.

   —RB Reggie Arnold is going to fall short of his bid to run for 1,000 yards in each of his first four years, but he still ranks seventh in the Sun Belt in rushing. He is averaging 56.5 yards a game with 565 yards in 10 outings.

Series History:   Arkansas State leads series 10-8 (last meeting, 2008, 33-28 Arkansas State)

   SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Red Wolves are producing only about 322 yards a game, which ranks eighth in the nine-team league, and now will have a redshirt freshman starting at quarterback in Ryan Aplin with no experienced backup to take over if he stumbles. RB Reggie Arnold hasn’t had his usual season, and only FIU (97 per game) ranks behind the Red Wolves in rushing (128). 

   SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: ASU’s rushing defense, which ranks second in the league in giving up only 122 yards a game, will face a big challenge from North Texas, which is averaging a league-high 189 yards rushing. In addition to the lack of interceptions, the defense has registered only 12 sacks. The Wolves also are struggling in third-down situations, allowing opponents to convert at a 43 percent rate.

   QUOTE TO NOTE: “My heart just breaks for him. So many great expectations coming into the year and have it end like this is something that is very, very tough to handle. But he’s a tough young man and always looks at things in a positive way and how he can grow from this. He’ll be able to handle it and be very successful.”—Coach Steve Roberts, on the season-ending knee injury sustained by QB Corey Leonard.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   THIS WEEK’S GAME: North Texas vs. Arkansas State, Nov. 28—The Red Wolves play their home finale needing a victory to stay ahead of the Mean Green in the Sun Belt standings. Both teams have only one league win.

   KEYS TO THE GAME: The Red Wolves, who are giving up only 122 yards a game to opposing rushers, need to control a North Texas running game that is producing a league-best 189 yards a game. TB Reggie Arnold needs to have a big game rushing to take the heat off redshirt freshman QB Ryan Aplin.

   PLAYERS TO WATCH:

   QB Ryan Aplin got his first start against Florida Atlantic and came off the bench against when senior Corey Leonard was injured. He is 30-of-47 passing in the two games with just one interception.

   WR Brandon Thompkins is the one reliable big-play threat the Red Wolves have. He has 36 catches for 471 yards and four touchdowns. He also is a threat in the return game, where he is fourth in the Sun Belt running back kickoffs with an average of just under 23 yards an attempt.

   DE Alex Carrington, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, has seen his sack total drop from 11.5 as a junior to just four this fall, mostly because opposing offenses are stacked against him. 

   ROSTER REPORT:

   —QB Corey Leonard (knee) will miss the last two games, ending his career. He was scheduled for surgery this week.

   —QB Andre Smith, a redshirt freshman who has played only a few snaps, will move into the backup role behind starter Ryan Aplin.