Auburn Football 2010: Arkansas State, the Red Wolves Come Calling

With two weeks left before kickoff, there is a need to begin looking at the season's opponents. The first week brings the Arkansas Red Wolves to Jordan-Hare Stadium. They have a new offensive coordinator and offensive strategy this year.

In their latest scrimmage the new offense showed the ability to put the ball in the end zone. The defense made some big plays as well. They are hoping the new offensive strategy will lead to a more successful season in 2010.

With the new no huddle spread offense, the Red Wolves hope to spread the ball equally all over the football field. A balanced attack is the goal, using multiple points of attack to fatigue the opposing offense.

The strongest point for the Red Wolf offense is their receiving corps. Their offensive line is big and strong averaging over 300 pounds at most positions. They are also deep along the offensive line. Due to injuries in 2009 they have several experienced linemen.

The defense is a game winner for this team. They held such opponents as Iowa and Troy to a low enough point total to stay in the ball game. The offense simply could not get them over the top.

To take a look at this year’s matchup, we need to know how last season shaped up for these teams.

2009 Statistics Side-by-Side Auburn and Arkansas State

Statistic	Arkansas State	Auburn
Total Defensive	Ranked 41	Ranked 68
Yards Allowed Per Game	340.5	374.08
Rushing Defense	Ranked 30	Ranked 78
Yards Allowed Per Game	122	156.08
Passing Defense	Ranked 60	Ranked 57
Yards Allowed Per Game	218.5	218
Scoring Defense	Ranked 45	Ranked 79
Points Allowed Per Game	23.25	27.54
Net Punting	Ranked 39	Ranked 64
Yards Per Punt	36.85	35.71
Sacks	Ranked 58	Ranked 46
Sacks Per Game	1.92	2.15
Tackles For a Loss	Ranked 63	Ranked 50
Per Game	5.58	5.92
Punt Returns	Ranked 63	Ranked 113
Yards Per Return	8.47	4.46
Kick Returns	Ranked 82	Ranked 27
Yards Per Return	20.83	23.7
Sacks Allowed	Ranked 96	Ranked 45
Per Game	2.58	1.62
Total Offense	Ranked 95	Ranked 16
Yards Per Game	328.83	431.77
Scoring Offense	Ranked 90	Ranked 17
Points Per Game	22.67	33.31

There were no common opponents for these two teams in 2009. Arkansas State played two Top 20 teams in 2009. They held Iowa and Nebraska to an average 31 points in those games. They are 30.5 point underdogs for the Auburn game this year.

The hope is that the no-huddle spread offense will give them the offensive punch to overcome a few more opponents and get to a bowl in 2010. They run a 4-3 defense that has been effective against some of the top teams in the nation.

Auburn comes into this game hoping to have improved across the board in Gene Chizik’s second season at the helm. Most early indicators predict a more effective offense and an improved defense for 2010. Auburn runs a tempo based, multiple set offense and a base 4-3 defense.

The Tigers will attempt to stall the new Red Wolf offense while they prove the consistency of their offense in 2010. This is no David verses Goliath scenario. Arkansas State feels they can step on the field with a good chance of winning. The Tigers might disagree with this. This is the first "Rumble in the Jungle" for the 2010 season.