Arkansas State quarterback Fredi Knighten has led the Red Wolves to victories in six consecutive games since pulling a hamstring against Missouri on Sept. 12, which caused him to miss three games. ASU hosts Texas State in its regular-season fi nale Saturday.Photo courtesy of Arkansas State

JONESBORO -- Blake Anderson was all ready to celebrate Arkansas State clinching a share of the Sun Belt Conference title Saturday night in New Mexico. His players wouldn't let him.

Photo by ANDRES LEIGHTON / AP

Arkansas State running back Michael Gordon scores a touchdown during the first half of Saturday’s game against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M.

Red Wolves players, some of whom have been a part of four Sun Belt titles now, assured their coach that the work isn't finished for this year.

Up next ARKANSAS STATE VS. TEXAS STATE WHEN Saturday, 2 p.m. WHERE Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro RECORDS Arkansas State 8-3, 7-0 Sun Belt; Texas State 3-8, 2-5 RADIO KASR-FM, 92.7, in Little Rock/Conway; KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro INTERNET ESPN3.com

So instead of celebrating a 52-28 victory over New Mexico State that gave Anderson his first title of any kind as a head coach, he's been impressed at how quickly they've turned the page to this week, when a victory over Texas State would clinch an unbeaten Sun Belt season and the outright title.

"I told them, you get one first kiss, you get to drive one first car," Anderson said Monday. "I still remember that old brown F-150 I had, chocolate brown. Some things you don't forget. It's my first championship as a head coach.

"But, a lot of these seniors they've won before, and yeah, they're committed to the task and they don't want to share it."

ASU's blowout of New Mexico State, its seventh consecutive victory, clinched a fourth Sun Belt title in a five-year period, and put the Red Wolves on the cusp of winning an outright title that would be a fitting cap to the school's winningest five-year period.

The Red Wolves (8-3, 7-0) have won 43 games since 2011 and their latest run of success has started to slowly turn a few more heads toward Jonesboro. One voter in this week's AP Top 25 poll has ASU No. 24 and the Red Wolves received seven votes in this week's Coaches Poll.

Still, Anderson said Monday he doesn't feel his current team has gained the respect it deserves. When asked if the approach for Saturday was about finishing a perfect conference season, Anderson said that it was before adding "we don't want there to be any conversation about what the best team in the league is, and who deserves respect. And I'm not sure that they've received a whole lot outside of Jonesboro.

"I just feel like they've been overlooked," Anderson said. "This is about finishing a job, leaving no doubt that they've earned the right and gaining some respect, both inside of our own conference, our own conference office and our conference in general from other opponents in recruiting."

Anderson said he thought the perceived lack of respect comes from its losses two Power 5 conference teams -- 55-6 to USC and 27-20 to Missouri -- and a 37-7 loss to Mid-American Conference power Toledo.

The last of those losses came without senior quarterback Fredi Knighten, who pulled a hamstring in the third quarter of the Missouri loss and didn't return until an Oct. 13 victory at South Alabama. A healthy Knighten might have made a difference against Missouri and Toledo.

But it's clear which of the losses the Red Wolves would like to have back.

"I think we all look at having Missouri here at home and having them down and not finishing the job and what if?" Anderson said. "If Fredi stayed healthy what if? Hundred different things."

ASU led 17-10 in that game and it was tied 17-17 when Knighten left in the third quarter. If the Red Wolves were able to hold on that day, and beat Toledo, they might be in a position now for the most attainable goal for a football team in a Group of Five conference, a spot in one of the six "contract bowls" that will be played Dec. 31 or Jan. 1 that goes to the highest-ranked champion from a Group of Five conference

Last year, Boise State from the Mountain West beat Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl. If ASU wins the Sun Belt outright it will be eligible for that spot, but is not likely to be chosen. That spot will likely go to the champion of the American Athletic Conference, either Houston or Temple, who play this weekend.

Anderson said he believes ASU could compete in such a game.

"We're a different team than when we started," Anderson said. "We've had a lot of guys grow up. We've played better in every phase. We've been fortunate to stay healthy. Would sure love to see how we look now as compared to the beginning of the season."

The best ASU can do now is complete an undefeated conference season and claim an outright Sun Belt title with a victory over Texas State on Saturday in Jonesboro, with 18 seniors will be playing their final home game.

"They've battled for seven weeks in a row, they've done what they've needed to do," Anderson said. "They're not done yet. That's obvious."

Sports on 12/01/2015