ises the fact that Englands top-order failed again. Again and a

TROY, Ala. -- The Arkansas State Red Wolves used big plays, smothering defense and a well-executed gamble to prove they are still the team to beat in the Sun Belt Conference.Chris Humes caught a 31-yard pass on a fake punt and recovered a fumble in the end zone to help Arkansas State upset Troy 35-3 on Thursday night.The Red Wolves (6-4, 6-0) gained the inside track for a fifth league title in six years after starting the season 0-4.Four days earlier, Troy (8-2, 5-1; No. 25 AP) had become the first ranked Sun Belt team after winning seven straight games. But the leagues top scoring offense committed five turnovers and couldnt reach the end zone.We took it very, very personally, said Arkansas State defensive end Chris Odom, who forced the fumble that led to Humes touchdown. Top 25, they thought they were already No. 1 in the conference. They felt like they had already won the Sun Belt title.Well, they had to go through us tonight and we showed them how we play.Arkansas State has won 15 straight conference games. The first Sun Belt team to start 8-1, Troy scored first but wound up losing to the Red Wolves for the fourth straight year.They came in here as champions and theyre leaving as champions, Trojans coach Neal Brown said. We havent earned that yet.Humes had a big role in two straight touchdowns. Arkansas State turned a fake punt into a 7-3 halftime lead. Cam Echols-Luper took the punt snap and hit a wide open Humes, who raced down the left sideline to inside Troys 10.Three plays later, Justice Hansen hit a leaping Kendall Sanders in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. The Red Wolves at one point had more punts (7) than completions (6).Humes recovered a fumble in the end zone on the first play of the second half after Odom knocked the ball loose from quarterback Brandon Silvers. It was one of many plays by the defense that Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson said came up as big as you possibly can.That was about as complete a game defensively as you can play from beginning to end, Anderson said. They came up aces. We all knew they were capable of it.Hansen started slow but completed a few balls downfield in the second half. He finished 13 of 24 for 149 yardsSilvers was 20 of 39 for 207 yards with two interceptions. The Sun Belts leading rusher, Jordan Chunn, was limited to 51 yards on 16 carries.THE TAKEAWAYArkansas State: Has won 18 of its last 21 Sun Belt road games. Gained 126 yards in the first half and 262 in the second. JaVon Rolland-Jones tied the Sun Belt career record with his 26th sack.Troy: The Trojans had only lost four fumbles all season, but twice coughed up the ball in Arkansas State territory before halftime and fared worse the third time. An offense that came in averaging 474 yards and 38.1 points was held to 262 yards.QB PRESSURE: Troy allowed two sacks after coming in having given up a nations best three in nine games.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Trojans had only a few days to celebrate being in the Top 25 , but are still having their best season in years.UP NEXTArkansas State faces Louisiana-Lafayette in the second of three straight Sun Belt road games.Troy visits Sun Belt opponent Texas State trying to regroup. Larry Csonka Jersey . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. Reshad Jones Dolphins Jersey . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. http://www.authenticdolphinspro.com/Larry-csonka-dolphins-jersey/ . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Ryan Fitzpatrick Jersey . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Minkah Fitzpatrick Youth Jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Englands problem child has grown up.The kid who was sent home from a Lions tour, the kid who missed a World T20 after smashing his hand on a locker has matured - or, at least, is well on the way to maturing - into the player his talent promised he might be. In Ben Stokes, England have a gem.There will be those who look at the scorecard of this match, shrug and say: But it was only Bangladesh.And it is true that there were moments - such as during their first innings collapse - when Bangladeshs lack of experience in Test cricket was obvious. Englands record against them - they have, to date, won all eight of the Tests they have played against one another - hardly reflects the narrowing gap between these two sides.But in these conditions, the margin is not very big at all. And in this game, it has been defined by Stokes. Having produced an outstanding spell of bowling to help take Bangladeshs last six wickets for the addition of just 27 runs, he then contributed perhaps the most mature innings of his Test career to date.True, he didnt turn it into a century. And true, it wasnt as eye-catching or awe-inspiring as his centuries at Perth, Lords or Cape Town.But while all those surfaces offered, to greater or lesser degree, the pace and bounce on which Stokes naturally feasts, this innings was compiled in conditions in which he has often struggled.Slow, low and offering help to the spinners, it was the sort of surface on which Stokes has often thrashed like a drowning man and given it away in infuriating fashion. Remember the dismissals in Grenada and Abu Dhabi: caught on the mid-wicket fence. Or the dismissals in Antigua or Abu Dhabi: charging down the pitch in desperation and missing.Bangladesh tried to entice him into similar mistakes here. But where once he would have tried to thrash his way to a decent score, here he played like a Test batsman. Where once he had no confidence in his defensive technique, here he gave himself a chance to succeed by playing himself in, defending when necessary, rotating the strike and still putting away the poor ball with that brutal power that has become customary.There were three sixes in this innings, but he no longer has boundary options alone; he has the ability, the technique and temperament to build an innings. Not satisfied with being a middle-order biffer - the sort of role that some, like Shahid Afridi, settled into a little too readily - he has combined his talent with an impressive determination to work hard and keep improving. He is well on his way to being Englands best all-rounder since Ian Botham.There will be those who point to his averages - the batting average is under 35; the bowling average over - and wonder what all the fuss is about. But if you judge everything on averages, you make some very average judgments.Stokes is a cricketer who, with bat, ball and in the field, is capable of altering games in circumstances where few can. Each one of his Test centuries might reasonably be described as great; he has taken some catches - remember Trent Bridge, 2015 - that few could and his bowling here defied a slow pitch to change the course of this game.In brutal conditions in which other seamers operated in three (or even one) over spells, Stokes started the day with a six-over spell of sustained skill and hostility. On a surface on which other seamers struggled to get the ball above hip height, he had batsmen jumping and sparring. And in an environment in which other seamers had to be content with cutters and slower balls, he swung the ball sharpply.ddddddddddddWith his strength, his skill and his determination, he has developed into a huge asset to England as a bowler. If he couldnt bat to save his life, Stokes may still be an international cricketer.Some aspects of this will be of no surprise. We knew Stokes had talent: we knew he was strong; that he could thrash sixes and bowl bouncers. But he hasnt always looked an intelligent, adaptable cricketer. He hasnt always had the subtlety to complement his raw ability. But now that he has the skill to harness the reverse swing and now that he is learning to adapt to the slow surfaces on which he will probably have to play half his career, he is developing into something quite special. England missed him when he was injured. It wasnt just his on-field influence, either. The team management felt the dressing-room environment at The Oval, when Pakistan defeated them to level the Test series, was a little too quiet; a little too passive. Stokes belief, energy and determination play a huge part in driving this team forward.As Paul Farbrace said a couple of weeks ago: Stokes is a leader, wherever he goes, people want to go with him. Hes loved being vice-captain on this tour. But vice-captain or not, he is a leader, and people follow him and want to know where he is going, whether hes going out for dinner, when hes practising.The England management deserve some credit here. For many months now, they have done everything they can to make Stokes feel valued and appreciated.It would have been perfectly reasonable to demote him to No. 7 in the order here or to leave him out of the limited-overs sides. Instead they given him responsibility - he was vice-captain of the ODI side on this tour - and security in his roles. Knowing his value and seeing his potential, they have invested heavily in him. Aged 25, he should be able to repay them for several years.Dont discount that New Zealand influence, either. His father, Ged Stokes, was a rugby league player and coach who famously had a finger amputated when he couldnt wait for it to recover from a bad break. The son has inherited the fathers determination and spirit.Theres more than a little Brendon McCullum about the way he lifts this England team: he might have made a decent All Black had he stayed in New Zealand.None of this disguises the fact that Englands top-order failed again. Again and again over the last couple of years, Englands middle-order has rescued them after poor starts. While their sixth-wicket averages 83 in 2016, their next-best partnership is 53 for the seventh-wicket. That is fine, up to a point. But if England are to beat they best, if they are to win in Australia or in India, they will need the top-order to contribute far more often.This game isnt won yet, either. What we have learned so far in this match is that, after the first 30 overs or so, the ball becomes quite soft and the slow pace of the wicket partially negates the turn on offer. Bangladesh scored 331 in the fourth innings here against England in 2010 and lost, while New Zealand scored 317 for 7 to win in the fourth innings here in 2008.As a result, spinners are more dangerous with the new ball, when some deliveries turn sharply and others skid on, and seamers come into their own only if they can find some reverse. In that regard, England are well-served with Stokes. He has enjoyed an outstanding 24 hours or so, but his work is not yet done. ' ' '