Trojans Return Attention to Sun Belt Conference Play
By: Josh Rultenberg
Updated: September 20, 2012
From Troy Media Relations:
TROY, Ala. - After taking No. 23 Mississippi State to wire last week, the Troy Trojans regrouped this week with the task of returning to Sun Belt Conference action Saturday night at North Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:04 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
TROY, Ala. - After taking No. 23 Mississippi State to wire last week, the Troy Trojans regrouped this week with the task of returning to Sun Belt Conference action Saturday night at North Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:04 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
The
Trojans gashed the Bulldogs, who entered the game with the 11st rated
defense in the NCAA, for 572 yards on the night. It was the second most
yards
gained against a Dan Mullen coached team and the second most yards
gained against a Southeastern Conference school this season; the other
was Texas at Ole Miss last week.
What
hurt Troy's chance to pull off the upset was Troy. The Trojans
committed four turnovers on four straight possessions in the first half
that led
to 20 of Mississippi State's 30 points on the night. The Bulldogs final
seven points came with the visitors leading by just two, 23-21, in the
fourth quarter. On fourth-and-5, Tyler Russell found Chad Bumphis in the
back of the end zone for what was ruled a
touchdown on a controversial play.
Fast
forward to this week and the Trojans (1-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) have a test
against a team who has already faced some of the best the country has to
offer in No. 2 LSU and No. 13 Kansas State. North Texas (1-2, 0-0) hung
with the Wildcats through three and a half quarters before Kansas State
built a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter last week.
Troy
head coach Larry Blakeney addressed what it would take for the Trojans
to go into Apogee Stadium and come out with a win on Saturday during his
weekly press luncheon on Monday.
"If
I could have two or three things, it would be no turnovers, well under
50 yards in penalties, and to outkick them. If we can get those three
things,
we'll have a chance to win. Anything less than that gives them more
opportunities, and they don't need more opportunities because they are
good."
The Trojans enter their first Sun Belt road test of the season loaded with an offense full of confidence. Troy ranks 14th
in the country averaging 537.7 yards per game and eighth averaging 356.0
yards per game through the air. The Trojans also have the Sun Belt
Conference's leading passer in Corey Robinson (330.7) and rusher in
Shawn Southward (124.7).
"It
should be good, but if you take it the wrong way and go to Denton,
Texas, and think they are going to waller up for you, then you got the
wrong
idea," Blakeney said about the offense's confidence. "We're going to
have to execute, play fast, we got to be able to run it and throw it
against these guys to keep them off balance. If we do that and don't
turn the ball over, we will score points, hopefully
enough to win the game. The confidence level on the offense is pretty
high, but that can be changed or shattered in one outing."
A
big key to Troy's success on offense has been the play of the offensive
line. The Trojan big men have allowed just one sack this season in an
astonishing
145 pass attempts. Only five teams in the country have not allowed a
sack this season and only one (Oklahoma State, 134) has attempted more
than 90 passes.
On
the other side of the ball the Trojans have plenty to build on as the
season progresses. The Troy defense has forced opponents into a
three-and-out
almost 30 percent of the time and the Trojans are tied for 37th in the country allowing opponents touchdowns only 50 percent of the time in the red zone.
The
Trojans have held their last two opponents, Louisiana-Lafayette and
Mississippi State, without a third-down conversion from four to nine
yards
(0-for-12).
The
Mean Green have established a solid running game early in the season
and enter this weekend's matchup third in the Sun Belt averaging 191.0
yards
per game on the ground. However, the air attack has struggled to take
flight netting just 165.3 yards per game.
Quarterback
Derek Thompson bounced back from a rough first two games of the season
to complete 25-of-28 pass attempts for 208 yards last week at Kansas
State. Antoinne Jimmerson (76.7) and Brandin Byrd (69.0) share the bulk
of the carries for the Mean Green.
Defensively North Texas is 37th in the NCAA against the pass having allowed just 192.0 yards per game this season,
but played two predominantly run orientated offenses in LSU and Kansas State.
