Troy University Athletics
Trojans Hit The Road For Pivotal League Tilt
10/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Larry Blakeney Press Conference The Troy football team comes back this week from a well-deserved week of rest to begin the final six-game stretch of the 2004 season. The first hurdle will be this Saturday in Jonesboro, Ark., against Arkansas State. The Indians come into the game with one of the top rated offensive football teams in college football, but the Tribe is near the bottom in every defensive category, which is the primary reason ASU has started the season with a 1-5 record. For the Trojans, the game is crucial. Troy must run the table in conference games in order to have a chance to earn a Sun Belt Conference title and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl. In addition, Troy has to get some help. The Trojans do not play North Texas this season, and the Mean Green has won 20 straight league games. Troy must also have someone beat New Mexico State, which has a 2-1 league record despite not losing to a Sun Belt school. The Aggies lost to Texas-El Paso, which counted as a league game for NMSU. One of the two teams will taste defeat next weekend, when they meet in Denton, but the Trojans must focus their attention on Arkansas State for that game to matter. Troy comes into the game off its best offensive performance of the year against Utah State. The Trojans rolled up 358 total yards and scored touchdowns on five of their first six possession, plus an interception return for a touchdown. The 42-0 lead allowed the Troy coaches to give a number of backups and younger players an opportunity to get game experience. The key for the Trojans against Arkansas State will be in matching the Indians high-powered offense. ASU averaged more than 377 yards of offense per game, mostly through the air. The Trojans, on the other hand, are the top defensive team in the Sun Belt, and rank in the top 30 in the nation.
