Troy University Athletics
Trojans Turn Attention Toward UAB
9/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
The start of the 2005 football season for the Troy Trojans may have provided more questions than answers. The Trojans jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead over visiting Cal Poly last Saturday, but then floundered offensively the rest of the night, posting only 10 more points in the 27-10 victory.
Junior quarterback Carl Meadows, making his first start under center for the Trojans, had mixed results. He became the first Troy quarterback in 18 games to pass for more than 200 yards. But he also completed less than 50 percent of his throws, was sacked five times and was stepped on by his offensive line a couple of other times.
The ground game produced mixed results as well, with starter Joel Whinghter gaining 65 yards on 12 carries, but the rest of the team's rushers, including Meadows, produced zero yards on 31 attempts.
On the other side of the ball, the Trojans were smothering at times. Cal Poly managed just 71 net rushing yards and threw for only 68 yards. But the Mustangs put together a 10-play drive in the second quarter for their only touchdown of the game.
Trojans coach Larry Blakeney summed it up best when he said that there was a lot of coaching to be done off the game tape and that the team must get better next week.
That turns attention toward intra-state rival UAB. The Blazers tried to pull off a major upset on the opening weekend, falling just short in a 17-10 loss at Tennessee. Blazers quarterback Darrell Hackney completed 27-of-38 passes against the fourth ranked Vols for 282 yards and a touchdown. His late fourth quarter pass into the end zone was tipped away, preventing UAB from tying the game.
The Trojans and Blazers will meet on the football field for just the fifth time since the UAB program was founded in 1991. The Trojans dominated in three victories, winning by a combined score of 117-19. UAB took its only victory in the series in 2002, winning 27-26 at Legion Field.
The Trojans should know what to prepare for from the Blazers on the defensive side of the ball. UAB defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt served in the same capacity for the Trojans from 1997-2002.
The game against UAB will give the Trojans consecutive home games to start a season for the first time since the 1995 season. All the Trojans did that year was go through the regular season undefeated. Following the game against UAB, the Trojans will not return to Movie Gallery Stadium for a home game until the Thursday night game on October 20 against Florida International.
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP: Over the 85 years football has been played at Troy University the Trojans have played no fewer than 47 different teams from the state of Alabama...Many of those games were played in the very early days of Troy football and were against various high schools, club teams and junior varsity teams...The Trojans also have a long history of dominating collegiate competition from the state...Troy has a 121-71-4 record against the other football playing colleges in Alabama...Most of those games were against three schools: West Alabama, Jacksonville State and North Alabama...The two most obvious Alabama colleges the Trojans have never faced on the gridiron are the state's two members of the Southeastern Conference...Amazingly, Troy and UAB have just one player each who played together in high school. Troy's Kirbie Bodiford and UAB's Carlos Hendricks were teammates at Sidney Lanier High in Montgomery.
SUN BELT HONORS: Troy's sophomore kick return specialist Leodis McKelvin, a sophomore from Waycross, Ga., was recognized by the Sun Belt Conference as Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Trojans' season-opening victory over Cal Poly. McKelvin, who also sees playing time in the secondary, had five punt returns for 90 yards and one kickoff return for 42 yards. It is McKelvin's second Sun Belt Player of the Week honor. He was also named Special Teams Player of the Week last year for his effort against Florida Atlantic.
