Troy University Athletics
The Renewal of A Rivalry
9/14/2009 8:30:00 PM | Football
The Troy Trojans are on the hunt for a victory. After dropping the first two games of the season, getting a win this week will have to come against a talented in-state rival.
“Florida…We have to put them behind us,” Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. “It was a tough experience, but I think our kids got better from watching the tapes.”
Blakeney is looking for his team to take what they learned from the Florida game into Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium on Saturday against UAB.
“I have a lot of respect for them,” Blakeney said about the upcoming opponent. “I know Neil (Callaway). We worked together for almost 10 years or so, and he's a good football coach. I know they'll have UAB ready to play.”
Plenty of motivation will be on hand as the Trojans and Blazers tie up at 2:30 p.m. in Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The game will be televised by CSS.
“It's an opportunity for us to play in a game where we have a chance to win, and certainly a chance to lose,” Blakeney said. “It's the next game for us. It's our home opener, and we need to put our best effort out there in all facets of the game to get a win.”
The Trojans are on pair of two game losing skids heading into Saturday. The most notable one would be the season slate so far, and the other is a two game losing streak against the Blazers.
“Everybody wants to win,” Troy receiver Cornelius Williams said. “We've lost two games in a row, and it's just a bad feeling. Everybody is anxious for a win. You can tell by how we started workouts today that there is a sense of urgency there.”
The last meeting between the two was in 2007 at Birmingham's Legion Field. UAB came out on top in the match-up 21-3. The season before, the Blazers posted a rare 20-point victory in Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium.
“We talked about it as soon as the Florida game was over that we don't lose at home,” Troy quarterback Levi Brown said. “That's something we take pride in. It's important that we win at home. We need to get a win before we head into conference play.”
One thing the Blazers take pride in is that they have been successful on Troy's turf. In Blakeney's 19 seasons at Troy, the Trojans have only dropped 12 home games. A Blazer win on Saturday would make them the first team ever to beat Blakeney's Trojans twice at Movie Gallery Stadium.
One key element the Trojans are focused on this week is the play on the defensive side of the ball. Troy's defense has uncharacteristically allowed more than 1,000 yards in the opening two games, and the home team is hoping linebacker Bear Woods' return to the field can help decrease opponents offensive production.
“I'm anxious and ready,” Woods said. “It was torture. I didn't get to travel to Bowling Green so I listened on the radio. Last week at Gainesville was probably even tougher watching the game first hand. I'm really ready to play. It's building up and I'm ready to explode. I'm trying to stay level and do the same things I've always done as far as the week goes at practice, and come Saturday I'll let loose. I can't really even explain it.”
The task of containing the Blazers offense won't be a cupcake task. UAB quarterback Joe Webb poses a dual-threat in the backfield in a very effective way. Webb has rushed for almost 300 yards in the first two games of the year along with passing for close to 450. He has accounted for seven Blazer touchdowns, and the Trojans defense is aware of his talent.
“He makes a lot of things happen,” Blakeney said. “Everything looks easy to him. He can make you miss.”
Overall the Trojans are ready to erase the zero in the win column, and linebacker Boris Lee said there is no better place to do it than at home.
“I wouldn't say I'm mad … well, yeah I am mad,” Lee said about the start of the 2009 campaign. “I'm more disappointed. We had a lot of expectations coming in to this season. It's going to take a lot of hard work and believing in one another. It started yesterday at the defensive practice. I think this week should be big because we're back home, and we have a pretty good record at home.”
The meeting on Saturday will be just the third time in series history when the Blazers have made the trip to Troy. The overall series is tied at three wins each.
Troy also has some history on its side. Blakeney has a perfect 18-0 record in his career at Troy in home openers and, overall, the Troy program has was 22 consecutive home openers.
