Trojans Look To End Drought at ULM

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During Troy's run of four consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles there is only one place the team has visited in league play that has vexed the Trojans – Malone Stadium in Monroe, La.

The Trojans have dropped games their last two trips to face the Warhawks and will take a 13-game Sun Belt win streak west this weekend. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised as the Sun Belt game of the week on CSS and Cox Sports.

Troy's last victory at ULM came in 2001, before either program was a part of the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans dropped a 27-3 decision in Monroe in 2005 and then lost a heart-breaking 31-30 game in 2008.

That loss, the last suffered by the Trojans in league play, came in a game that included six lead changes, including three in the fourth quarter. Troy still had a chance to come away with a victory, but Sam Glusman's 56-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game hit the crossbar.

“I didn't think Glusman could kick it that far, but he kicked it well and it hit the cross bar and bounced back into the field of play on the last play of the game,” Trojans coach Larry Blakeney said. “We had a lot of mistakes that night. Hopefully, better preparation and remembrance of that event will give us a chance to get ready to play.”

Many of the players on the 2010 Troy team were not involved the last time the Trojans visited Monroe, but they have heard plenty about that game in the week since their last outing.

Senior receiver Jerrel Jernigan is especially looking forward to playing in Monroe. He missed the 2008 game after knee surgery and did not even make the trip. He said he spent that weekend in the training room working to get healthy, but he heard plenty about the game after his teammates returned to Troy.

“From what I heard when everyone got back, it is a tough environment to play in,” Jernigan said. “The fans are pretty harsh on you there and they play well at home. I am looking forward to it.”

The Eufaula native made up for missing that game in 2008 by having a career day against the Warhawks last year in Troy. His 13 receptions against ULM last year stand as his career high. He also had 203 yards receiving in the game.

A repeat of that kind of performance this week would allow Jernigan to break the three remaining records he is chasing. He enters play this week needing 11 receptions to break the Sun Belt career mark, needing 101 receiving yards to break the school career record and needing 270 all-purpose yards to break the Sun Belt career record.

Despite being close to those milestones, Jernigan is only focused on one thing.

“(The records) really don't matter to me,” Jernigan said. “I can set records, but as long as we win that is the most important thing. If we win games and I don't set records, I am fine with that.”

Jernigan's teammates know what he means to the team and are excited for him when he breaks a record.

“He makes life for everyone around him easier,” quarterback Corey Robinson said. “You never know what is going to happen when you get the ball into his hands. He may get hit in the backfield and still turn it into an 80 yard run. It opens things up a lot for the other guys, and he understands that. He understands that it is all about the team and that is why we all love that guy.”

The Trojans will enter the game as healthy as they have been all season. Having played just once in 25 days has give the team ample time to heal some major injuries as well as nurse the expected bumps and bruises back to health. Blakeney said the time off has been beneficial and he is not worried about the team having to shake off any rust.

“You'll be rusty and not play well if you are not working hard in practice, getting your rest, and doing all those things you are supposed to be doing,” Blakeney said. “Things will creep up on you and mistakes will happen. I think our coaches realize that we can't take anything less than our best to Monroe.

“We are getting some guys back. Riley Flowers practiced all week and he could give us some help inside. Aaron Williams has been back for a week and is starting to feel better. Johnny Thompson is basically back, he is just a guy who needs a lot of reps. There are several more guys who are still out but I don't believe we will be rusty. I am not going to use that as an excuse.”

Perhaps the most important player who returned to practice after some time off is Robinson. With depth at quarterback of serious concern, the redshirt freshman missed on-field work last week while recovering from a mild concussion suffered in the win over ULL. He returned to practice on Sunday and is anxious to get back on the field to erase memories of his last outing.

“I got cleared yesterday (Sunday) to get back out there and get to work,” Robinson said. “Chuck (Ash) and all of the folks in the training room have been working with me to get my noggin' back to where I was before. I am back to 100 percent and ready to go.

“I stunk the place up last Saturday. I have to get better this week and I felt like I got better last week mentally. I just have to get everything back to the way it was before that game. I certainly don't want to be a guy to lose a game for us. I want to be able to go out there and control the game, get the ball into the hands of our guys and let them make the plays.”

Robinson's absence from practice last week allowed both of his backups, seniors Jonathan Chandler and Tanner Jones, to take much-needed reps in practice. For Chandler, it was the first significant work at the position since his move back from receiver. Jones is still working to get back into playing shape after two years away from on-field work.

“We have everybody and his brother working at quarterback right now,” Blakeney said. “Jerrel, DuJuan Harris, Chandler and Tanner are all getting work. I am looking for Corey to come back and correct some of the mistakes he has made.”

ULM (3-4, 2-2) comes into the game off a 38-10 loss at Middle Tennessee last week. The Warhawks' three victories – over Southeastern Louisiana, FAU and WKU – have come by a total of nine points and they have been the lowest scoring team in the Sun Belt this year, averaging just 16.6 points per game.

The Warhawks are under first-year head coach Todd Berry who Blakeney said will have his team ready to play this weekend.

“Todd Berry is new in the league, but I have known Todd for a long time,” Blakeney said. “He is a great football coach and he has some good people working for him. They are a team, even though they didn't play well last week, that is sort of circling the wagons. He is going to make sure that the guys on the field this week are ready to go. We will have our hands full.”

As has always been the case when the Trojans head west to Monroe.

Troy University Athletics

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