Trojans Look To Bounce Back at North Texas

TROY GAME NOTES | NORTH TEXAS GAME NOTES | SUN BELT RELEASE | NEWS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

For two years the Troy University football program had no idea what it felt like to lose a Sun Belt Conference game.

The Trojans experienced that feeling last weekend when ULM knocked off the four-time defending league champions in Monroe. Despite the loss, the Trojans know that the “Drive for Five” is still alive, but there is no longer a margin for error.

“I had a team meeting in the locker room,” Blakeney said. “We tried to get things off the floor and moving back toward the high of winning. You try to turn it around as fast as you can and get them thinking about something positive. We had a little sermon in the locker room. I told them that everyone needs to do a little self-evaluation, and I told them that goes for the coaches and myself as well. We all need to make sure that we are doing everything that we need to do to try to beat the competition.”

The members of the squad seem to have taken that message to heart. With four league games still left to play, starting this Saturday at North Texas, the Trojans can no longer afford to look down the road. The focus, according to junior linebacker Xavier Lamb, is on the job at hand.

“The coaches have been stressing that we have to win out,” Lamb said. “We have to take one game at a time, but we have to win out. I think it has hit us now that every week teams are going to bring their 'A' game against us. I guess we really didn't take that serious until this past weekend. We were in this same predicament two years ago so I think we will be ready for it.”

The Trojans will look to take that next step when they travel to face a North Texas squad that has dealt with hardships of its own this year. The Mean Green (2-6, 2-3) is coming off a convincing victory over Western Kentucky in the first game after head coach Todd Dodge was relieved of his duties.

In addition to the loss of their leader, the Mean Green has also lost 12 players to season-ending injuries. Ten of those players were listed as starters when they went down. The list of injured players includes sophomore quarterback Riley Dodge, who is playing the position again despite shoulder and hand injuries this year.

Because of the depleted ranks, the Mean Green has made a change from a spread passing attack to a power running team under interim head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Canales.

“It is obvious they have circled the wagons,” Blakeney said. “Their offensive line may be the best run blocking offensive line in the league. They get after it. They pull and they zone and they do some trap. They have three running backs that could play for anyone in our conference and Dunbar could play for anyone in the country, in my opinion.”

Junior running back Lance Dunbar leads the Sun Belt with 827 rushing yards this year and is coming off a season-high 215-yard, three touchdown, performance against WKU last week. Against Troy last year he rushed for 111 yards and two scores while also hauling in four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Dunbar opened the Trojans' eyes in that game, thanks in great part to his 60-yard TD reception in the third quarter and 69-yard TD run in the fourth.

“I remember that he broke a couple of long runs on us,” Lamb said. “Coach has been talking about what a great running back he is. He was the preseason No. 1 back in the conference, so we know we have to get ready for him.”

Despite the concerns the Mean Green ground attack presents, the Trojans know that the key to success this weekend is taking a long look in the mirror. Sophomore defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi said that North Texas has to be the main focus.

“We have to come back this week with some urgency and preach the message of resiliency that we can go through this as a team and come out stronger,” Massaquoi said. “Our backs aren't against the wall, in fact this is a kick in the butt. We have to stand back up and keep moving. We have to go to North Texas and make that our main goal and focus. The past is the past and the way you get better is to learn from the past. When you do that it makes for a brighter and better future.”

Offensively, last week against ULM the Trojans had their worst day, productivity-wise, in conference play since Dec. 2, 2006, when FIU held Troy to 298 yards of total offense. During that stretch the Trojans lost just twice in 28 league games, with one of those losses coming at ULM as well.

Freshman quarterback Corey Robinson, who has seen his production fall off over the last two games, said the best way for the team to get back to where it needs to be is working hard in practice.

“There is much more of a feeling of urgency now since we went to Monroe and laid an egg,” Robinson said. “We have to come out ready to play every week and we have to go out ready to practice. The coaches are upset and we are too because no one likes to lose. We really have to get ready to go this week.

“We know that we have to come out and play our best game every week because there is not room to overlook someone. We have to be more uptight about things. We have to correct some stuff and crisp everything up about our offense.”

In the first five games this year Robinson averaged 300 passing yards per game and threw 11 TD strikes against just three interceptions while completing 63 percent of his throws. Those numbers have dropped over the last two games, who he has averaged just 202 yards passing while throwing five interceptions and just two touchdowns. His completion percentage has dropped to 54.9 percent in those games.

“You have to get your confidence back in practice,” Robinson said. “We are all ready to get back out there on the field against North Texas, but we have to have a good week of practice. Practice is the start of everything and if you practice well you will play well. We have to take that attitude this week.”

Historically, the Trojans have owned the series with North Texas, having won six of the previous seven meetings. Last year Troy piled up a season-high 697 yards of total offense against the Mean Green, with a record-setting 492 of those yards coming from quarterback Levi Brown.

This year's North Texas squad is much better on the defensive side of the ball, having allowed an average of just 362 yards of total offense and 25 points per game. Despite their 2-6 overall record, this Mean Green team is certainly not one the Trojans can afford to look past.

“If our guys look at this tape and they overlook North Texas, then we deserve to get beat,” Blakeney said. “If we didn't have to play them, they would be fun to watch. But, we do have to play them and we have to find a way to win.

“We are looking forward to trying to get back on track, but it will not be easy. I doubt it is going to be easy any time the rest of the way, and it shouldn't be. To win a championship you have to be good. You have to play good on the road and you have to play good at home. We certainly have improvement that we can make and we need to make, across the board.”

Kickoff for the game on Saturday is set for 6 p.m. from Fouts Field in Denton, Texas. The game will not be televised. Troy fans unable to travel to the game can listed to the Troy Sports Network radio broadcast with Barry McKnight, Jerry Miller and Chris Blackshear beginning at 4 p.m.

Troy University Athletics

Trojans Look To Bounce Back at North Texas

Related News

Related Videos