2010 Troy Trojans Football Preview

2009 Results: 9-4 (8-0 Sun Belt), Conference Champions, Lost GMAC Bowl vs. Central Michigan

Head Coach: Larry Blakeney (20th year @ Troy, 61-48 D-1A, 153-85-1 Overall)

Home Venue: Movie Gallery Stadium (30,000), Troy, Alabama

Troy has established itself as a league power in the past four seasons, winning a total of 33 games over that span and claiming the last two outright conference championships. Coach Larry Blakeney has shepherded his team from Division Two football all the way to the top of the Sun Belt conference in less than 15 years! However, he has the fewest returning starters of any team in the league, so this year will truly be a test of his rebuilding abilities. Can the Trojans win a 3rd straight league championship with a new cast of characters?

OFFENSE

Nothing will be more important to the team’s success this season than finding a suitable replacement for record-setting quarterback Levi Brown (4,254 yards, 23 TD, 9 INT in 2009), who graduated as the school’s all-time leading passer. Luckily, junior Jamie Hampton has been effective in glimpses over the past two seasons and he brings a more athletic game to the Trojans than Brown did. Things should work out well in his first season as the man running the offense, though it is unlikely he’ll match Brown’s gaudy numbers.

He’ll be surrounded by a good group of skill players, foremost of whom is senior 1st Team All-Sun Belt receiver Jerrel Jernigan (71 catches, 1367 total yards, 5 TDs), who headlines a set of wideouts that could be the best in the league. Of particular interest is sophomore Josh Jarboe, who was an elite recruit before he ran into some trouble at Oklahoma and could be on the verge of a great season.

The rushing game also appears to be in good hands as senior DuJuan Harris (583 rush yards, 242 receving yards, 12 total TDs) and sophomore Shawn Southward (602 rush yards, 12 TDs) form one of the best tandems in the conference. Even better, they’ll be running behind a strong O-Line that returns three starters, though they will miss three year starting center Danny Franks. Nonetheless, the pieces are in place for this offense to be extremely productive in 2010.

DEFENSE

Where most worries about this team are found is on the defensive side of the football, specifically on the D-Line. Troy has to replace all four starters from a group that will have three players in NFL camps this summer! While Troy always seems to find good linemen (NFL stars Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware are former Trojans), there is some concern up front. Keep an eye on redshirt frosh Antonio Harper, who was the star of the spring game; He could be in for a breakout year.

There is almost as much concern at linebacker where Troy has to deal with the loss of not one but two 1st Team All-Sun Belt players! While there is going to be a major drop off when you lose that much talent, the projected new starters do have some experience so there is some hope for the run defense.

There is much better news in the secondary, where sophomore cornerback Bryan Willis is the team’s top returning tackler (73 stops) and ball hawk (4 INT) from last season. Those numbers earned him a spot on the 2nd Team All-Sun Belt squad and he should anchor a better secondary than the one that allowed nearly 290 yards per game through the air last fall.

Troy’s defense is somewhat of a mixed bag. They’re a concern up front against the run thanks to a dearth of experience but their secondary looks to be improved and is led by a potential all-league selection. I’m going to go on faith with Blakeney’s solid track record of fielding good lines and say that the Trojans are going to be good enough against the run this fall to boast one of the better defenses in the conference.

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SCHEDULE

This season’s slate only gives the Trojans five home dates and they open up with three of their first five on the road, culminating in the likely conference Game of the Year at Middle Tennessee State. Thanks to two timely off weeks after that, this team has their season split virtually in half in October and should be healthy for a good closing run. Their non-conference schedule includes visits to Oklahoma State, rival UAB and South Carolina, making this a schedule that could be favorable enough to give the Trojans a shot at ten wins.

OUTLOOK

The Trojans have everything in place to continue their offensive excellence and Hampton’s athleticism might actually make their offense even more dangerous! However, the big worry is the play of their defense in the front seven but that’s historically a position of strength for Blakeney-coached teams, so I’m willing to give Troy the benefit of the doubt. The Trojans have a great shot at winning their 3rd consecutive conference title, though I think they’ll fall short on a Tuesday night at Middle Tennessee State in early October that will cost them the three peat. However, Troy has real potential to win ten games this year if they get a few breaks.

PREDICTED RESULT: 9-3 (7-1 Sun Belt)