The Troy Trojans will put their six-game win streak on the line when they hit the road again on Saturday to face the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. The Hilltoppers are winless on the season, but the Trojans are paying full respect to a conference foe who has given Troy very interesting games in the past two meetings.
The game is set for 4 p.m. and can be heard on the Troy ISP Sports Network. There will be no television for the game.
“They have always been a problem team for us,” Trojans head coach Larry Blakeney said. “This has always been a highly contested game, and it’s at their place and homecoming for them. They are like everybody else in the league. They are good enough to beat us. We certainly have to be smart, and take the week to prepare for them and try to get a road win.”
The Hilltoppers are currently on a 16-game losing skid and, in the previous two seasons, have had a shot at beating the Trojans late in each contest. In 2007, the Trojans escaped Bowling Green with a 21-17 victory. Last season Troy had to hold off the feisty Hilltoppers 17-7 in the confines of Movie Gallery Stadium.
“Hopefully, our kids understand that every week is a different week,” Blakeney said. “The match-ups are always different. All of the prognosticators are going to pick us to win handily. The only way we’ll win handily is if we really go play our best game and continue to improve. I trust our coaches will prepare well. We have a good leadership element on this football team, but whatever you want to call this game it is a road game in the league. We have got to take care of business.”
The Hilltoppers are ranked 120 out of 120 teams in total defense, but the Trojans are aware that statistics can be thrown out on Saturday at kickoff.
“You can’t take anyone lightly,” senior receiver Jerrel Jernigan said. “We just have to have good preparations. This is for the conference and we want to win it outright.”
The Trojans have never completed an undefeated conference season in the current stretch of Sun Belt Conference titles, and each conference loss has come in the month of November or later.
“I’m terrified going into Western Kentucky,” senior linebacker Boris Lee said. “The last visit there was very scary, and we barely pulled out a victory there. Last year they came here, and we barely scratched out a victory with them again. I’m very, very nervous about this game. I hope the team doesn’t get a big head, and I hope we go out and prepare well and know Western Kentucky will be ready to play.”
The Trojans set a goal at the beginning of the season to win another Sun Belt crown. The team also wants to be the outright and undefeated champions in the league, and they know every game is a fight. To an outsider looking in, the upcoming match with the Hilltoppers might appear to be one-sided. The Trojans and the coaching staff know better.
“They’ll fight us to the bitter end I promise you,” Blakeney said.
Courtesy: Kevin Glackmeyer
