Blakeney Believes Defense Will Be Deciding Factor

[MeanGreen61]

Blakeney believes defense will prove to be the deciding factor

Saturday when Troy hosts North Texas.

But he also knows it won’t win the game.

“Everybody’s going to expect this to be an offensive game, and it probably is,” Blakeney said. “But the defense will determine it and the kicking game will determine a lot about field position.”

The Trojans (4-2, 3-0 Sun Belt), winners of four straight, are second in the Sun Belt in total offense at 454.2 yards per game — right behind Arkansas State (456 ypg).

North Texas, at 425.8 ypg, is third, but leads the conference in passing at 318 ypg, highlighted by a 601-yard effort in a 45-31 loss to SMU earlier this year. Troy is second at 277.5 ypg.

“The offense will be the marquee matchup,” Blakeney said. “There will be points scored in other areas, and there will be points set up in other areas.”

North Texas (1-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) got its first win last week, a 31-21 win over UL-Monroe. It was the first win of head coach Todd Dodge’s tenure.

Starting with this week’s 2:30 p.m. game, its tough from here on out for the Trojans. Georgia looms on the non-conference schedule, as well as improved conference foes Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State, a team that has beaten Troy the last three years.

“Everyone on our schedule that’s left can beat Troy,” Blakeney said. “We better full well realize that, we better full well coach our butt off and we better full well play our butt off.”

Would you kick to Leodis?: Blakeney was asked if he would punt to his star returner Leodis McKelvin, who leads the country in that category at 25.6 yards per return. The senior also has two touchdowns.

“People are doing a lot of thinking when it comes to kicking to Leo,” Blakeney said. “If we do a good job with the other 10 guys on the field, he’s going to carry us.

“The dumbest thing you can do is hit somebody in the back (for a penalty). Don’t foul it up, just get in somebody’s way and let Leo do the rest. Once he sees a crease, he gets to it real fast.”

National recognition: Troy got one vote in this week’s Associated Press poll, which came from Adam Van Brimmer, who covers Georgia Tech for the Morris newspapers in Georgia.

Van Brimmer said in an e-mail that he was impressed with Troy’s win over Oklahoma State earlier this year and its four-game win streak, and he picked Troy over Georgia, Texas and Florida State.

“I’d rather go with a two-loss mid-major on a roll than a two-loss major conference team that looks good one week, bad the next and hasn’t beaten anybody,” Van Brimmer said.

Blakeney has a vote in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, said he didn’t vote for his team. Troy didn’t have any votes in that poll.

“Any time you get a mention nationally, it’s a boost or plus,” Blakeney said.

Off week: Believe it or not, most college football players don’t spend their off weekends watching other college football games.

Wide receiver Josh Allen didn’t either, as he went to Jacksonville, Fla., to visit family.

“I tried not to, but I watched some of the Vanderbilt and Georgia game,” Allen said. I like to get my mind off it. I don’t want it to feel like I’m still at work.”

Maybe he was doing some advance scouting. Troy plays at Georgia on Nov. 3.