Game Day: UL vs. Troy

Trojan head coach Larry Blakeney has won 21 consecutive home openers since his tenure began in Troy. Mark Hudspeth’s Ragin’ Cajuns hope to end that winning streak this weekend as they kick off against the Trojans Saturday night at 6pm. What will the Cajuns have to do to leave Troy, Alabama with a win?

With much of the pregame talk this week focused on the intangibles in the Troy Trojans (1-0) favor, ultimately the game will be decided by the athletes on the field and how well they execute the game plans installed during the week by the coaching staffs. While Louisiana (1-0) faces a tough match-up against an improved Trojan squad over last year’s team, a win is not an insurmountable task. The winner of this early Sun Belt tilt will have the momentum going into the rest of the conference schedule later this month. What are our keys to the game for a Ragin’ Cajun victory?

Five Keys for UL to Win

1.) The UL defense must slow down running back Shawn Southward and the Trojan rushing attack. Coach Blakeney would love to force the UL defense to walk up a safety in the box to help against the running game so that he could attack the Cajun’s inexperienced safeties down the middle of the football field with the vertical passing game. Cajun’s defensive linemen Justin Hamilton, Cordian Hagans, Chris Ringo and Brandon McCray must control the middle of the Trojan offensive line and keep the linebackers free to make tackles.

2.) Limit big plays in the Troy passing game. One of the reasons the Cajun’s won last season was because their defensive secondary kept the Trojan receivers in front of defenders all game. Trojan quarterback Corey Robinson will complete his share of passes, but look for the Cajuns to play zone and mix coverages in the secondary. Robinson also showed nervous feet in the pocket last season as the Cajun defensive line harassed him all night. The Cajun defense must put enough pressure on Robinson with the front four to make him uncomfortable in the pocket.

3.) UL quarter back Blaine Gautier must play up to his ability and get into a throwing rhythm early. Gautier is a rhythm passer and worked on his footwork all week in practice after a mediocre outing against the Lamar Cardinals last weekend. Look for Gautier to get the football underneath to his playmakers at wide-receiver to work against a slower group of Troy linebackers. Should the Cajuns consistently attack the middle of the field with the passing game, Coach Johnson will mix in the zone read running game to keep the Trojan defense on its heels.

4.) Win the battle of field position with special teams. The Cajuns have played well on special teams with one of the top return games in college football led by Darryl Surgent. Along with Surgent, PK Brett Baer provides another weapon for the Cajun’s special teams in net punting which is ranked first in the Sun Belt in 18th in the country. If Baer and the UL coverage team can force Troy to drive the distance of the field.

5.) Win the turnover battle. It was no coincidence Coach Hudspeth mentioned during the week that of the 49 college football games played last weekend, 45 were won by the teams on the plus side of the turnover battle. If the Cajun defense can come out and play with the same intensity as they did against Lamar, UL will create turnovers.

Our Prediction

Louisiana 31, Troy 28