Troy was once again the class of the Sun Belt; the Trojans won their second straight conference title. Previously known for their strong defenses, Troy’s offense was the story this year as they averaged a robust 33 points and 479 yards of offense per game. The Trojans scored more than 40 points in half of their games (6 of 12), and 27 points or more in all but three games. Those three games came against two SEC teams in Florida and Arkansas, and the other came against Bowling Green in their season opener when they weren’t fully cranked up. The Trojans are well-balanced on the ground and through the air. They average 148 rushing yards per game on 4.4 yards per carry which is a decent number. But their passing attack was off the charts this season. Quarterback Levi Brown has been outstanding completing 64.7% of his passes with 22 touchdown passes and only 9 interceptions. Troy threw for 331 yards per game on a whopping 8.4 yards per pass attempt (versus teams that allow 229 ypg on 7.4 yppa). That passing attack will be a tough challenge for a Central Michigan defense that hasn’t faced a potent offensive attack like Troy’s since way back in September. The Chippewas have good seasonal numbers on defense, but their secondary has shown weakness when stepping up in competition. Overall, they allow just 207 yards on 6.5 yards per pass attempt. But when facing bowl teams, those numbers jump to 233 yards on 7.1 yards per pass attempt. The yardage is minimal, but the yards per attempt is a significant increase, especially considering they only played three good passing teams out of the six bowl teams they faced. Troy’s defense doesn’t look like much on paper as their seasonal averages of 29 points and 418 yards per game allowed are not too encouraging. But when taking out the two games against Florida and Arkansas in which they allowed 112 points and 1,255 yards of offense, their seasonal numbers drop to a more respectable 23 points and 376 yards per game. And Troy will also have the home field edge as this game is being played in their home state of Alabama. “I’m excited and looking forward to it,” Troy defensive end Brandon Lang said. “It’s big that it’s in-state. It’s not far for the fans to travel, and we should have a good fan base at the game. It does a lot for the program and recruiting. A lot of big-time names coming out of this area might give Troy a look.”
Merril???
Originally Posted by Raleigh77
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