Not looking past TxSt and excited for a beautiful Boone day, but just read a strength of schedule analysis comparison for UM and Clemson. The writer listed Troy as one of Clemson's top 4 wins. Also pointed out in some polls they are ranked as high as 28. When I looked at our schedule in August this is a game I thought might trip us. This is shaping up to be battle.

The Miami game is one I'd like a do-over on.

I am heavily in favor of playing P5 schools later in the season as opposed to the first month. Feel confident we'd have a better shot against Miami or Tennessee now that we've seen they can in fact lose.

Troy is overrated. Clemson has played down to their opponents several times this year.

We're probably overrated a little bit too, but Troy has not shown me anything that convinces me that they are the better team.

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote:I am heavily in favor of playing P5 schools later in the season as opposed to the first month. Feel confident we'd have a better shot against Miami or Tennessee now that we've seen they can in fact lose.

Not sure how you get a much better shot on Tennessee than blowing multiple kicks to win in regulation and losing off a freak fumble recovery in OT. But agree that we let the pomp and circumstance of the Miami game over shadow the work we needed to get done. That and we need to be able to play pass defense and make in game adjustments to different offensive wrinkles thrown at us.

Stats don't win games but they can reflect how well a team plays.

Troy averages 38 points a game while giving up 20 (we are 26 and 18).

Troy averages 481 yds/g and gives up 377 (we are 393 and 338).

Troy averages 199 yds/g on the ground and surrenders 105 (we are 208 and 117)

Troy has 7 sacks and has allowed 1 (we are 8 and 8)

Individually, they have the league's leading rusher, 2nd most prolific passer, and the top two receivers with the most receptions.

We are more than capable of defeating Troy but I think we should dispel the notion that they are overrated.

From what I have seen the last two years the boys know ... win this weekend and then play for a sunbelt champ the next . It will be hard to keep us down !

hapapp wrote:Stats don't win games but they can reflect how well a team plays.

Troy averages 38 points a game while giving up 20 (we are 26 and 18).

Troy averages 481 yds/g and gives up 377 (we are 393 and 338).

Troy averages 199 yds/g on the ground and surrenders 105 (we are 208 and 117)

Troy has 7 sacks and has allowed 1 (we are 8 and 8)

Individually, they have the league's leading rusher, 2nd most prolific passer, and the top two receivers with the most receptions.

We are more than capable of defeating Troy but I think we should dispel the notion that they are overrated.

How do the stats stack up against common opponents?

Ok, lets take a deeper dive. Troy has also played an FCS team and beat them 57-17; they have also played New Mexico St one of the weaker teams in our league currently 1-3,2-6 record and beat them 52-6. They have scored 37 on So. Miss., 34 on Idaho, 31 on GaSt, 28 on So. Al., Overall, in the Sunbelt we are both 4-0. Points for Troy 145 App 112 points against Troy 61 App 32. It is certainly fair to say that Troy has the best offense in the league and App has the best defense in the league. By far App will have the best defense Troy has played since Clemson. I also think that you have to be careful when comparing stats from out of conference games particularly when one has played a weaker OOC schedule with one who played a more difficult one. It is unfortunate that the sunbelt site does not separate OOC from In conference so you are left with points for and against. It should be one heck of a game.

Looking at their schedule, Troy has got the toughest schedule in the conference. They have us, stAte and GASO across a four week stretch. That's 2,3, and 4 in the conference they have to go through (Texas State is in there too but, eh we all need breathers).

If I'm looking at this right, that may work to our advantage in the event we happen to lose against the Trojans, because if anyone else is capable of beating them it's the Red Wolves and (maybe) the Eagles. Seeing we don't play stAte and we already beat GASO, if one of those teams can give them a conference loss and we are able to beat NMSU and ULM (which we for all intensive purposes should) we could at worst share the title either in a two-way or three-way tie.

Regardless, hopefully our boys are 100% focused on Troy for next week and hand them a loss. We do that then we control our own destiny for the rest of the year.

Somebody has to beat A State if they beat Troy and we have a loss.

We have two common opponents thus far--Idaho and GSU.

Troy has outscored those two 65-34. We stand at 54-22.

Against Idaho, Troy had 373 yds passing and 158 on the ground. They gave up 166 and 89. We gained 246 and 129. We gave up 294 and 63.

Against GA State, they gained 235 thru the air and 128 on the ground. They surrendered 381 and 37. We picked up 143 passing yards and ran for 218. We gave up 153 and 88.

Stats wise, they did better v. Idaho and we were better against State.

I wasn't watching, but UMass scored twice on Troy very early. As in 2 and 3 minutes in. Troy has tied it up now, but man.

I hope our D can slow them down because I don't think our offense can keep up. We will see, they're good.

First, let's play better this game.....

Their win against Southern Miss doesn't look as impressive now after they lost to Charlotte today.

I trust our defense against them. It's our offense's ability to not let up that leaves me guessing.

Troy's toast.

Yeh I'm thinking we roll them bad this team is ready put it all together next week and we dominate

mountaineerman wrote:Yeh I'm thinking we roll them bad this team is ready put it all together next week and we dominate

Ahhhh...unbridled optimism!

Can you imagine the comments on this board if we were struggling with UMass into the second half? People would be predicting us to get run off the field at Troy.