TROY, Ala. (AP) -Troy quarterback Levi Brown rattles off reasons why Tuesday night’s Middle Tennessee game is important, but he left out a significant one.
“It’s a huge game for us,” Brown said. “It’s a conference game, rival game, ESPN game, home game, I mean what more could you say about it?”
Well, there is one other thing. If the game needed a little extra element – besides the rivalry’s Palladium Trophy that goes annually to the winner – former Troy and Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin is running the offense for Middle Tennessee (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference). Franklin landed back in the Sun Belt after he was fired from a dysfunctional situation at Auburn midway through last season.
rdinator. He’s like a mad scientist. He’s someone you don’t want to go against every week. It’s something you have to prepare for, and you have to prepare better than you’ve been preparing. We know Tony Franklin has something up his sleeve, and he’s going to come and show up and have Middle Tennessee ready.”
Franklin’s short-lived tenure at Auburn didn’t change the opinion of his former boss, Troy coach Larry Blakeney.
“Tony is a good friend and a great football coach,” Blakeney said. “I have the highest respect and regard for him. He knows how to coach football and get people in the right places to score points. I feel like we have the same type situation here. We’ll line up and play for 60 minutes of history.”
The Trojans (2-2, 1-0) have won the past three meetings and two straight games. Middle Tennessee has also been rolling since losing the opener, including wins over Memphis and Maryland.
Coach Rick Stockstill doesn’t want the game getting overblown.
“We understand who we are playing and they are a good football team,” Stockstill said. “We understand we have not beaten them the last three years. We understand how good they are and they won the conference three years in a row. They are a very good football team. We are not going to put all our eggs in this game.
time we play a conference game.”
The game features the Sun Belt’s top two quarterbacks and passing offenses.
The Blue Raiders’ Dwight Dasher is the No. 2 passer and No. 5 rusher, throwing for 1,028 yards and running for another 251. Dasher has accounted for 10 touchdowns.
Troy’s Brown is completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 1,097 yards and five touchdowns. He has received back-to-back Sun Belt offensive player of the week honors.
“He is a good quarterback with a live arm,” Stockstill said. “He can make all the throws for them. He understands their offense and has been doing a good job of protecting the football the last couple of games. He is deserving of the reputation he has gotten the last couple of weeks.”
Add A Comment