JONESBORO — Arkansas State will be going against the numbers if it is able to defeat Troy on the road Saturday.
The Trojans (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) are 40-5 at home since moving to Football Bowl Subdivision in 2001, including a season-opening 30-27 victory over Bowling Green.
Troy’s .888 home winning percentage over that time ranks fourth in the FBS.
“We were actually one of the last teams to go in Troy, Ala. and win a game so some of these guys have been here before,” said Arkansas State Coach Steve Roberts,referring to the Red Wolves’ 33-26 victory in 2006. “We are going to try to do it again.”
Kickoff for Saturday’s game is 2:30 p.m.
Troy Coach Larry Blakeney is 86-11-1 in home games during his 20 seasons with the Trojans, and he has never lost to the same team twice at home.
Heading into its conference opener, Troy is riding a 10-game winning streak in Sun Belt games, last losing to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 1, 2008. Arkansas State (1-2, 1-1) has lost three in a row to the Trojans.
“They are an excellent ball club and the typical Troy team that is loaded down with athletes,” Roberts said. “They have some inexperience looking at the film, but again they are still very athletic as well.
“It’s been a back-and-forth series, but the back and forth has come in steaks. Coach Blakeney and I have been close friends for a while now and have known each other many years. It’s time to flip the scripts, though, after they have won three in a row.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Corey Robinson will be making his first Sun Belt start for Troy. He replaced Levi Brown, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills in April’s NFL Draft. Robinson has averaged 309.3 passing yards per game and has thrown six touchdown passes. In last Saturday’s 34-33 loss to Alabama-Birmingham, he passed for 404 yards and two touchdowns.
“He takes care of the ball and has great arm strength that allows him to be a great distributor and get the ball in a lot of peoples hands that can take it to the house,” said Roberts, who said he recruited Robinson while at Paducah (Ky.) Lone Oak. “He owned several national records coming out of high school and is more than capable of taking care of and moving the ball downfield.”
The Trojans’ top playmaker is senior receiver Jerrel Jerigan, who already has rushing, receiving and kick return touchdowns this season.
“They will do a lot of things with him,” Roberts said. “They will throw it downfield to him, screen it to him, hand it to him from the receiver position in motion and line him up at running back. He has great speed and is going to get his touches on special teams and offense.”
Last week, Troy led Alabama-Birmingham 23-0 early in the second quarter. But the Blazers came back, winning on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Ellis to Jackie Williams with no time remaining.
“You have to give UAB a lot of credit for fighting back to win that game,” Roberts said. “It was a controversial ending, but it goes back to a missed extra point by Troy after their first touchdown of the game.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/23/2010