IMO, Troy will look to continue its success against Middle Tennessee when the Trojans battle the Blue Raiders.
The Blue Raiders might lead the all-time series by an 11-6 edge, but the Trojans have won the last four meetings.
The Trojans have showcased a balanced attack through their first four games and are coming off another impressive performance in their victory over Arkansas State.
Corey Robinson threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the win, but was intercepted once and completed less than 50 percent of his passes. Robinson is taking over for Levi Brown, who was one of, if not the best passer to play at Troy. So far on the season the young signal caller has thrown for 1,244 yards and eight touchdowns, while completing 61.4 percent of his throws.
Having the likes of Jerrel Jernigan at his disposal has been a huge help for Robinson, who has leaned on Jernigan's heavily in the early going. Jernigan has hauled in 31 catches for 384 yards on the year, and is coming off his best showing on the season, racking up 209 yards and one touchdown on 10 receptions.
Another reason for Robinson's quick maturation process is due to the success of the ground game, which is averaging 161.0 ypg. Against Arkansas State, Troy rumbled for 186 yards and was led by Chris Anderson's 74-yard performance.
The Trojans have captured two victories, despite their defense putting forth a pitiful effort on the year. Opponents are thrashing coach Larry Blakeney's defense for 32.5 ppg, and this unit has already surrendered 15 touchdowns.
Stopping the run has been an issue, and that was evident in the team's victory over Arkansas State, as the Red Wolves churned out 213 yards on 4.5 yards per attempt.
On top of the poor effort against the run, the Trojans also surrendered 237 yards and two scores through the air. Defending the pass has also been a problem for this unit, which heads into Tuesday night's contest allowing 295.5 ypg via the pass.
The Blue Raiders pounded Louisiana for 217 rushing yards and three scores in their recent 34-13 victory. MT has dominated the opposition with its ground attack this season, churning out an impressive 195.8 ypg on 5.2 yards per attempt. Out of the 15 touchdowns scored by this unit, 12 have come via the run.
Phillip Tanner and D.D. Kyles have been a dynamic duo in the backfield for Middle Tennessee, as Tanner has rushed for 309 yards and five scores, while Kyles has contributed 220 yards on 7.4 yards per tote. Against the Cajuns, Tanner led the way with 104 yards and one touchdown, while Kyles rumbled for 84 yards and two scores.
However, not all is well with the offense, as the passing attack has been very inconsistent. Logan Kilgore has taken most of the snaps for MT, and while he has completed 62.5 percent of his throws, he comes into Tuesday's game with just three touchdowns against five interceptions.
The success of the offense, has been the downfall of the defense, as the Blue Raiders have endured plenty of punishment on the ground. Opponents are churning out 172.2 ypg via the run against MT, and have scored seven rushing touchdowns.
Fortunately the offense built a large lead early against Louisiana, so the Cajuns could never get their ground game started. However, this defense still allowed 126 yards in the contest.
The defense did force two turnovers in the win, but the best part of the matchup was the pressure applied to the quarterback, as MT finished with seven sacks. Four of those sacks went to Jamari Lattimore, who finished with eight tackles in the win.
The Trojans have dominated this series in recent years, and IMO I think midd tenn gets this one today, but I still can;t pull the trigger on this because IMO, Troy has too many offensive weapons for midd tenn to handle...
Thoughts would be really appreciated
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