Aggie football to face fellow independant Troy State
It’s a hard-knock life being an Independent in Division I-A football.
Two teams who know this best, Utah State and the Troy State Trojans, will meet Saturday at 10 a.m. in what has been a soaked Troy, Ala. due to the recent string of tornados in nearby Carbon Hill.
“I don’t know what the cartoon character is that I feel like,” said Trojan Head Coach Larry Blakeney. “I think it’s in Peanuts, the character who walks around all the time with a cloud over his head. That’s what I feel like. We Trojans have had the rain clouds over us for the fourth consecutive week.”
USU’s prolific passing attack, which puts up 296 yards per game (No. 13 nationally) will be tested by a Trojan defense ranked No. 6 in the nation, allowing an average of 161 yards through the air and 104 on the ground.
“Troy State is as good a defensive team as we’ll have a chance to play all year long,” said USU Head Coach Mick Dennehy. “It’s unbelievable the type of athletes and the combination of size and speed that these guys have played with. They know how to play defense.”
Since neither team has a conference to cling to for post-season inspiration and have had seasons they would be quick to delete from their memory, could this be viewed as an independent bowl game?
“It could be,” said USU linebacker Jesse Busta. “They don’t have a conference [and] we don’t either. The way [we] look at it is kind of like a conference game. They’re independent [and] we’re independent.”
The teams share many similarities that seem to make this a game to keep an eye on.
Both are independents and sit at the bottom of the standings due to a murderous first half to their schedules, especially considering they are Independents.
Troy State (4-7), which is in its second season playing at the I-A level, has not beaten a I-A opponent this season in seven tries. They have traveled to Nebraska, Alabama-Burmingham, Iowa State, Missouri, Marshall, Mississippi State and Arkansas – losing five of those by at least 15 points and the other two by three points or less.
USU looks much the same. The Aggies traveled to then No. 8 Nebraska, current No. 6 Iowa and No. 23 Boise State, losing each by 25 points or more.
“[Troy State’s] schedule, amongst the schools of our nature, is as tough as anybody’s in the country [and] they have played them really well,” Dennehy said.
The Trojans have only played at home three times this season (3-0) and will be concluding their season Saturday.
The Trojan’s running game is similar to that of USU (3-6). Like the Aggies with James Samuel and Richard Watson, the Trojans go with a two-back package of LeBarron Black and DeWhitt Betterson (65 and 60 yards per game, respectively).
Whether the Aggies are able to effectively run the ball more might be the deciding factor in the outcome of the game, Watson said, because of the physicality of the Trojan defense.
“Yeah, the run game is coming along,” he said. “Everything looks good. Me and James are ready to carry the load.”
Following its game against the Trojans, Utah State will close its season Sept. 30 at Middle Tennessee State.
-samhis@cc.usu.edu