Troy...... Coach "We WILL Beat Arkansas"

[Hogblog]

From Phil Steele's Blog......

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/August09/DBAug14.html

I did a show on Monday in Alabama with Robert Booth. Robert said that last week he met with coach Larry Blakeney of Troy and that coach Blakeney told him they WILL beat Arkansas this year! He also said that in all the years that he had talked with the coach over the summer, it was the first time he had told him of a projected upset like that.

[athunt]

ballsy

[SemperHawg]

Wow, he just took any chance of us overlooking them and dropped big stinky dump on it.  I have repect for Troy to an extent but this is a little big for their britches IMO

[StoernerJonesFan]

If Troy cant beat a rebuilding 5-7 Arkansas last year, what makes him think they can beat an Arkansas team full of depth, talent, and experience (in CBP year 2)?

ballsy

^ Understatement

[Patch]

Well... that game just got a lot easier.

[Hoggy1]

So much for over looking this game...

[TechHog]

Bulletin board?

[TomasPistola]

Haha. His year to beat us was last year. Didn't happen.

[GuvHog]

Bulletin board?

That's what I was thinking.........BIG TIME!

[Ray Zor]

Thanks coach !  You just assured half a hundy hung on your sac!

[Bryan (CHF)]

Yeah, I'm bad. I'm a Sun Belt Team Coach that just painted a huge target on the back of my teams head.

[hogball33]

Maybe Long payed him to say that so the stands get packed for a mid-November non-conference game.

[DeltaBoy]

That is funny! Troy is going to feel Coach Petrino's Wrath.

[hogfan064]

If Troy cant beat a rebuilding 5-7 Arkansas last year, what makes him think they can beat an Arkansas team full of depth, talent, and experience (in CBP year 2)?

^ Understatement

Troy didn't play Arkansas last year.  ULM and WIU nearly beat that rebuilding Arkansas team.  If we had played Troy in weeks 1 or 2 last year then I think they might have beaten us.

[Chad In Real Life]

Well... that game just got a lot easier.

agreed

[Blutoblutarsky]

It's on like Donkey Konggg!!!

[StoernerJonesFan]

Troy didn't play Arkansas last year.  ULM and WIU nearly beat that rebuilding Arkansas team.  If we had played Troy in weeks 1 or 2 last year then I think they might have beaten us.

Touche' Thanks for catching that, friend!

[Pigsknuckles]

That is funny! Troy is going to feel Coach Petrino's Wrath.

Heck, Bobby may have put him up to it.

[The real Hogules]

stranger things have happened. . . . . . . .

Uhhhhhhhhhh, no they haven't.

That's his @$$ talking because his head has better sense!

[Table Rocker]

I'm taking us to cover, no matter the spread.

Petrino is gonna make sure we absolutley curb-stomp Troy.

[Porkerpower]

Troy could STILL catch us looking ahead.  That will not be an easy W.

[athunt]

This is the first time, that I remember, somebody has called us out since Petrino was at the helm.  Im VERY interested to see what he does to Troy.

[Guitar Hog]

Sounds like coach is trying to drum up any kind of interest in this game for it's fans because they lose to teams like us every year.  That and maybe Coach is trying to get some publicity or something?  What was his name again?  Oh yeah, it doesn't matter because you coach Troy!

[kimjongsqUeAl]

Troy shall be desTROYed. Stupid statement especially from a coach.

[SquidBilly]

Petrino could use this as bulletin board material for the rest of fall practice and the entire season.  If the head coach at Troy calling us out doesn't motivate the guys to be there best nothing will.  I suspect on November 14th on a plane ride back to Alabama, Blakeney will wish he had not said this. 

[GuvHog]

Troy shall be desTROYed. Stupid statement especially from a coach.

........Especially when one considers that last year LSU spotted them 31 points and then
proceded to come back and BEAT them, THEN lost to Arkansas.

[Cajun Hog]

That's just not very smart.     

[SquidBilly]

That's just not very smart.     

One good thing will come out of this for them, they'll get free publicity because it will probably be featured on Sportscenter due to the beating we'll put on them.

[Beantown Razahback]

Shouldn't Sun Belt coaches stick to calling out Sun Belt teams?

If you're so confident you're going to beat Arkansas, I expect you to run the table in your own league guy

[LZH]

This is the first time, that I remember, somebody has called us out since Petrino was at the helm.  Im VERY interested to see what he does to Troy.

That's exactly what I thought when I first saw this.  Checking Bobby's wind?...better be able to walk it like ye talk it.

[jacobp]

I'm still not convinced that Troy's coach actually said it.  Steele got this from someone who reportedly heard it from Troy's coach.  I'd be more convinced if he had a direct quote from Troy's coach Blakely.  That said, I'm sure its on the bulletin board already.

[Hornkiller]

"I did a show on Monday in Alabama with Robert Booth. Robert said that last week he met with coach Larry Blakeney of Troy and that coach Blakeney told him they WILL beat Arkansas this year! He also said that in all the years that he had talked with the coach over the summer, it was the first time he had told him of a projected upset like that. "

And I bet it's the last time....

[jdevers]

Everyone here now knows what it is like on those Bama and UGA message boards when we declare that we will destroy them.

Of course, this is their HC calling for the upset...that is a bit odd.  Except that indirectly CBP has said he is expecting a national championship, so indirectly he has said he will upset FLA, GA, Bama, OM, and LSU    But he would never call a specific team out, especially pre-season.

[WMHawgfan]

I don't care how good your team is or what conference you play in, that is just plain stupid.

[Sivad]

About as smart as the dork's "I sure wish Vanderbilt was on our schedule" comment.

[LZH]

I'm still not convinced that Troy's coach actually said it.

That's probably more like it.  Why would you do something like that if you were the coach?

BP strikes me as the type that would spend game week in his office living on coffee and NoDoz, looking for any and every way to beat the hell out of you...and that's before he's been called out.

[3kgthog]

They might've had a decent shot before. Not now.

[hawgsav1]

I'm going to play devil's advocate on this one just for fun.

Troy has been one of the better Sun Belt programs over the last few years.  They've won the Sun Belt the last 3 years in a row, and have had a winning record 4 out of the past 5 years, which isn't bad for a conference that is more known for its rent-a-wins than its football prowess.  IF Troy wants to take the next step up and improve the Sun-Belt's standing or perhaps move to a better conference or improve recruiting, they are going to have to get some notable wins and media attention.

Calling out the Hogs does several things.  It brings media attention to Troy football.  If Arkansas destroys Troy, it will go down as no big deal.  Some little guy talked a little trash, and got exposed. 
If by some chance (though it won't happen), Troy beats Arkansas or keeps it close, it will be good publicity for Troy that they will use to their advantage.  Look at all the major non-BCS programs out there.  They all got legitimacy after they either beat or were very competitive with big name BCS teams.  Boise State really didn't get legitimacy until they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.  Fresno State didn't get legitimacy until they nearly defeated USC in the Coliseum in 2005, when everyone thought USC was infallible.  Utah, BYU, and TCU play in one of the better non-BCS conferences (the MWC), and while they were always regarded as sleeper teams, they didn't really get that big time legitimacy until they played in BCS bowls and/or showed they could compete and defeat the big guys (TCU defeating OU comes in 2005 comes to mind as well). 

Another thing that calling out Arkansas does is galvanize Troy's players.  Players from rent-a-win schools aren't stupid.  Most of them know that they're pretty much being paid to get stomped, which can't be good for morale and confidence.  Blakeney probably wouldn't do this if he thought that his team wasn't good enough to potentially beat the Hogs.  His statement probably gives the Troy players confidence that they can beat the Hogs, especially now since their coach has faith in them as well.  If you look at most of the major upsets over the past few years, all of the underdogs had confidence.  Boise State was extremely confident against OU.  Appalachian State was also extremely confident against Michigan.  Stanford had to have been confident against USC, right?

These kinds of upset victories are rare, but not unheard of.  ULM defeated Alabama in Saban's first season.  Troy has a 0.500 record against Mississippi State.  Historically, North Texas has a winning record against both Florida AND Tennessee.  So it is possible.

While I don't think Troy will defeat us this season, I do see why Blakeney is taking the gamble.

[Speedracer]

Nice! I love when teams put out the bulletin board material.  I'm sure BP and staff will be reminding them of this.

[mj4president]

Just ask the man who's 40 (42 now) about Troy. They smoked his ass a few years ago.

[NorthshoreBoar]

All I know is I'm now looking forward to this game, and before it was just another game.  If the coach admits he said this, I'm anticipating a full house a RRS for the game.

[little pigee]

Just don't let the darned horse in the gate!

[Country Stylz]

From Phil Steele's Blog......

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/August09/DBAug14.html

I did a show on Monday in Alabama with Robert Booth. Robert said that last week he met with coach Larry Blakeney of Troy and that coach Blakeney told him they WILL beat Arkansas this year! He also said that in all the years that he had talked with the coach over the summer, it was the first time he had told him of a projected upset like that.

Oh no he didn't.

[navyhog24]

Uhhhhhhhhhh, no they haven't.

That's his @$$ talking because his head has better sense!

remember the citadel??

so yes...stranger things have happened

[Big Papa Satan]

Maybe Blakeney had us confused with ASU.

[DoggtownHog]

I believe Troy is 5-0 vs SEC teams after Sept. But that stat can't stop what's coming.

[SamBuckhart]

Trojans of Troy. Not USC. If he wins, he is a prophet. When he loses he will be ridiculed. If he gets far behind in the fourth quarter it will not be pleasant for him.

[NWAhogfan]

I met a Troy alumni once.  He talked with great pride how they always covered the spread against teams from major conferences.  They rarely won, but they covered the spread.

[cbjagman]

While Troy can certainly be a dangerous team, especially if overlooked, I don't think we'll have to worry about us looking past them, not with current staff. Glad they made the public prediction cause it serves to ensure that we take them seriously. Might not have been the smartest thing to make this bulletin board material.

[Steef]

Very strange for any coach to talk like that. Dunno what he was thinking.

But I doubt very much if it alters anything OUR Coach was planning for that game. I don't know Coach P, but I believe this of him...

He expects/intends to win 12 games during every regular season. Until/unless the other guy proves him wrong.

Coach P just doesn't strike me as a guy that takes ANYTHING for granted. Including an opponent like Troy.