WKU Football: Troy Q&A With The Trojan Wall
The Hilltoppers have the chance for revenge after one of last year's most heart breaking losses. The Trojan Wall is here to preview the men of Troy.
It’s a matchup with an old conference foe this week, as the Hilltoppers make the return trip to Troy to take on the Trojans and get the awful taste of Saturday’s shellacking at Ohio State out of their mouths.
Last year’s game between WKU and Troy was one of the most memorable of the campaigns, even if it led to a Hilltopper defeat at the hands of an old friend in Jaret Doege.
To help preview this week’s matchup, as well as get the lowdown on all things Troy, we’ve enlisted the help of Friend of the Site Thomas Gleaton of The Trojan Wall.
The Towel Rack: The expectations for Troy were sky high entering the season. Through three weeks, they've yet to beat an FBS-level opponent. What has gone wrong and what are the Trojans hoping to fix against WKU this weekend?
Thomas Gleaton: Expectations were certainly high, but apart from heartbreak last weekend this team is about where realists expected. JMU was a tossup, but it exposed some flaws on offense—namely the underuse of the run game and inconsistency in the passing game. I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s get to your next question.
TTR: Kimani Vidal's overall stats on the year look impressive, but it looks like he struggled the last couple of weeks, especially against James Madison. What did the Dukes do to bottle him up (holding him to 27 yards on just 11 touches)?
TG: The better question is what Troy did to bottle him up. The gameplan against JMU was to attack the secondary (their weakest unit), and avoid the defensive line (their strongest unit.) Troy chose not to rush the ball as much, for better or for worse. Kansas State, a stronger defense, truly kept him bottled up (about as many yards on more touches), but it also proved how important this run game is to the offense.
TTR: WKU fans remember last year's home loss to the Trojans, especially after Gunnar Watson exited the game and was replaced by the Tops' almost-starter Jarret Doege who helped lead them to a win. It appears to now be Watson's ship. What does the offense look like with him under center?
TG: A lot of the same. Gunnar got the start all year last year too. Vidal is back, the wideout corps has familiar faces, but the Line is the only unit with major losses. The question is how will Troy adapt? Luckily the Trojans have another West Virginia transfer at backup in case—god forbid—Gunnar gets hurt again.
TTR: On paper, Troy's defense appears to be quite stingy, allowing less than 200 yards passing per game and fewer than 120 yards on the ground. Is that a product of how good the unit is, or the schedule (especially in having played an FCS opponent and last week's dog fight against JMU)?
TG: This is still a very good Troy defense. This defense actually has a lot of familiar faces back too. Reddy Steward, Richard Jibunor and Dell Pettus are the leaders. The difference is the strength shifts *from* the linebackers *to* the defensive line and secondary.
TTR: Who are three names beyond Watson and Vidal that WKU fans should keep an eye on and ear out for?
TG: I just gave you three on defense, so let’s do offense. Chris Lewis might be a familiar name to UK fans—he just transferred from the Wildcats. He’s got incredible hands and has taken over the deep threat role from RaJae Johnson last year. Ethan Conner is another transfer, who’s stepping up in the tight end role, but I’d just say watch Troy’s tight ends on any five play. Finally, Jabre Barber is the leading receiver, a 5’10 guy who has a knack for picking up extra yards.
TTR: Finish the sentence: Troy will win if...
TG: …the offense doesn’t fall apart. Drives have a tendency to stall, so if Troy can find ways to pick up chunk yardage, it will find the endzone. Kimani needs more touches, and I’d say 100-150 yards would be a good sign.
TTR: Western Kentucky will win if...
TG: …the offense falls apart. Western got too much pressure on Gunnar, the offense made too many mistakes and the defense was on the field for too long. Or at the very least Troy turned the ball over too much.
TTR: Troy isn't necessarily a new destination for Hilltopper fans, but it's one they haven't been to in a while. What's new - or what's a truly local place - any traveling red towel waivers should hit up after the game?
TG: Y’all may remember Hooks BBQ. It’s one of like three things that haven’t changed. We got a Publix, a Ross and a Cook-Out so it’s a nice little town. I suggest going to the square though, the main downtown drag. There’s plenty to see, and plenty to eat. Don’t forget to check out the campus. It’s lovelier than the Plains, in my opinion.
TTR: Got a prediction for us?
TG: I got three. I predict Troy picks off Austin twice, but Troy has more turnovers. I predict Gunnar Watson has a rushing touchdown. Finally, I predict a field goal will make the difference in this game. I’ll give you a score prediction in our Thursday article. (Shameless self-plug.)
Thomas and I both work in local news television as our day jobs and what he just did is what, in the business, we call a “deep tease.” The suspense is killing me.
Thanks to Thomas for taking the time to answer our questions. Be sure you’re following The Trojan Wall on Twitter this week (and beyond) for the Troy side perspective.