Troy football preview

For the Trojans, numbers don’t lie. From 2006-10 Troy won at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship every year. But after the 2012 season, when the team finished 5-7, the Trojans are anxious to take back their place atop the conference.

Both offense and defense were hit hard by graduation, losing 15 starters. The offensive line in particular will experience some growing pains having to replace four starters. But senior quarterbacks Deon Anthony and Corey Robinson will lead the attack, after combining for more than 3,900 yards through the air last season.

Anthony is the Trojans’ leading rusher coming back in 2013, after the dual-threat quarterback rushed for 390 yards last season. Other rushers to watch include incoming freshman Jordan Chunn. The Huntsville, Ala. native rushed for 2,229 yards and scored 43 touchdowns on offense and special teams for Madison County High School in 2012.

Senior defensive tackle Shermane TeArt, who was out for the final seven games of last season due to injury, will return for the Trojans and is expected to make a big impact on the field. But with the departure of defensive tackle Tony Davis, the squad expects some uncertainty up front. For a team that lacked a consistent pass rush for the majority of last season, head coach Larry Blakeney remains confident in the abilities of Marty Stadom and Tyler Roberts on the ends to anchor a solid defense composed mainly of new freshmen.