Troy @ North Texas

Scouting Report for Troy Trojans (1-2) vs. North Texas Mean Green(1-2)
September 22, 2012- Apogee Stadium, Denton, TX

Troy: For the most part, the Tojans had a decent outing against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. They outscored them 17-7 in the second half. Sadly, Mississippi State had a 23-7 advantage in the first half and Troy never led on the game.

Regardless of the outcome, Corey Robinson (32-45, 343 YDS) had a decent performance. Even with Robinson's 2 INTs, Shawn Southward and Justin Albert scored all 3 TDs (6.3 YPC combined on 30 carries). But the story of the night for the Trojans was their defense. The Bulldogs were able to score on big plays in the first half and the game out of reach in the second.

North Texas: No one in their right minds would've thought that the Mean Green (35-21 loss)would've had a chance to beat Kansas State on their home firled. But from the 3:15 in the 3rd quarter on, the Wildcat offense woke up and scored 21 straight points to avoid the upset.

Derek Thompson had a much improved game this time around. He went 25-28 for 208 YDS and a touchdown pss. Brelan Chancellor had a great game as well (144 All purpose yards and 2 TDS). But more importantly, the defensive unit kept the K-State offense off the field most of the game. Overall, the Mean Green held the ball 4:54 longer than the Wildcats.

What to watch for: One of the bright spots for North Texas wasn Antoinne Jimmerson. Despite carrying the ball only 8 times, he averaged 8.5 YPC and made the Wildcat defense miss tackles. If Troy fails to contain the rushing game and Thompson has aonther game like he did last week, it could be a long night for the Trojan defense. However, if Troy can establish their up tempo offense early, this game should be competitve.

Conclusion: The Sun Belt Conference race is looking like it's going to be anyone's for the taking. Unlike years past, the teams this year have been more competitive. Which mean that this game between the Mean Green and the Trojans should have a close game. Whether the game will be high scoring will be another issue. At any rate, don't let the 1-2 records fool you, these teams are ready to play.

Prediction: North Texas by 6.

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