It’s gameday, folks

September 01, 2007

Drew Champlin

So last night I’m hanging out in the hotel with a good friend of mine from high school and college, Riley Logan, who works at the Wal-Mart Headquarters in Bentonville. I saw a player - I think it was Andrew Davis - walk up to someone with his Troy t-shirt. On the front, it had the “Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime” motto over the Trojan sword.

Don’t worry, it was only about 9 p.m. Bedcheck according to the card I saw was 10:30. Of course, the last time Troy was in the state of Arkansas, three players snuck out the night before the game. That was at Arkansas State in 2005, the day before a 9-3 game that officially ensured a losing season.

Those miserable days are over for Troy fans. The schedule slogan (which really hits hard in 2008 with @LSU and @Ohio State), kicks off tonight at 6 at Arkansas.

To be honest, I think Troy has a great chance to pull the upset, but there are question marks about both teams that make me shy away from it. I was on the air on a Fayetteville station Tuesday saying I thought it would be a close game. Of course, after I’m cut off I get online to listen. He had a quote from Blakeney, then said “the more and more I hear about this game being close, the less I believe it. Arkansas by at least 20.“

Well, 20 points covers the spread. Let’s look at it a little more.

Time: 6 p.m. CST
TV: None
Radio: 94.7 FM WTBF (man that Jerry Miller’s going to sound good on color)
Key matchups: Arkansas running backs Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hills vs. Troy linebackers Marcus Richardson, Boris Lee and Josh Maxwell. It’s clear the Hogs are going to run. Can Troy’s linebackers stop them past the line of scrimmage? Will Boris Lee be able to cover Hills out of the backfield on those flare passes? The big key for Troy will be

slowing down the run and forcing Casey Dick to pass.

Big question: How will Troy’s untested offensive line hold up through the duration of the game? It’s clear the Trojans have depth all across the board at the other positions, more so in years past. If Troy can run the ball, the Trojans have a chance. If that offensive line is tired in the fourth quarter and it’s a close game and all the sudden Omar Haugabook has less and less time to throw, then Woooooo! Pig Suey! gets louder and louder.

Prediction: Arkansas 24, Troy 20

***After the game, the Trojans’ charter plane will fly back to Dothan Regional Airport. ETA 2 a.m.

The team’s at the hotel

August 31, 2007

Drew Champlin

The first thing I usually ask a coach on Friday is “did anyone of significance get left back in Troy?“

The answer I got was no, so it looks like the whole roster is ready to go tomorrow in Fayetteville.

I’ve heard the Marketplace Grill in Springdale is very good, so I’ll be trying that out in about an hour. I flew with the team and am staying at the Holiday Inn in Springdale, which is the team’s hotel.

So if you see a young-looking dude, that’s me. Stop and say hello.

Friday links

Drew Champlin

From me, here’s the offensive line story.

From the NW Arkansas Times, the Hogs focus on the return game.

Bob Holt of the ADG focuses on how Arkansas is playing an easier non-conference schedule this year, with some potshots taken at Troy and the Sun Belt from his quotable sources.

Here’s the Razorback report from the ADG.

More on tight end Ben Cleveland from the Morning News of NW Arkansas.

Team flight out of Dothan was delayed until 4 p.m., so we won’t get to Hogville to later on tonight.

A little bit from the other side

August 30, 2007

Drew Champlin

A big thanks to Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for providing answers to this. I haven’t written much about Arkansas, but here’s the look from a media member who covers the Razorbacks. I’ll try to do this Q and A every week.

Besides the running attack, what about Arkansas should Troy be concerned
about?
Look for some twists in the package with Darren McFadden at quarterback, which was renamed the “WildHog’‘ during camp. Also, the
Razorbacks’ return game, with Felix Jones and Darren McFadden on kickoff and burner Michael Smith joining Reggie Fish on punts, could rank with the best in the nation. Defensively, speed is Arkansas’ top asset, though many of their coverage guys are getting their first significant action. Count on
Arkansas DC Reggie Herring having some pressure packages the Trojans will have to adjust to.

What areas of Arkansas do you think Troy could exploit? 
As mentioned above, Troy’s wideouts like Gary Banks, Mykeal Terry and Andrew Davis will be running against some relatively untested
corners, outside of Matterral Richardson, whose play has been erratic during his career.

The casual SEC fan looks at a Sun Belt team and thinks SEC blowout. Do you get that same vibe from Arkansas players and coaches? 
A couple of factors prevent the Razorbacks from dismissing Troy as just another Sun Belt team. They’re all aware of the tussle that ensued in Arkansas 23-0 win in Little Rock in 2002, and they know the Trojans have veterans all over the field. If Troy pulls off the upset, it won’t be because Arkansas overlooked them.

How much will Arkansas miss Marcus Monk? 
Significantly. In addition to his veteran presence and having the best hands on the team, Monk’s 6-6 height allowed him to turn jump balls into big plays. Camp did not produce a clear-cut go-to receiver. Keep an eye out for true freshman Crosby Tuck, however, a local product who showed glue-fingers in camp.

Finally, if you feel comfortable, what’s your prediction on the game? 
I’ve got to go with the home team because the intangibles swing their way, though the more I look at Troy’s talent, I’m convinced they could put a big smackdown on the Sun Belt. Razorbacks 27-17.

Fearless forecasting, Week 1

Drew Champlin

In case you don’t get our print edition, we do a fearless forecasters graphic every Thursday, where all five of us predict 8 high school games and 8 college games.

Here’s what I predicted:

Houston Academy over Rehobeth
Wicksburg over Ariton
Cottonwood over Slocomb
Jeff Davis over Dothan
Northview over Robert E. Lee
Pike County over Andalusia
Ashford over Houston County
Providence Christian over Isabella

Arkansas over Troy
Alabama over Western Carolina
Auburn over Kansas State
Georgia Tech over Notre Dame
California over Tennessee
Clemson over Florida State
LSU over Mississippi State
Georgia over Oklahoma State