Golden chance awaits Troy at FAU

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Troy’s chance to put a great distance between itself and the preseason league favorite comes tonight.

The Trojans (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) meet Florida Atlantic (1-4, 0-1) on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium. The Owls are coming off a heartbreaking loss at Middle Tennessee on ESPN2 last Tuesday when the Blue Raiders hit a last-second hail mary for a touchdown and ensuing extra point to win 14-13.

So far this year, the Owls have been disappointing after its run to the New Orleans Bowl last year.

With much of its team coming back, many thought FAU would win one of its road games against BCS foes, but managed just 13 points combined at Texas, Minnesota and Michigan State, all losses. FAU was favored to win the Sun Belt and many thought the Owls would storm through the conference unbeaten.

Troy head coach Larry Blakeney saw last week’s FAU-MTSU game and expects to see a different FAU team than the one that showed up in Murfreesboro a week ago.

“I think they turned it over four times and that was the difference in the game,” Blakeney said. “I think they score three or four more times if they don’t turn it over.

“They scored 13 and they’re probably in the thirties if they don’t turn it over. They still played good except for those turnovers.”

FAU is led by quarterback Rusty Smith, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, but Smith has been rusty so far, throwing seven interceptions and hitting just 48 percent of his passes.

He still has top wideouts Cortez Gent and Chris Bonner returning from last year, as well as running backs Charles Pierre and DiIvory Edgecomb. That’s a matchup that could present problems if Troy’s trio of cornerbacks — Jorrick Calvin, Trevor Ford and Chris Bowens — have not improved from last week’s showing at Oklahoma State, when the Cowboys scored 55 on Troy.

“They’ve practiced well,” Blakeney said. “The cornerbacks are improving. They went up against a good receiver or two on a team that had a great quarterback and a pretty good run game.

“That’s probably what we’ll face this week. I just hope we’re better and if not, we’ll get whipped.”

A Trojan win here would make Troy 2-0 in conference play and FAU 0-2, giving the Trojans plenty of cushion on FAU as the rest of the season plays out.

It also gives Troy a chance to exact revenge on the team that kept it home in the postseason last year. At 8-4, Troy watched the bowls on television because FAU beat Troy 38-32 in the season finale.

“This year they could ruin our season, they could turn the tables on us,” FAU defensive end Brandon Jackson said. “But we’re going to be preparing hard to try to make sure that doesn’t happen. It should be a good game on Tuesday. It won’t be a blowout one way or another.”

FAU could be bolstered by the return of starting center Nick Paris, who hasn’t played since a preseason foot injury.