BY DREW CHAMPLIN | dchamplin@dothaneagle.com
TROY – Shawn Southward was sore when he woke
up Sunday morning, but it was worth it after the Troy senior running
back a career-best 28 times for 204 yards with three touchdowns in
Troy’s 39-29 win over UAB.
For his efforts, Southward was named Sun Belt
Offensive Player of the Week. It was the first time he had topped 100
yards since he was a freshman, but with senior D.J. Taylor out because
of heat ailments, Southward had to take on a larger role.
“It feels good being a No.1 guy and helping my team
win,” Southward said. “I have no problem rotating at the same time. You
get a good rhythm when you’re going in every series and you get a
better feel of the game.”
Troy got some help from senior Justin Albert (8
carries for 50 yards) and junior Khary Franklin (1 carry for 10 yards).
Taylor isn’t expected to be ready for Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game
against UL-Lafayette. He is at practice, but hasn’t been cleared to
practice.
Southward said he had no idea how many yards he
had. Albert, who moved to running back but is also still playing
receiver, had a good guess.
“At one point in time, I was like, ‘That’s 170
right there,’” Albert said. “He was like, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’ I
just said let’s win and we’ll tally it up. Shawn doesn’t really care.
Just give him the ball and he’ll do what he has to do.”
Motivation for ULL: Troy players
won’t forget last year’s 31-17 loss to ULL. It started a string of seven
losses in the final eight conference games. Second-year head coach Mark
Hudspeth has turned the program around and the Ragin’ Cajuns are coming
off a 40-0 win over Lamar, an FCS program in its third year back after
disbanding the program in 1989.
“We’re not their biggest fans, like they’re not our
biggest fans,” Troy quarterback Corey Robinson said. “We’re going to
have to play a good football game to beat these guys. They have a good
coaching staff and a bunch of individual good football players. It’s
going to be a tough battle. We just have to grind it out.”
Facing old friends: This Saturday
won’t be easy for Troy offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield, when the
Trojans play ULL. Edenfield is close friends with Hudspeth, whom he
coached under at North Alabama several years ago, and ULL defensive
coordinator Greg Stewart.
“We know we’re going to compete and battle, just
like you do with your brothers growing up,” Edenfield said. “I have
three brothers and we had some awful great wars, but we love each other
and care about each other deeply.”
The three coaches and their families vacationed together over the summer. Edenfield said Hudspeth’s son caught the biggest fish.
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