(04-23-2014 01:56 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 12:35 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  Your team lucked out on a last second "Hail Mary" miracle last year. Won't be a repeat in Mobile this year.

It was not a hail mary not matter how much you want it to be. It was scripted play to #3 Eric Thomas, our best receiver. No one else was going to be considered for that ball. That's not how hail mary's work. We were inside the 50 at that. Was it the last play of the game, all or nothing? Yes.

Your team lucked out on two extremely pivotal plays last season that resulted in TDs and a fumble near the red zone that would have had Troy go up 24-7 (They went up 24-7 the next series anyway). And you still lost. No matter how bad we were, you were lucky for it to even be that close. That tells me your team was not as good as you think they are, and to base your prediction on that might not result in what you would like it to. Teams don't usually get lucky twice in a row.

Your offense has me worried, but lucky for us we have an offense just as good or better. Your defense doesn't scare me because we can and will score in droves against anyone. We didn't score less than 32 vs any of our SBC opponents last season. If Troy lucks up and gets a defense this season its ce la vie for just about everyone. Good luck in all but one!

I agree it was not a Hail Mary but the final play in an amazing drive. Great game between two teams that were pretty evenly matched.
That being said, everything being said about USA's QB situation can be applied to Troy's, perhaps even more so since Bridge at least has some FBS (and FCS) experience. USA's other skill positions are stocked as well as anyone's and maybe better than everyone's, and their offensive line is deep and experienced.
Defensively, there are good players to replace but the starting DT's are both quality, experienced guys and the Jags signed JUCO All American Jimmie Gipson III (17 sacks last year) to help at DE. LB Malecki Harris, the best playmaker, is back along with three starters in the secondary and the recruiting class focused primarily on defense as well.
All-in-all, I expect USA to be a good team but with a very tough schedule. I think six wins is a pretty safe prediction (if there isn't a plague of injuries) with perhaps nine if things work out well.