In the offseason, the Troy football team has taken extra measures to get themselves ready for the 2013 football season.
Head Coach Blakeney has rehired defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt, who was the first coach hired by Blakeney in 1991 on his original staff.
Bolt worked as on offensive line coach, but after repositioning, he was placed as a defensive coordinator.
“I was the first to move him to defensive coordinator and Wayne’s taken to the position like a duck to water, and he’s been a defensive coordinator ever since,” Blakeney said. “He’s coached at Auburn, Clemson, Iowa State and UAB after leaving Troy the first time.”
Blakeney believes Bolt understands what it takes to be a defensive coordinator for the Trojans.
“He’s doing a good job,” Blakeney said. “He tries to make sure our guys understand how to play. It’s not the plays at Troy, but the players.”
Blakeney says Bolt is the guy that gets the most out of his players and insists on doing it right and playing hard.
As for changes in the type of defense, Blakeney has revealed that the scheme will look the same.
They will continue to start out their traditional play with four men in front, two in back with a nickel.
“We will find ways to cover pass schemes,” Blakeney said. “The strengths I want to see is that we’ll hopefully be diverse enough to cover and prevent plays and scores and to actually get off the field and put on the offense.”
Blakeney hopes that the strength of the team this upcoming season will be diverse and good enough to keep the ball out of the endzone and into the offense’s hands.
Senior quarterbacks Corey Robinson and Deon Anthony will have big shoes to fill as the team’s main quarterbacks, and they’re expected to take it upon themselves to get the plays right and take care of the ball.
“Corey is a great passer, and Deon is a multiple guy who can run and pass,” Blakeney said. “We have to count on them to be whatever they have to be to generate yards of points.”
Blakeney expects his playmakers to be Tyler Robinson and Marty Stadom, the two ends, and Martin Wilson, the middle linebacker.
Wilson came on last year in the second half of the season and played well for the team.
“We’re thinking our receivers will be good, like Eric Thomas, who is a big time player and makes a lot of big plays for us along with B.J. Chitty and Bryan Homes who is a speedy guy,” Blakeney said.
The coaches expect for the running back and offensive line positions to have building seasons.
So far, they have signed on several offensive linemen and three young running backs.
Blakeney said the team is going to try again this year to make it to a bowl game.
Having won only eight games last year, it was not good enough to make it to any of the bowl games.
“We need to make sure we’re taking all of our nonconference games seriously and we need to be at our very best when it comes to all of our conference games,” Blakeney said.
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