NTL FOOTBALL: TROY FACES DELAWARE POWERHOUSE DOVER (2024-08-30)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Troy will be facing a unique opportunity when they travel to Abessinio Stadium as part of the Mid-Atlantic Pickskin Classic. They’ll be the finale of six games over three days as they face off with Dover, the fourth ranked team in Delaware, at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

"This is a unique opportunity for our team,” said Troy coach Jim Smith. “To be able to play out of state in a showcase event is rare and normally reserved for very large or private schools. We are very excited and understand that we are not only representing Troy, but the NTL, D4, and all of PA small school football. This will certainly be a challenge and we are very excited to accept it.”

Dover went 9-2 in a year ago, which included a 7-game win streak to open the season. They ultimately lost in the playoffs to Cape Henolpen 25-20 after going 4-1 in their division, which is the highest classification in Delaware.

“We are excited for the opportunity to play in the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic against Dover, Delaware,” remarked Smith. “Dover is a very large school. They are no stranger to high level competition and are highly ranked in their state. They seem to be very athletic and have a lot of team speed. This will be their first game of the season so we have very limited scout film.”

Troy has dealt with speedy teams in the past, particularly Loyalsock, with some success, so they have an idea of what they have to do to keep the game competitive.

“The key for us will be slowing the game down,” said Smith. “We have to play ball control on offense and limit their offensive touches. It’s imperative we are physical and disciplined this week. Establishing the line of scrimmage is always the most important factor. If we can win the battle in the trenches there is always a chance to win.”

KEYS TO THE GAME

Troy — Stay disciplined defensively. Dover likes to run a lot of run-pass option with a single back in the backfield and multiple wide receivers. They’ll throw in some play action here and there to get the defense leaning. The Trojans will need to do their jobs, and tackle well in space, or else Dover will have some big plays.

Dover — Win the battle of the trenches. Troy’s not afraid of three yards and a cloud of dust every play, which can wear teams down mentally as much as physically. Dover will need to get stops to in order to get their defense off the field, and to do that they need to win the line of scrimmage, at least occasionally, to get the Trojans off schedule.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brendan Gilliland, Troy, LB, RB —  Gilliland will need to have one of his best 2-way games against Dover. He finished with four tackles defensively, and ran for 39 yards and two touchdowns on three carries offensively in the win over Sayre.

John Parker, Dover, WR — Parker is an explosive athlete who can take the top off the defense with his speed routes. They also use him in a tight wildcat formation as he has a nose for the holes on offense.

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