Troy Coach Larry Blakeney Unhappy With South Alabama Football Program
Troy head football coach Larry Blakeney.
Apparently, Troy head coach Larry Blakeney isn’t too happy about South Alabama football. In an article by Adam Sparks of The Daily News Journal, Blakeney had the following to say.
About South Alabama being unclassified for it’s first two seasons and thus allowing recruits to play all five of their eligibility years instead of only having five years to play four seasons.
“I think it’s bullcrap, myself,” Blakeney said. “Anything that gives one school an advantage in recruiting like that should not be there. We’ve lost some players to them because of that. But the main thing is the game.”
Also, Blakeney thought South Alabama only played teams they could beat during their first two seasons to build a fan base.
“It will be a rivalry in this state, and I expect (the stadium) will be full. They’ve done a great job of developing fans because they haven’t played anybody that they couldn’t beat for two years,” said Blakeney, with a hint of sarcasm. “That made everybody happy. I thought it that was brilliant.”
Coach Blakeney, you lost a lot of credit with me.
Some would think that you are bitter that your run of conference championships, winning or sharing part of four of the last five titles, may be coming to an end. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but South Alabama is about to enter into it’s fourth season, it’s fifth season recruiting against you and other football programs. But those players, who in years past may have gone to Troy, may now be at South Alabama while Troy’s record last season was a mere 3-9.
Here is the link to Adam Sparks article at The Tennessean. See page two of the article.
Comments
2 Responses to “Troy Coach Larry Blakeney Unhappy With South Alabama Football Program”
Amen Coach Blakeney!! You are a class act always have been and always will be. I am not a Troy fan nor a USA Fan. Rather I am a fan of truth and Coach Blakeney is just telling it like it is. The ONLY thing I disagree with is that idea that USA picked only teams they could beat. If that were so they would have gone undefeated and they did not.
The NCAA has strict rules as to how a program starts and progresses. From those I have previously talked to, South Alabama followed the shortest path from nothing to a full FBS program that was permitted by NCAA rules. They inquired about the Unclassified status as how it pertained to eligibility status and received that the student-athletes could play on the field all five years of their eligibility. It also applied to transfers who had not been redshirted.
I doubt using the “you can play five years” line on recruits made that much difference. Players who signed the first and second years will only have one or two seasons that they can even compete for a bowl. I think the most attractive recruiting tool the Jaguar staff has is that those players were starting a program from scratch and would be the ones to begin a new tradition at the University of South Alabama.