As he has for many years, Trojan head coach Larry Blakeney sat down to talk about his team during the team’s first press conference of the season Monday afternoon.

And just as anyone could imagine, both he and his team are ready to get the season started.

“We are looking to forward to playing someone else,” head coach Larry Blakeney said with a smile.

“We have had a good camp, with few distractions. I think everyone is just ready to get out on the field.”

The first team Troy has its sights set on is the same team it opened last season up with – Bowling Green.

However, like the rest of the Trojan Nation, Blakeney is hoping the end result changes from the 2009 opener, as Troy traveled to Ohio and was handed a 31-14 loss.

“We traveled an awful long way to get whipped,” Blakeney said.

“But they were a good team (last year) and I expect them to be good this year. “(Head coach) Dave Clawson is a very good, young coach.

“They are a little bit like us, since a lot of their key guys from last season have departed due to graduation – but they still have a pretty good nucleus coming back,” the coach added.

The loss suffered almost exactly a year ago, is one that Blakeney said still is in the player’s minds – or at least he hopes is.

“I think, hopefully, this is a game that the team used as motivation to get ready – that game (last year) left us with a pretty bad taste in our mouth.”

That bitterness left by the loss, is one that Jerrell Jernigan remembers well.

“I think we all want revenge,” the senior said Monday.

“We didn’t really know too much about them (last season) and we took them lightly, but we are not going to go into this game with the same kind of mentality.”

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Trojan camp this summer was just who is going to replace former record-setting quarterback, Levi Brown, behind center.

Both Jamie Hampton and Corey Robinson had been the two front-runners for the job, and with the season just a few days away, it appears that is how it will stay, according to the coach.

“I am just as interested as everyone else is to see who is going to start,” Blakeney said with a laugh. “But we will be going into (Saturday’s game) planning on playing both guys.”

“Both guys have great leadership skills and both have done a great job for us so far. Both guys are going to play Saturday and as long as they stay well, both will probably play in every game this season,” he added.

For Robinson, regardless of whether he starts or not, this will be his first collegiate game and he said he is ready for it.

“I’m excited and nervous,” the former scout team member said.

“This is a moment I have been waiting for all my life. I want to do what ever is best for the team – I want to help the team win.

“I am excited for this opportunity and I am going to do my best to make the most of it,” he added.

The Trojans’ season will officially kick off Saturday at 6 p.m. as Troy will play host to the Falcons at Veterans Memorial Stadium.