By Danielle Percival

For the second straight season, the Troy Trojans are 5-5 entering the final two contests of the year with those two opportunities remaining to reach bowl eligibility.

In 2012, the Trojans lost their final two games against Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee by a touchdown or less, just missing out on going bowling.

The task ahead is not an easy one with Ole Miss and Texas State remaining on the schedule.

The Rebels are currently 6-3 with those three losses coming against teams that are currently ranked in the top 15 of the BCS.

“You’ve just got to try and get ready to play and play as good as you can play,” head coach Larry Blakeney said. “You can’t do nothing about what’s over there.”

One of the biggest keys heading in to this week will be how the Trojan defense is able to handle an offense that averages over 450 yards per game and over 30 points.

“Bo Wallace is a good player,” defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt said. “He can throw it and run it. He’s got wide outs that have made some big time plays against big time people.”

Last week, the Trojans lost to Louisiana-Lafayette but defensive end Tyler Roberts earned the Sun Belt Conference defensive player of the week for his performance.

Roberts recorded a pair of sacks, seven tackles, three tackles for loss and forced a fumble against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“I don’t think they could have given it to anybody else the way he played,” Blakeney said. “He is a relentless guy.”

In the teams only other contest this season against an SEC opponent, the Trojans surrendered 551 yards, the second most they’ve given up this season.

The Trojan offense has averaged more yards per game than the Rebels, posting nearly 480 yards each week, but earlier in the season against Mississippi State the Trojans struggled.

In week four against the Bulldogs, the Trojans only put 7 points on the board and had 186 yards.

“We’ve got a whole lot to redeem,” safety Camren Hudson said. “Going in to this game they think it’s going to be an easy victory but they’ve got another thing coming to them.”

This week the Trojans will be facing a stout defense including the Knemdiche brothers, Robert, a defensive tackle, and Denzel, an outside linebacker.

“They look pretty good on film,” offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield said. “[Robert] is everything they’ve said he would be. He’s going to be a great player one day in that league. Right now, he’s a really good player.”

The Trojan offense will be without Deon Anthony again this week and fans might not see him on the field again this season.

“I don’t know if he’ll make a regular season game. If we were to get in a bowl he might make a bowl,” Blakeney said. “He’s athletic enough to get folks attention [in the NFL] so we need to get him to where he can by spring be able to run full speed. His best interest is what we need to take care of.”

The Trojans will take the field for an early kickoff in Oxford, Miss. against the Rebels at 11 a.m. on Saturday.