Walking into the stadium, I could not help but think how badly the Trojans needed to win this game.

A win against in-state rival UAB would put a lot of the Trojan faithful at ease, or for at least the time being but a loss might be the nail in the coffin, even after just three games. A loss would send a team with maybe the highest expectations in the program’s history to a dismal 0-3 start, with conference play about to begin.

Thankfully, that was not the case as Troy showed just what kind of a team it can be. For the first time this season, the Trojan faithful finally saw some of the potential and hype talked about for so long during the off season.

Finally, the Trojan offense broke out of its shell and flexed some muscle. Finally, we saw just how dangerous Troy’s wide receivers really can be. Finally, we saw the defense stand up and stop someone. With that being said, however, the game itself was not pretty. Yes, the offense finished with over 500 yards but when a team breaks a school record for most penalties in a game, much work remains.

But I guess records were made to be broken, right? This is a win that could go a long way for this team. Saturday’s game not only snapped a current two-game losing streak, but it also snapped a two-game losing streak to the Blazers and did something much more important – build momentum for a team that badly needed it. Before the game, all the players were talking about gaining momentum before heading into conference play, and that is exactly what they did against the Blazers. They are no longer questioning whether or not they are the team written so much about before the season began, but instead believing the hype, or at least some of it.

Now, the Trojans face the next test, Sun Belt competition, maybe not with the record it should have but with the mindset that it needs to win its fourth straight conference title. And that is something that could be very dangerous for that Sun Belt competition.