There has been plenty of hype surrounding Troy’s Sun Belt Conference opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Trojans head coach Larry Blakeney appealed to the student body and alumni earlier this week in hopes of maximizing attendance.

“It’s a big game,” Blakeney said. “I can guarantee Lafayette will bring a large crowd. We need to match and exceed it.”

Blakeney has never lost a home opener in his 21 season as Troy head coach.

Troy will be looking to build off their 39-29 road victory against UAB last week where running back Shawn Southward rushed for 204 yards on 28 carries.

“It feels good being a No. 1 guy and helping my team win,” Southward said. “You get a good rhythm when you’re going in every series and you get a better feel of the game.”

One thing to watch for will be how Troy uses Justin Albert, who played wide receiver last year. Albert surprised the Blazers with his role as a running back on Saturday carrying the ball eight times for 50 yards.

“He’s always had a knack for running the ball,” Troy offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield said. “He’s also a good receiver. It puts up a little thin at the receiver spot, but what we’ve tried to do is rotating at both positions.”

The Ragin’ Cajuns lead the all-time series with Troy 8-7 but the Trojans are 3-2 versus their conference foe at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Troy kicks off with Louisiana-Lafayette at 6p.m.