Dominant Troy D-line faces stiffest challenge

By Drew Champlin

Published: November 15, 2008

Troy’s defensive line has been tearing up the Sun Belt this year. The Trojans will get a much bigger test tonight, when they take on LSU at 7 p.m.

Defensive end Brandon Lang is second in the conference with 6.5 sacks. Fellow defensive end Cameron Sheffield and defensive tackle Dion Gales are tied for third with 5.5.

LSU’s offensive line, led by likely first-round NFL Draft pick Herman Johnson, will provide a much tougher challenge than the likes of North Texas, Western Kentucky and Florida International.

Still, that isn’t fazing Gales, one of three Louisiana natives on the Troy roster.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Gales is attracting some NFL attention of his own.

“Nobody scares us,” Gales said. “Where I’m from, it ain’t how big or small a man is, it’s the size of the fight in them.

“I’ll be dog gone if I let another man beat me. That’s just my attitude. I’m not scared of another man.”

The game has extra meaning for Gales, because his first cousin Ricky Dixon is a sophomore wide receiver for the Tigers. In that sense, he understands and accepts that his uncle will be pulling for LSU.

“We don’t try to put football talk in the way of our family relationship,” Gales said.

“It doesn’t matter how the outcome is; we’re still a family. We still love each other. That’s all that matters.”

Gales said he’s played Dixon in one-on-one basketball twice, with the results split so far.

“Ricky’s got the jump shot,” Gales said. “He beat me in the first game. I came back and won the second. We didn’t finish the third. Knowing me and knowing how he is, we’re not going to stop.”

The tie will have to be broken tonight.

“This ain’t no one-on-one, it’s 11-on-11, and this 11 ain’t going all the way to Louisiana to lose.”

The No. 19 Tigers (6-3) are reeling, since the defending national champions can’t even win the SEC West this year. Some think the Trojans are catching them at a good time, though.

But Troy has its two biggest games of the year following LSU — conference games with UL-Lafayette and Arkansas State that determine where Troy will go bowling.

“They could be down about it or really peeved about it and ready to come back with a vengeance,” quarterback Levi Brown said. “I don’t know how they’re reacting to everything that’s going on.

“It’s pointless for us to worry about how they’re feeling. We just need to worry about us because that’s how we’re going to get better.”

Troy Cable to offer Troy-LSU game: For those Troy Cable customers that are unable to make it to Baton Rouge or just wanted to support the Trojan basketball team, tonight’s football game between Troy and LSU will be available via pay-per-view.

The cost of the event is $34.50 and it will be shown on channel 201. To order call 566-3310.