There will be a SunBelt Conference showdown on Thursday nigh as the 5-2 Troy Trojans take on the 5-1 South Alabama Jaguars. The Trojans are 3-1 in the SunBelt Conference thus far and have won four straight games. The Jaguars are undefeated in the conference with their only loss coming in a 32-31 loss to nationally ranked UCLA. They have won three straight games. The opening kick is scheduled for 6:30pm EST.
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Troy picked up a huge conference win on Saturday afternoon over Texas State, 17-14. The win was the Trojans 11th-consecutive victory over the Bobcats and are now just one game away from bowl eligibility. Troy's current four-game winning streak is their longest such streak since 2018. With another win, the Trojans will also be eligible for their first bowl game since 2018.
“Troy Trojans don't run and hide. We fight. That's what we do,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “And I think we've got a team of fighters. We're going to show up and compete every day. We're going to walk into the stadium with a fire and compete. And I think we laid it all on the line, came out on the right side of it.”
The Trojans utilized two quarterbacks in the game as both Gunnar Watson and Jarrett Doege saw extended time in the game. Watson went 12-of-22 for 240 yards with one touchdown and one interce ption in the game. Doege, for the second consecutive week, came off the bench in the fourth quarter and led the Trojans to victory. Doege went 4-of-6 for 46 yards including the game-winning touchdown pass to Rajae' Johnson early in the fourth quarter. Troy complied 465 yards of total offense, including 299 through the air, and averaged 6.5 yards per play. They had one turnover in the game with a Watson interception.
The Trojans defense was led by linebacker Carlton Martial, who had 11 tackles. Martial is just 41 tackles away from setting the all-time FBS record for tackles in a career. The defense held Texas State to 86 yards on 28 carries. They have now held the opposition under 100 yards rushing in five out of their six games this season. They didn't generate any turnovers but did hold Texas State to under 300 yards of total offense.
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Troy comes into this matchup with the country's 97th ranked defense. They have struggled to run the ball this season, 111th in the nation. The Trojans have been able to move the ball through the air with the 27th ranked passing offense through seven games. Two areas of concern offensively is the team's inefficiency in the red zone, ranking just 81st in the country and their turnover differential, in which the team ranks 63rd in the country.