:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71520175/usa_today_19063886.0.jpg "Troy vs. South Alabama start time: What time the game starts, what TV channel, how to watch")
The South Alabama Jaguars and Troy Trojans meet up in Week 8 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and the game will air on ESPNU.
This is a sneaky good game. Well, sneaky if you haven't been paying attention to the Sun Belt this season. The Jags sit atop the Sun Belt West standings with an unblemished 2-0 conference record. They're just as good out of the SBC too, posting a 5-1 record, with their lone loss coming in the final seconds to No. 9 UCLA. USA posts the 28th-best offense in the nation, scoring close to 40 points per game. They're led by QB Carter Bradley who has close to 2,000 passing yards on the season, with 13 TDs and just four interceptions.
The Trojans are just behind USA in the standings, with a 3-1 in-conference record and a 5-2 overall mark. One of those losses came in the final seconds against App State on a wild Hail Mary play. The other was to Ole Miss in Week 1. Troy's offense isn't nearly as potent as South Alabama's, but their defense is stout, allowing just under 20 points per game on average. It's a battle between the team's best units so it should be a fun one Thursday.
South Alabama is a 3-point favorite and can be bought on the moneyline at -165. That makes Troy a +140 underdog and the point total is set at 48.5.