Troy Hosts Idaho for #FunBeltAfterDark

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TROY, Alabama – Coming off back-to-back convincing victories, Troy takes on the national spotlight Thursday as the Trojans welcome Idaho to The Vet for a Sun Belt showdown on ESPNU; kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. and the Troy Sports Radio Network will have full coverage beginning at 6 p.m.

Troy (6-2, 3-1 Sun Belt) reached bowl eligibility for the second straight season with a 38-16 victory over Georgia Southern in a game that the Trojans controlled from the opening snap. Troy scored 28 first half points on just 24 plays – 21 points on its first 10 plays of the game – and the defense limited the Eagle triple-option attack all afternoon.

The Trojans, who are destined for their second bowl appearance in as many years for the first time since 2009-10, have won 17 of their last 22 games dating back to the 2015 season under Neal Brown.

Prior to the game, T-Roy's Fall Festival will take place at Riddle-Pace Field from 5-7:45 p.m. The free event features inflatables, games, face painting, a photo booth and more for kids of all ages to enjoy. Additionally, fans will be treated to a halftime fireworks show along with the Sound of the South performance.

Children 12 and under will receive a free ticket to the game with the purchase of an adult ticket. Contact the Troy Ticket Office at 334-670-3681 or visit the Troy Ticket Office in Trojan Arena and mention "Take a Kid to the Game for Free" to receive this special offer.

Led by one of the top defenses in the country, Troy will face a difficult test on Thursday night in Paul Petrino's Idaho (3-5, 2-2) squad. The Vandals have league victories over South Alabama and ULM this season and bring one of the top quarterbacks in the country with them to The Vet in senior Matt Linehan.

Troy ranks 11^th nationally in rushing defense (108.9) and scoring defense (17.2) and 21^st in total defense (317.4) after holding 5-of-8 opponents under 100 yards rushing and its last three opponents to an average of 280.0 yards per game.

The Trojans also boast one of the best Sun Belt home records over the past 11 seasons with a 40-18 mark at The Vet and have done so this year in front of four of the top 13 crowds in stadium history. Troy is averaging 26,415 fans through four games this season and the single-season record is 22,534 set last year.

Offensively, the Trojans are starting to find a rhythm with the passing game to go along with the steady running game. Troy is averaging 36 points over its past two games with four touchdowns through the air and five on the ground; the Trojans had 14 rushing touchdowns and two passing in the first six games of the year.

After missing the past two games, senior running back Jordan Chunn is expected to be back for the Trojans to join Josh Anderson and Jamarius Henderson to give Troy a true triple-threat in the backfield.

Know Your Foe
Idaho is led by senior quarterback Matt Linehan who ranks third all-time in Sun Belt history with 10,490 passing yards and just outside the top five with 60 passing touchdowns. The Vandals are in their final season at the FBS level as they will drop down to the Big Sky Conference at the FCS level next season.

Quotable – Troy Head Coach Neal Brown
"I'm not going to talk about it (national broadcast) one single time this week, honestly. I probably built that last game up. I was worried about us coming in and having a letdown emotionally off the LSU game to our last midweek game. I talked about the importance of playing on national television and building your brand. This week we're just going to suit up and play Thursday at 8:15, whether there is 30,000 or nobody here, whether it's on ESPN3, ESPN2 or ESPNU. We're just going to worry about being 1-0. We have to focus on the task at hand."

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Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Jordan Chunn

Jamarius Henderson

Troy University Athletics