Troy Looks to Bounce Back Saturday at Coastal

Saturday, November 2

Conway, S.C.

2 p.m.

Troy University

Coastal Carolina

Troy Football vs. South Alabama in the Battle of the Belt

Photo by: Clif Lusk

Troy Looks to Bounce Back Saturday at Coastal

10/31/2019 3:08:00 PM | Football

By: Troy Athletics Communications

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TROY, Ala. – Behind one of the top offensive units in the country, Troy hits the road for a Sun Belt Conference matchup with Coastal Carolina Saturday at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. (CT) and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

Troy heads into its second straight road game with the nation's 13^th-ranked passing attack led by quarterback Kaleb Barker and a stacked receiving corps including Khalil McClain, Kaylon Geiger, Reggie Todd, Tray Eafford and Luke Whittemore.

Barker's 298.7 yards per game through the air are good for eighth in the country while his 18 touchdown passes are the most by a Troy quarterback through the first eight games of a season in the Trojans' DI era.

The stacked receiving group leads the country with nine 100-yard receiving games between them paced by three from Geiger while McClain's six touchdown receptions sit as the second most in Troy's DI history through seven games. In addition to his work on offense, Todd has also shined on special teams and he enters the week third nationally averaging 32.8 yards per kickoff return.

"If we want to accomplish our goals, it is a must-win," head coach Chip Lindsey said. "We try and approach every week the same and we try being consistent. We want our players to feel like we don't prepare any different each week. We know where we are in the standings so you can say it's a must-win, but we'll prepare the same. We'll put together a great plan and go out and try and execute it."

Troy (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) broke the 500-yard threshold for the fourth time this season in last week's 52-33 loss at Georgia State with Barker throwing for 421 yards and a pair of scores. It will be strength against strength Saturday with Coastal boasting the nation's fifth-best passing defense at 145.6 yards per game.

Entering last week's game, Troy ranked 11^thnationally against the run, and The Trojans will face another stiff test against a Coastal Carolina (3-4, 0-3) team that is averaging 195.1 yards per game on the ground.

Sophomore linebacker Carlton Martial and senior bandit Jarvis Hayes continue to be the leaders on that side of the ball for the Trojans. Martial is fifth nationally in tackles for loss and 10^thin tackles, while Hayes has played 316 snaps along the defensive front with 14 pressures and nine hurries.

Know Your Foe
After ending its non-conference schedule with three straight wins, including knocking off Kansas, Coastal Carolina has dropped its first three Sun Belt games of the season. Coastal is home the conference's top passing defense allowing just 145.6 yards per game through the air, and the Chants are tops in the league allowing 309.7 yards per game overall. The Chants have made the ground game a priority in their wins, as they have run the ball 46 times or more in each of their three wins on the year. However, in their four losses, the Chants are averaging less than 35 rushing attempts per contest and have totaled just 459 yards on the ground combined.

Notable
• Redshirt freshman A.J. Lewis has caught a pair of touchdown passes this season, which is tied for the most by a Trojan tight end in Troy's DI history.

• Troy has scored 243 points so far this season, which ranks as the third most through the first seven games of a season in the Trojans' DI history.

• Troy is 1-6 on the coin toss this season.

• Troy registered its longest run (53 yards), pass (64 yards) and kickoff return (79 yards) of the season at Georgia State.