Troy University Athletics
Saturday, December 12
Troy, Ala.
2 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Coastal Carolina
Troy Hosts No. 11 Coastal Carolina Saturday; Highest-Ranked Team to Visit The Vet
12/10/2020 9:50:00 PM | Football
TROY, Ala. – One week after Troy made "Battle for the Belt" history with a third straight win over its in-state rival South Alabama, the Trojans have another opportunity this weekend to rewrite the annals of Troy Football with a visit from No. 11 Coastal Carolina to The Vet. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Coastal Carolina (10-0, 7-0 Sun Belt) becomes the highest-ranked team – fourth overall – to play at The Vet, and the Chanticleers are Troy's highest-ranked opponent since No. 2 Clemson in 2016 when Troy (5-5, 3-3) nearly pulled off the upset of the eventual national champions.
"This week is a great opportunity to play one of the best teams in the country at home in Coastal Carolina," head coach Chip Lindsey said at his weekly press conference. "In a year where everything is crazy and the schedule has changed multiple times, there's nothing better than having two home games at The Vet to finish our season. We feel like we've gotten a bit of a shot in the arm because we're finally back healthy and at full strength. The opportunity to play two games at home and make a bowl game has excited our team."
Gates to The Vet will open at 12 p.m. and fans are encouraged to enter the stadium early to help alleviate congestion as kickoff draws nearer. Face coverings for fans are required inside The Vet and while tailgating. Additionally, fans are reminded to use their GAME 5 ticket for the game.
The win in Mobile this past weekend was significant for many reasons. Troy became the first team to win three straight games in the series, it was the Trojans' first shutout since 2008 and most importantly it ended a three-game losing streak.
"Saturday was a big win for us and I was really proud of our team and how we played as unit," Lindsey said. "All three phases of the ball really complimented each other. We had a great week of practice last week which is really where it started. When you get your guys back that have been missing for various reasons it allows you to have a really good practice. Our guys went to work and worked extremely hard."
Troy's defense will have a tall task Saturday against a Coastal Carolina offense that ranks 21st nationally in scoring and 15th in rushing. The Trojans have a little momentum on their side as they have held four of their last five opponents to 20 points or fewer, including last weekend's shutout.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Trojans as the nation's No. 11 defense heading into this week paced by linebacker Carlton Martial and defensive tackle Will Choloh. Martial is the active leader in FBS with 8.65 tackles per game in his career while Choloh is the highest rated interior pass rusher by PFF.
Gunnar Watson had his best game since returning from injury for the Trojans behind center completing 34-of-41 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, while Kimani Vidal returned after missing two games to rush for 76 yards on 22 carries. The Trojans are 5-0 this season when Vidal registers at least nine carries in a game.
Know Your Foe
Coastal Carolina is coming off a 22-17 victory over No. 8 BYU last week in a game that was put together on two-day's notice. The Chanticleers are off to the best start in Sun Belt Conference history behind a pair of national award semifinalists – quarterback Grayson McCall (Davey O'Brian & Maxwell) and Tarron Jackson (Bednarik).
Notable
• With Coastal Carolina's current No. 11 AP ranking, this marks the first time since 2009 that the Trojans will have played multiple ranked teams in a season (No. 18/23 BYU) ... Coastal is the highest-ranked team Troy has played since No. 2 Clemson in 2006 and before that No. 1 Florida in 2009
• Troy has held four of its last five opponents to 20 points or fewer; in those games the Trojans are allowing an average of just 12.5 points per game
• K.J. Robertson has only missed two tackles all season long; that is the fewest in the country at the linebacker position (min. 324 snaps), while his 90.1 tackle grade ranks third nationally at the position
• Troy is 2-8 on coin tosses this season ... Troy has received the opening kickoff in 17-of-22 games under Chip Lindsey and has scored on 10 of those possessions
• In Troy's five wins, the Trojan defense is holding its opponents to just 14.0 points, 4.4 yards per play and 307.8 yards per game
Coastal Carolina (10-0, 7-0 Sun Belt) becomes the highest-ranked team – fourth overall – to play at The Vet, and the Chanticleers are Troy's highest-ranked opponent since No. 2 Clemson in 2016 when Troy (5-5, 3-3) nearly pulled off the upset of the eventual national champions.
"This week is a great opportunity to play one of the best teams in the country at home in Coastal Carolina," head coach Chip Lindsey said at his weekly press conference. "In a year where everything is crazy and the schedule has changed multiple times, there's nothing better than having two home games at The Vet to finish our season. We feel like we've gotten a bit of a shot in the arm because we're finally back healthy and at full strength. The opportunity to play two games at home and make a bowl game has excited our team."
Gates to The Vet will open at 12 p.m. and fans are encouraged to enter the stadium early to help alleviate congestion as kickoff draws nearer. Face coverings for fans are required inside The Vet and while tailgating. Additionally, fans are reminded to use their GAME 5 ticket for the game.
The win in Mobile this past weekend was significant for many reasons. Troy became the first team to win three straight games in the series, it was the Trojans' first shutout since 2008 and most importantly it ended a three-game losing streak.
"Saturday was a big win for us and I was really proud of our team and how we played as unit," Lindsey said. "All three phases of the ball really complimented each other. We had a great week of practice last week which is really where it started. When you get your guys back that have been missing for various reasons it allows you to have a really good practice. Our guys went to work and worked extremely hard."
Troy's defense will have a tall task Saturday against a Coastal Carolina offense that ranks 21st nationally in scoring and 15th in rushing. The Trojans have a little momentum on their side as they have held four of their last five opponents to 20 points or fewer, including last weekend's shutout.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Trojans as the nation's No. 11 defense heading into this week paced by linebacker Carlton Martial and defensive tackle Will Choloh. Martial is the active leader in FBS with 8.65 tackles per game in his career while Choloh is the highest rated interior pass rusher by PFF.
Gunnar Watson had his best game since returning from injury for the Trojans behind center completing 34-of-41 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, while Kimani Vidal returned after missing two games to rush for 76 yards on 22 carries. The Trojans are 5-0 this season when Vidal registers at least nine carries in a game.
Know Your Foe
Coastal Carolina is coming off a 22-17 victory over No. 8 BYU last week in a game that was put together on two-day's notice. The Chanticleers are off to the best start in Sun Belt Conference history behind a pair of national award semifinalists – quarterback Grayson McCall (Davey O'Brian & Maxwell) and Tarron Jackson (Bednarik).
Notable
• With Coastal Carolina's current No. 11 AP ranking, this marks the first time since 2009 that the Trojans will have played multiple ranked teams in a season (No. 18/23 BYU) ... Coastal is the highest-ranked team Troy has played since No. 2 Clemson in 2006 and before that No. 1 Florida in 2009
• Troy has held four of its last five opponents to 20 points or fewer; in those games the Trojans are allowing an average of just 12.5 points per game
• K.J. Robertson has only missed two tackles all season long; that is the fewest in the country at the linebacker position (min. 324 snaps), while his 90.1 tackle grade ranks third nationally at the position
• Troy is 2-8 on coin tosses this season ... Troy has received the opening kickoff in 17-of-22 games under Chip Lindsey and has scored on 10 of those possessions
• In Troy's five wins, the Trojan defense is holding its opponents to just 14.0 points, 4.4 yards per play and 307.8 yards per game
Players Mentioned
DT
/ Football
LB
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RB
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