One Last Shot; Troy Travels to Georgia State Searching for Bowl Eligibility

TROY, Ala. – Troy will look to put the distractions of the week in the rearview mirror Saturday as it travels to Georgia State in search of its sixth win and bowl eligibility in the regular season finale. Kickoff between the Trojans and Panthers is set for 1 p.m. (CT) from Center Parc Stadium, and ESPN+ has the broadcast of the game.

Troy (5-6, 3-4 Sun Belt) will be under the direction of interim head coach Brandon Hall after the Trojans made a leadership change this past Sunday.

"I'm focused right now on this game and our players," Hall said at his weekly press conference. "I love these guys. I've spent four years of my life with them. They're not just people; they're my family."

A win would more than likely send the Trojans to their first bowl game since the 2018 season when they won the Dollar General Bowl for the school's fourth straight bowl victory dating back to 2010.

The series has produced high-scoring affairs throughout its eight-game history with Troy scoring at least 30 points in all but one of the contests. To hit that number this season, the Trojans will have to do something they've done just three times this year – Troy scored 55 points in the opener at Southern and 31 in victories against both Texas State and South Alabama.

The Trojan defense will be called upon to stop the Panthers' (6-5, 5-2) high-powered rushing attack that averages 222.5 yards per game. All-American linebacker and Burlsworth Trophy finalist Carlton Martial is coming off a 19-tackle game, his fifth-straight game with double-digit tackles.

Troy enters the week 10^th nationally with 22 turnovers gained on the season while ranking in the top 10 nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss. Martial is just 23 tackles shy of setting the all-time Sun Belt Conference record for career tackles.

Know Your Foe
The Panthers have won five of their last six games, with the only loss in that stretch a 21-17 defeat at No. 24 Louisiana, in which GSU led until the final three minutes. Georgia State is the ONLY FBS team in the nation to play four road games against ranked opponents this season. The Panthers rank No. 13 in FBS in rushing, averaging 222.5 ypg. The running back tandem of Tucker Gregg (816 yds, 10 TD) and Jamyest Williams (702 yds, 7 TD) has topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season, combing for 1,518 yards and 17 TDs. Quarterback Darren Grainger adds 501 yards rushing--first among all Sun Belt quarterbacks--and two touchdowns.

Notable

• Reddy Steward ranks second nationally holding opponents to a 30.4 percent completion percentage; he has successfully defended 16-of-23 pass attempts this season.

• Brooks Buce is one of just five players in the country to have not missed a field goal this season (min. seven attempts) … this first-year player is 7-of-7 this year.

• Carlton Martial has 69 more tackles than any other player in the country since 2018 with 436.

• Troy has targeted its tight ends 23 times through seven games with 21 receptions; in the previous seven seasons COMBINED, Troy's tight ends had been targeted 18 times with 12 receptions.

• Troy has scored 30-plus points in all but one of the meetings with Georgia State; the Trojans are averaging 38.6 points per game in the series.

• Kimani Vidal and Austin Stidham were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team last week ... Stidham became Troy's first-ever Academic All-American in program history last year.

• In Al Pogue's last four seasons coaching Troy's cornerbacks (2016-18, 21), Troy has ranked 3rd, 15th, 5th and 2nd nationally in interceptions.

• Dell Pettus ranks 16th nationally among safeties per PFF (min. 450 snaps) with a 85.2 tackle grade.

• Cameron Kaye was named a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, for the nation's top long snapper ... he was named a third-team All-American by Special Teams U and was selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

• Carlton Martial is one of three finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented to the nation's top player who began their career as a walk-on ... the other two finalists are UGA QB Stetson Bennett and Arkansas LB Grant Morgan.

• Since 2000, Martial is one of just two players at the FBS level to record more than 425 tackles, 45 tackles for loss and five interceptions in their career – he has 436 tackles, 46 tackles for loss and five interceptions.

One Last Shot; Troy Travels to Georgia State Searching for Bowl Eligibility

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Players Mentioned

Brooks Buce

Cameron Kaye

Carlton Martial

Dell Pettus

Reddy Steward

Austin Stidham

Kimani Vidal

Troy University Athletics