Showdown Saturday at The Vet; Troy Hosts Liberty on Military Appreciation Day

TROY, Ala. – An early-season barometer test for two programs poised for big seasons will take place Saturday evening in Veterans Memorial Stadium when Troy plays host to Liberty. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Both teams are coming off big season-opening victories over FCS opponents, with Troy dispatching Southern, 55-3, and Liberty knocking off Campbell, 48-7. The Flames are coming off a 10-1 season and No. 17 ranking in the final AP Poll and feature a top-10 NFL Draft talent in quarterback Malik Willis.

Troy (1-0) dominated its season opener in all three phases of the game. The Trojans outgained the Jaguars 464-189, forced four turnovers and limited Southern to just 11 first downs in the game. It was Troy's 13^th 50-point game at the FBS level, and the game marked the fourth time since 2008 that the Trojans have held an opponent under 200 yards.

The Trojan defense was a top-billed unit heading into the season with 10 starters returning and a heavy hand of transfers joining the team in the offseason. Following the dominant performance in the opener, Troy has now held five of its last seven opponents to 20 points or fewer, averaging 10.6 points in those games.

A new-look Troy offense also answered the bell with Taylor Powell completing 17-of-27 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in his debut at quarterback. Tez Johnson caught five passes for 92 yards and a score in his first start, and Kimani Vidal rushed for 81 yards and a score; Troy is now 6-1 when Vidal carries the ball at least nine times.

Know Your Foe
Liberty quarterback Malik Willis appears on numerous preseason watch lists, including the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He totaled 272 yards of offense (217 passing/55 rushing) and two TDs (1 passing/1 rushing) during the season opener against Campbell. Running back, Joshua Mack leads active FBS players with 3,702 career rushing yards. He tallied 66 yards, and a score on 19 carries last week against Campbell. The Flames unveiled a new-look defense against Campbell, with five players earning their first start at Liberty. Liberty held the Camels to seven points, recorded seven tackles for a loss and never allowed Campbell to reach the red zone.

Notable
• Troy's four interceptions in the opener against Southern were tied for the most nationally during the season's first week.

• Troy's first four touchdowns scored against Southern were the first career touchdowns for the players -- Taylor Powell, Tez Johnson, Zion Williams and Deshon Stoudemire.

• Junior cornerback Zion Williams was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week after interception a pair of passes against Southern; he entered the game third on Troy's depth chart.

• Troy ranks 15th nationally since the start of the 2019 season scoring 30-plus points in 16 different games; the Trojans have topped the 400-yard mark in 17 different games.

• Troy's 80 interceptions since the start of the 2016 season are tied with Alabama for the second-most in the country.

Showdown Saturday at The Vet; Troy Hosts Liberty on Military Appreciation Day

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tez Johnson

Taylor Powell

Deshon Stoudemire

Kimani Vidal

Zion Williams

Troy University Athletics