Troy University Athletics
Saturday, September 18
Hattiesburg, Miss.
6 p.m.
Troy University
at
Southern Miss
Troy Travels to Southern Miss for First Road Test of Season
9/17/2021 9:29:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. – Following a pair of home games to open its season, Troy opens a stretch where it will play five of its next six games away from home with a trip to Hattiesburg, Miss., this weekend to take on Southern Miss. ESPN+ has the broadcast of the game which is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kick.
The Trojans (1-1) split its season-opening homestand with a victory over Southern and a narrow defeat to Liberty. This will be Troy's first trip to The Rock since a 37-31 victory in 2016, which spurred a seven-game winning streak and the Trojans' first 10-win season in almost two decades.
"It's been two years since we've played in front of a big crowd on the road," Troy head coach Chip Lindsey said at his Tuesday press conference. "I know that place can get loud, and we're going to have to prepare for that this week. This is a good game, a good rivalry and a good out-of-conference challenge for us."
Troy's defense has answered the bell the first two weeks and heads to Hattiesburg ranked in the top 21 nationally in scoring (12.0), sacks (3.5) and total defense (264.0). In addition, the Trojans limited Liberty's high-powered offense to 143 yards and 1.5 yards per play fewer than what it averaged a season ago.
Defensive tackle Will Choloh is fourth nationally in tackles for loss and fifth in sacks through the first two weeks of the season and is coming off a historic game where he recorded eight tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks – one of just three Trojans since 2000 to do so.
Offensively, the Trojans bookended the game with touchdowns last week against the Flames but struggled to get their running game going. Luke Whittemore is off to a strong start averaging 20.3 yards on his six receptions this season (third-best in the Sun Belt), and Troy's tight ends have six catches and a touchdown on the early season.
Know Your Foe
Like the Trojans, Southern Miss enters the weekend 1-1 on the young season. This past weekend, the Golden Eagles shutout Grambling, 37-0, following a 31-7 loss at South Alabama to open the season. Frank Gore, Jr., leads the Southern Miss offense averaging 121.5 yards per game, while the Golden Eagles are netting 207.5 rushing yards per contest. Defensively, Southern Miss is sixth nationally against the run (41.0) and seventh in total defense (220.5).
Notable
• Troy is 6-2 when Kimani Vidal carries the ball at least nine times; in Troy wins, Vidal is averaging 82.2 yards and 14.7 carries
• Will Choloh was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week for his performance against Liberty -- 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 TFL -- just the third Trojan since 2000 to have those numbers in a single game
• Troy has held six of its last eight opponents to 21 points or fewer dating back to last season; in those games, the Trojans have allowed an average of just 12.3 points per game
• Troy has targeted its tight ends 10 times through two games with six receptions; in the last seven seasons COMBINED, Troy's tight ends had been targeted 18 times with 12 receptions
• Troy is 8-1 under Chip Lindsey when winning the time of possession battle, while the Trojans are just 3-13 when possession the ball for less than 30 minutes.
The Trojans (1-1) split its season-opening homestand with a victory over Southern and a narrow defeat to Liberty. This will be Troy's first trip to The Rock since a 37-31 victory in 2016, which spurred a seven-game winning streak and the Trojans' first 10-win season in almost two decades.
"It's been two years since we've played in front of a big crowd on the road," Troy head coach Chip Lindsey said at his Tuesday press conference. "I know that place can get loud, and we're going to have to prepare for that this week. This is a good game, a good rivalry and a good out-of-conference challenge for us."
Troy's defense has answered the bell the first two weeks and heads to Hattiesburg ranked in the top 21 nationally in scoring (12.0), sacks (3.5) and total defense (264.0). In addition, the Trojans limited Liberty's high-powered offense to 143 yards and 1.5 yards per play fewer than what it averaged a season ago.
Defensive tackle Will Choloh is fourth nationally in tackles for loss and fifth in sacks through the first two weeks of the season and is coming off a historic game where he recorded eight tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks – one of just three Trojans since 2000 to do so.
Offensively, the Trojans bookended the game with touchdowns last week against the Flames but struggled to get their running game going. Luke Whittemore is off to a strong start averaging 20.3 yards on his six receptions this season (third-best in the Sun Belt), and Troy's tight ends have six catches and a touchdown on the early season.
Know Your Foe
Like the Trojans, Southern Miss enters the weekend 1-1 on the young season. This past weekend, the Golden Eagles shutout Grambling, 37-0, following a 31-7 loss at South Alabama to open the season. Frank Gore, Jr., leads the Southern Miss offense averaging 121.5 yards per game, while the Golden Eagles are netting 207.5 rushing yards per contest. Defensively, Southern Miss is sixth nationally against the run (41.0) and seventh in total defense (220.5).
Notable
• Troy is 6-2 when Kimani Vidal carries the ball at least nine times; in Troy wins, Vidal is averaging 82.2 yards and 14.7 carries
• Will Choloh was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week for his performance against Liberty -- 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 TFL -- just the third Trojan since 2000 to have those numbers in a single game
• Troy has held six of its last eight opponents to 21 points or fewer dating back to last season; in those games, the Trojans have allowed an average of just 12.3 points per game
• Troy has targeted its tight ends 10 times through two games with six receptions; in the last seven seasons COMBINED, Troy's tight ends had been targeted 18 times with 12 receptions
• Troy is 8-1 under Chip Lindsey when winning the time of possession battle, while the Trojans are just 3-13 when possession the ball for less than 30 minutes.
Players Mentioned
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