Troy University Athletics
Saturday, September 25
Monroe, La.
7 p.m.
Troy University
at
ULM
Troy Opens Sun Belt Play at ULM
9/24/2021 8:17:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. – With one of the nation's top defenses in tow, Troy opens Sun Belt Conference play Saturday evening at ULM in the middle game of a three-game road trip for the Trojans. Kickoff from Malone Stadium is slated for 7 p.m., and ESPN+ will carry the broadcast of the game.
Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Troy (2-1) and ULM (1-1) since 2018, as the Warhawks had to cancel both scheduled meetings last year. The Trojans have won two straight against the Warhawks since ULM rolled off four consecutive wins from 2010-2014.
There are a multitude of notes to choose from when looking at the Trojans on defense. Troy is one of just three teams (Georgia, Iowa State) to have held multiple opponents to less than 190 yards this season, Troy's 684 yards allowed through three games are the second fewest in Sun Belt history, and the Trojans are one of just two schools (Minnesota) to hold an FBS opponent to negative rushing yards this year.
Troy is coming off a 21-9 victory at Southern Miss, where the defense held the Golden Eagles to -1 rushing yards, three offensive points, all while recording nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
"We've come a long way on defense the last couple of years," head coach Chip Lindsey said. "Brandon Hall and his staff have done a great job of getting our guys into position, but at the end of the day, it's about players making plays. We're doing a good job of contesting throws down the field; up front is causing some disruptions to the quarterback and it's hard to play the position when you're running for your life."
Redshirt freshman Jovon Solomon led the charge last week with nine tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks – the first player in league history to compile that stat line in a game. The Trojans are third nationally in sacks, fifth in tackles for loss and eighth in scoring.
After failing to light up the scoreboard in the opening half last week, Troy's offense found a rhythm behind quarterback Taylor Powell after the break. He completed 17-of-25 attempts for 167 yards and a pair of scores in the second half and enters the week as the nation's No. 3 quarterback and the top one in the Group of Five per Pro Football Focus.
On the outside, Tez Johnson is third nationally with catches on 83.3 percent of his targets (15-of-18), while tight end Deyunkrea Lewis has touchdown receptions in two straight games; Lewis is sixth nationally with the two scores from the tight end position.
Know Your Foe
ULM snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 12-7 victory over Jackson State in the Warhawks' home opener last weekend. Four Calum Sutherland field goals were the difference for ULM as he hit on 4-of-6 attempts in the game. ULM ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference and No. 17 nationally in rushing defense, allowing only 78.0 yards per game. The Warhawks have permitted only four runs of 10 or more yards – tied for the fifth lowest total in the FBS. ULM joins Michigan and Rutgers as the only FBS teams that haven't lost a turnover in 2021. On the flip side, the Warhawks lead the nation in turnover margin at +3.0 per game (6 takeaways: 4 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions).
Notable
• Troy has held seven of its last nine opponents to 21 points or fewer dating back to last season; in those games the Trojan defense has allowed an average of just 11.0 points.
• Troy has targeted its tight ends nine times through three games with eight receptions; in the last seven seasons COMBINED, Troy's tight ends had been targeted 18 times with 12 receptions.
• Troy is fifth nationally behind only Clemson, Miami, Ohio State and UCF with 381 tackles for loss since the start of the 2017 season.
• Troy's defense has allowed just 27 points through the first three games, which is the fewest since 1997.
• Troy is 10-5 in games decided by 20-plus points in the two-plus seasons under Chip Lindsey.
Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Troy (2-1) and ULM (1-1) since 2018, as the Warhawks had to cancel both scheduled meetings last year. The Trojans have won two straight against the Warhawks since ULM rolled off four consecutive wins from 2010-2014.
There are a multitude of notes to choose from when looking at the Trojans on defense. Troy is one of just three teams (Georgia, Iowa State) to have held multiple opponents to less than 190 yards this season, Troy's 684 yards allowed through three games are the second fewest in Sun Belt history, and the Trojans are one of just two schools (Minnesota) to hold an FBS opponent to negative rushing yards this year.
Troy is coming off a 21-9 victory at Southern Miss, where the defense held the Golden Eagles to -1 rushing yards, three offensive points, all while recording nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
"We've come a long way on defense the last couple of years," head coach Chip Lindsey said. "Brandon Hall and his staff have done a great job of getting our guys into position, but at the end of the day, it's about players making plays. We're doing a good job of contesting throws down the field; up front is causing some disruptions to the quarterback and it's hard to play the position when you're running for your life."
Redshirt freshman Jovon Solomon led the charge last week with nine tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks – the first player in league history to compile that stat line in a game. The Trojans are third nationally in sacks, fifth in tackles for loss and eighth in scoring.
After failing to light up the scoreboard in the opening half last week, Troy's offense found a rhythm behind quarterback Taylor Powell after the break. He completed 17-of-25 attempts for 167 yards and a pair of scores in the second half and enters the week as the nation's No. 3 quarterback and the top one in the Group of Five per Pro Football Focus.
On the outside, Tez Johnson is third nationally with catches on 83.3 percent of his targets (15-of-18), while tight end Deyunkrea Lewis has touchdown receptions in two straight games; Lewis is sixth nationally with the two scores from the tight end position.
Know Your Foe
ULM snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 12-7 victory over Jackson State in the Warhawks' home opener last weekend. Four Calum Sutherland field goals were the difference for ULM as he hit on 4-of-6 attempts in the game. ULM ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference and No. 17 nationally in rushing defense, allowing only 78.0 yards per game. The Warhawks have permitted only four runs of 10 or more yards – tied for the fifth lowest total in the FBS. ULM joins Michigan and Rutgers as the only FBS teams that haven't lost a turnover in 2021. On the flip side, the Warhawks lead the nation in turnover margin at +3.0 per game (6 takeaways: 4 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions).
Notable
• Troy has held seven of its last nine opponents to 21 points or fewer dating back to last season; in those games the Trojan defense has allowed an average of just 11.0 points.
• Troy has targeted its tight ends nine times through three games with eight receptions; in the last seven seasons COMBINED, Troy's tight ends had been targeted 18 times with 12 receptions.
• Troy is fifth nationally behind only Clemson, Miami, Ohio State and UCF with 381 tackles for loss since the start of the 2017 season.
• Troy's defense has allowed just 27 points through the first three games, which is the fewest since 1997.
• Troy is 10-5 in games decided by 20-plus points in the two-plus seasons under Chip Lindsey.
Players Mentioned
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