Troy University Athletics
Troy Hosts Coastal Carolina Saturday in Sun Belt Championship Game
12/2/2022 9:00:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. – The eyes of the nation will be turned to Veterans Memorial Stadium Saturday as Troy hosts Coastal Carolina in the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game; kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Troy (10-2, 7-1 SBC) is competing in its first-ever Sun Belt title game, which is now in its fifth year of existence, while Coastal Carolina (9-2, 6-2) will make its second appearance after the Chants were scheduled to play in the 2020 game that was ultimately canceled. A Trojan victory would be the program's seventh Sun Belt title, the most in league history.
Led by Sun Belt Coach of the Year Jon Sumrall and Defensive Player of the Year Carlton Martial, Troy earned the right to host the game by winning its final nine games of the season, the nation's fourth-longest winning streak.
While the Trojans rode the strength of their defense for most of the season, Troy's running game has stepped up in a big way the last two weeks, paced by sophomore Kimani Vidal, who has rushed for 200-plus yards in consecutive games.
Vidal, Troy's 11th 1,000-yard rusher in program history, gashed ULM for 242 yards two weeks ago before finding the end zone four times in a 208-yard effort at Arkansas State. As a unit, the Trojans averaged 266 yards on the ground in those two games.
Troy is one of the best fourth quarter teams in the country on both sides of the football. Offensively, the Trojans average 10.67 points in the fourth, the fourth-best output nationally, while Troy's defense holds opponents to just 3.17 points per game, the second-best in the country. In fact, Troy's defense has held seven of its 12 opponents off the scoreboard completely in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Additionally, Troy has held eight of its last 10 opponents to under 100 yards rushing, and the 30 plays of 20-plus yards allowed this year are the second-fewest in the country.
Thirteen Trojans earned All-Sun Belt honors the league announced Thursday, including a league-best nine first team selections -- offensive linemen Jake Andrews and Austin Stidham, defensive linemen Will Cholohand T.J. Jackson, defensive back Reddy Steward plus Martial.
Coastal has been one of the Sun Belt's best teams the last three seasons posting a 30-5 overall record and 20-4 league mark. Led by three-time SBC Player of the Year in quarterback Grayson McCall, the Chants opened the season with six straight wins and won three of their last four, with McCall missing the final two games due to injury.
Notable
• Troy is 5-0 in close games at the half (score differential is four points or less) ... The five wins are the second most in the country
• Carlton Martial is once again a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation's top player who began their career as a walk-on. He was a finalist last year as well
• Troy ranks 25th nationally with a +7.58 scoring advantage in the second half; Troy's +7.50 margin in the fourth quarter ranks second behind just Michigan
• Troy has held eight of its last 10 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. The Trojans have faced the nation's No. 2 (Army) and No. 3 (Ole Miss) rushing attacks this season, take out those two games and the Trojans are allowing 86.8 yards per game and 2.69 yards per carry, which would rank fifth and second nationally, respectively
• The Trojans have allowed just 202 points and 24 touchdowns this season. It is the fifth-fewest touchdowns allowed and fifth-fewest points allowed through 12 games in Sun Belt history
• Opponents have scored on just seven drives following a Troy score this season (7-of-49) ... the 14.3 percent is well below the national average of 31.4 percent
• From 2005-21, Troy was 11-73 when trailing at the half and 5-52 when scoring less than 21 points ... this season, Troy is 4-1 when trailing at the half and 4-1 when scoring less than 21 points
• Carlton Martial is the ONLY player at the FBS level since at least 2000 to have at least 405 tackles, six interceptions and 41 tackles for loss in their career
• Troy has allowed the second-fewest plays of 20-plus yards this season (30) - Iowa (24), the fourth-fewest 20-plus yards runs (5) and the third-fewest 20-plus yard passes (21). Troy has allowed plays of 20-plus yards on just 3.61 percent of its defensive snaps, the second fewest in the country (Iowa)
• Troy's 91 Sun Belt victories are the most in Sun Belt Conference history; the Trojans joined the league three years after Louisiana, Arkansas State and ULM
Players Mentioned
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