Troy Returns Home to Host Coastal Carolina on Homecoming

TROY, Ala. – Following nearly a month on the road, Troy Football returns home on Saturday to play host to Coastal Carolina on Homecoming at The Vet. Kickoff between the Trojans and Chanticleers is set for 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

This is the first matchup between Troy and Coastal Carolina since the Trojans defeated the Chants, 45-26, in the 2022 Sun Belt Championship Game. It's also Troy's first home game since a Thursday-night matchup against Texas State back on Oct. 5.

Troy (1-7, 0-4 SBC) put together a furious second-half rally last weekend at Arkansas State, outscoring the Red Wolves by a 28-11 margin after halftime. However, a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining and an interception in the end zone with two seconds left thwarted Troy's comeback bid.

Matthew Caldwell completed 23-of-33 passes and threw a pair of touchdown strikes in his second start of the year after it was announced that Goose Crowder would miss the remainder of the season. Caldwell's second start meant that three Troy quarterbacks this season have started multiple games this season.

Troy's skill players rose to the occasion as well, as Devonte Ross caught 11 passes for 126 yards, Gerald Green rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown, while Peyton Higgins caught his first touchdown in two seasons and Brody Dalton hauled in his first career score. Troy's offensive line – the sixth different starting unit in eight games – held the Red Wolves without a sack all evening.

The Trojans enter this week as one of only three teams in the country to have converted on all its red zone opportunities this season (20-for-20), and Troy is one of the most efficient teams on third down, ranking 18^thnationally, converting at a 47 percent clip.

Senior linebacker Brendan Jackson has emerged as a leader defensively for the Trojans, with 6.5 tackles for loss the last two games, which has propelled him to 13^th nationally.

Coastal Carolina (4-3, 2-1) enters the game with a new offensive coordinator after head coach Tim Beck made a change heading into the bye week despite the Chants ranking in the top 50 nationally in rushing offense (181.7) and scoring offense (31.9). However, Coastal has struggled defensively this season, ranking in triple digits in all but one category, including allowing 31.6 points and 416.3 yards per game.

The Chats opened the season with three straight victories, but since then, have dropped three of their last four games to Virginia, James Madison and Louisiana.

Notable
• Troy has forced 197 turnovers since the start of the 2016 season, which is the second most in the country

• Troy has started six different offensive line units in eight games this season, tied for the third most in the country (FSU, Middle Tennessee - 7)

• Troy's games in 2024 have averaged just 121.3 combined plays, the 11th fewest in the country (Kentucky, 116.5) ... Troy and Arkansas State combined to run 153 plays last week, the most in a Troy game this year. The previous high was 133 against Texas State

• Troy has scored 28-plus points in all six meetings against Coastal Carolina and 35-plus points in 5-of-6 meetings

• Paddy McAteer, who didn't kick an American football until April, ranks as the No. 24 KOS in the country by PFF and 14th, averaging 69.7 yards per attempt

• Troy's defense has started drives on its side of the field 11 times this season; of those drives, Troy's defense is allowing just an average of just 3.6 points per drive

• Big plays have been key to Troy's success offensively; the Trojans have scored on just 6.8 percent of its drives (3-of-48) without a big play (any pass of 15+ yards or a rush of 12+ yards). Troy has scored on 65.8 percent of drives with a big play (25-of-38)

• Starting QB Goose Crowder will miss the rest of the 2024 season due to injury; he played in just 11 quarters over four games

• Devonte Ross is responsible for 39.4 percent (13-of-33) of Troy's plays of 20-plus yards this season

• Troy is one of three teams in the country to score on every red zone opportunity (20-of-20), joining Kansas and Ohio State

Troy Returns Home to Host Coastal Carolina on Homecoming

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Players Mentioned

Matthew Caldwell

Goose Crowder

Brody Dalton

Gerald Green

Peyton Higgins

Brendan Jackson

Paddy McAteer

Devonte Ross

Troy University Athletics