Troy Hosts South Alabama in Annual "Battle for the Belt"

TROY, Ala. – Coming off a much-deserved bye week, Troy Football returns home to host South Alabama in the annual "Battle for the Belt" at The Vet on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Troy will honor legendary head coach Larry Blakeney at the end of the first quarter for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The contest is the first Saturday matchup between the two in-state rivals since 2021 and the first time they've played on a Saturday night game at The Vet since 2013. Troy (2-2, 0-0 SBC) leads the all-time series by a 9-4 margin but saw its six-game winning streak against the Jags come to an end last season in Mobile.

The Trojans scored 21 points in the fourth quarter two weeks ago in western New York to rally past Buffalo, a nine-win team from a year ago, for a 21-17 victory in Troy's final non-conference game of the year.

Making his first start of the season, Tucker Kilcrease orchestrated three scoring drives in the final frame and was involved in two of the scores as he opened the scoring with his legs and later found RaRa Thomas with his arm.

Troy's defense forced six three-and-outs in the game, including three straight in the fourth quarter, while Evan Crenshaw dominated the field position game with his leg and earned the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week Award in the process.

Last year's South Alabama (1-4, 0-1) victory ended a historic run by the Trojans that dated back to 2017 (the game following Troy's upset at LSU) in which Troy outscored the Jags 173-70 before seeing the streak end in a 25-9 defeat last year.

Statistically, Troy enters the weekend with the better defense and South Alabama with the better offense. The Trojans are allowing 23 points and 318.3 yards per game, while the Jags have yielded 31.8 points and 361.2 yards. Conversely, South Alabama averages 25.2 points and 382.8 yards compared to Troy's 20.5 points and 298.5 yards offensively.

The Jags have lost four straight since a season-opening victory over Morgan State, dropping games to Tulane, Auburn, North Texas and Coastal Carolina.

Notable
• Troy is celebrating its 25th season as an FBS member in 2025 ... during its run at the highest level of college football, Troy has won eight conference titles and six bowl games

• This is the first time since 2021 that the "Battle for the Belt" will be played on a Saturday; it's just the third time since 2016 that the game has been on a Saturday. Troy is 4-1 in Saturday games against South Alabama

• Troy allowed seven sacks in the win at Buffalo, the most in a Trojan victory in the program's Division I history. It's the most sacks allowed by a FBS team in a victory this season; in fact, last season, only three teams won when allowing seven or more sacks in a game

• Troy rushed for 163 yards at Buffalo despite the seven sacks; the Trojans improved to 43-4 since 2015 when rushing for 150-plus yards

• Evan Crenshaw has 11 punts of 50-plus yards this season; Troy had one all of last season

• Troy has scored 24 points on its opponents' four turnovers this season

• Troy scored a defensive touchdown in back-to-back games (Clemson & Memphis) for the first time since 2023

• Troy has won six of the last seven games against South Alabama, including three straight at home

• Luis Medina has played in 51 career games, the 44^th most among active players nationally

• Troy held Buffalo to 57 yards in the fourth quarter, with 46 of those yards coming on the Bulls' final drive

• Troy has had a 1,000-yard rusher in three straight seasons; the Trojans are the only Sun Belt school with a current multi-year 1,000-yard rusher streak

• Tae Meadows rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in the opener ... it ranked as the 19th most yards in a game in program history and the third-most in a season opener in program history

• Troy is 25-0 since 2015 when rushing for 200-plus yards in a game ... the Trojans are 53-2 since joining the Sun Belt in 2004

• Paul Bowling became the first true freshman to start at center in a season opener at Troy since at least 1982 (records prior are incomplete)

• Troy quarterback Goose Crowder has played just 20 quarters of football the last two seasons due to injury

• Troy is one of just four teams in the country to hold multiple opponents to fewer than 250 yards in each of the last six seasons

Troy Hosts South Alabama in Annual "Battle for the Belt"

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Players Mentioned

Paul Bowling

Evan Crenshaw

Goose Crowder

Tucker Kilcrease

Tae Meadows

Luis Medina

RaRa Thomas

Troy University Athletics