Troy Set for First SBC Road Test at Texas State

TROY, Ala. – Fresh off an emotional victory in the "Battle for the Belt", Troy travels to San Marcos, Texas, for its first Sun Belt Conference road test of the year in a showdown with Texas State at UFCU Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Troy (3-2, 1-0 SBC) has won four of its last five Sun Belt games dating back to last season, following its 31-24 overtime victory over South Alabama last weekend at The Vet. The Trojans have also had the upper hand against the Bobcats (3-2, 0-1), winning 12 of the last 13 meetings in the series. This figures to be the last meeting between the two schools for the foreseeable future, with Texas State moving to the reimagined Pac-12 next season.

The Trojans executed one of their most balanced offensive attacks of the season in the victory over their in-state rivals last week, rushing for 217 yards and two scores while passing for 203 yards and a pair of scores. Junior quarterback Tucker Kilcrease took every snap behind center and became just the second Troy quarterback since at least 2005 to rush for more than 100 yards (102) and pass for more than 200 yards (203) in a game.

Troy has owned the fourth quarter this season, scoring 59 points in the final quarter (plus overtime) compared to just 44 points in the first three quarters combined. Conversely, the Trojans have held opponents to just 27 points in the final 15 minutes of games.

Big plays spurred the Troy offense as the Trojans accumulated seven plays of 20 or more yards, by far this season, including a pair of big receptions from Tray Taylor of 48 and 26 yards.

The offensive line boasts four of the top 25 players in the Sun Belt per Pro Football Focus, and despite the stats showing 16 sacks allowed, only four are charged to the offensive line.

Troy's defense responded with pressure against South Alabama, despite the Trojans' normally stout rushing defense allowing 265 yards —the most in a Troy loss against a non-triple-option offense since 2007. Four sacks, six tackles for loss and three pass break ups forced enough disruption to the Jags' rhythm as the Trojans forced four three-and-outs and just 10 completions.

Texas State, picked to finish second in the SBC West, is coming off a tough loss to Arkansas State last weekend, where the Bobcats missed an extra point following a go-ahead touchdown with a minute to play and then surrendered a 6-play, 75-yard game-winning drive over the next 53 seconds.

The Bobcats have decisive victories over Eastern Michigan, UTSA and Nicholls, around losses to A-State and Arizona State (34-15).

Led by freshman quarterback Brad Jackson, Texas State ranks second in the Sun Belt in scoring (35.0) and yards (456.6), while the Bobcat defense is middle of the pack, allowing 26.2 points and 382 yards.

Notable
• Tucker Kilcrease rushed for 102 yards on 19 carries against South Alabama, becoming the first Troy QB to top 100 yards since Kaleb Barker rushed for 111 yards against Georgia State in 2018

• Troy has four of the top 25 ranked offensive linemen in the Sun Belt (min. 300 snaps) per Pro Football Focus -- Matt Henry (6), Eli Russ (16), Elijah Prather (17), Paul Bowling (24)

• Troy allowed seven sacks in the win at Buffalo (only one charged to the OL), 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 did not allow a single sack in the victory over South Alabama

• Tucker Kilcrease became just the second Troy quarterback since 1995 to pass for more than 200 yards and throw for more than 100 yards in a game when he rushed for 102 yards and passed for 203 yards against South Alabama. He joined Deon Anthony (245 passing yards, 115 rushing yards), who did so against FIU on Oct. 20, 2012

• South Alabama's 265 rushing yards were the most allowed by the Trojans in a win (non triple option off.) since 345 yards by Louisiana in 2007

• Troy held South Alabama to 104 passing yards in the game – the eighth fewest in South Alabama program history

• Jaquez White ranks fourth nationally ranking per PFF among cornerbacks with an 85.6 coverage grade; he ranks sixth overall defensively among corners

• Evan Crenshaw has 12 punts of 50-plus yards this season; Troy had one last year

• Devin Lafayette was named the SBC Defensive Player of the Week after 19 tackles against South Alabama, the 16th most in conference history

• Troy has allowed just 39 plays of 10-plus yards this season, the 21st fewest in the country

• Troy is 3-0 this season and 6-1 over the last two seasons when recording 20 or more first downs

• 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

• 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

• 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, Alabama, Air Force, Georgia

Troy Set for First SBC Road Test at Texas State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paul Bowling

Evan Crenshaw

Matt Henry

Tucker Kilcrease

Devin Lafayette

Elijah Prather

Eli Russ

Tray Taylor

Jaquez White

Troy University Athletics