Troy Travels to Louisiana for Key SBC West Showdown

TROY, Ala. – Two schools have represented the Sun Belt West Division in the Sun Belt Championship Game since its inception in 2018, Troy and Louisiana. The two square off Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium for a critical early-season league showdown. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Troy (3-2, 1-0) has played for the SBC title in three of the last four years, while Louisiana played in the first four title games and again in 2024; the Trojans didn't move to the West until 2022. Troy has won seven of its last eight games against the Sun Belt West and is 19-6 against the division since moving to that side of the league. The Trojans were 17-1 in the three years they won the West.

A win over Louisiana (4-2, 1-1) would mark back-to-back 2-0 Sun Belt starts for the first time since 2009 and 2010.

The Trojans are coming off a dominant offensive performance in a 55-34 victory over Southern Miss more than a week ago. Troy rushed for 437 yards against the Golden Eagles, while Goose Crowder completed 18-of-21 passes for 225 yards and a pair of touchdown strikes.

The Troy signal caller also rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, becoming just the fifth quarterback in Sun Belt history to rush for more than 140 yards, throw for more than 200 yards with two touchdowns in each category.

Jordan Lovett had a career game, rushing for 142 yards and scoring a touchdown on the ground while catching a 46-yard touchdown pass. Four players rushed for more than 70 yards in the Trojans' sixth straight win over Southern Miss.

Defensively, Donnie Smith remains a force, recording a sack in his eighth straight game, dating back to last season. The Trojans forced three fumbles in the victory, marking their 36^th game since 2016 with three or more turnovers, the second most in the country.

Troy enters the weekend third in the country, holding opponents to a 63.16 percent success rate in the red zone, and 24^thin allowing touchdowns in the red zone, at 47.37 percent. The Trojans have been particularly good in third-and-short this season, allowing opponent conversions on just 2-of-6 attempts on third-and-two or third-and-three.

Louisiana fell to Louisiana Tech, 32-31, last Saturday, dropping its ninth straight meeting to the Bulldogs, who scored 13 points in the final 3:44 to rally for the win in the first matchup between the in-state schools since 2015. The Cajuns opened Sun Belt play with a 23-20 victory over Arkansas State on a last-second 37-yard field goal.

The Cajuns are led by dynamic quarterback Lunch Winfield, who averages 246.8 yards of total offense per game, with 66.3 yards of that coming on the ground; the most by a quarterback in the Sun Belt.

Louisiana ranks second in the Sun Belt, allowing just 303.5 yards per game, and fourth, allowing 21.5 points per game. However, Louisiana Tech racked up 485 yards and 32 points a week ago.

Notable
• Against USM Goose Crowder became just the second player in the country this season to throw for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for more than 140 yards and two scores; one of just eight players to do so in the last four seasons (he had the highest completion percentage among the eight players) … Just the fifth player in SBC history with the stat line; highest completion percentage by 24.3 percent

• Donnie Smith has a sack in eight straight games; it's the 10th longest streak (0.5 sacks) since at least 2005 and the longest in the SBC since 2008

• Troy has the seventh-ranked rushing attack in the country per PFF with an 89.4 overall rushing grade

• Troy is 10-2 in its last 12 games when rushing for more than 100 yards

• Troy's 437 rushing yards against Southern Miss were the most in an SBC game since Georgia Southern rushed for 507 yards against New Mexico State on Oct. 17, 2015, and the most by a Troy squad since 2002

• Troy has forced 64 missed tackles in the running game; the 12^th most in the country this season

• Goose Crowder is averaging 4.7 yards after contact (158 total yards) and has forced 14 missed tackles. He is fifth nationally among QBs (min. 30 rushes) in YAC and tied for 26th in missed tackles forced

• Troy averages 73.2 plays per game, the 12^th most in the country and most by a Troy team since 2019 (73.58)

• Troy is just 270 rushing yards shy of last year's total … the Trojans have played just five games in 2026 compared to 14 games in 2025

• Donnie Smith is tied for 32nd nationally (PFF) with 13 quarterback hurries through five games. Among players with 125 snaps, ranks 16th nationally (8th in P6) with a 15.8 win percentage and 26th with a 13.5 pressure percentage (plays with pressure generated/pass rush snaps)

• Troy ranks third nationally holding opponents to a 63.16 success rate in the red zone (12-of-19) ... the Trojans are 24th with a 47.37 touchdown rate allowed (9-of-19)

• Jabari Strait has allowed receptions on just 33.3 percent of targets against him (8-of-24); that ranks seventh among FBS players with at least 25 targets. He also ranks 15th nationally with just three first downs allowed in coverage.

• Troy is the only school to appear in multiple SBC Championship Games and have a winning record (2-1)

Troy University Athletics

Troy Travels to Louisiana for Key SBC West Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Goose Crowder

Jordan Lovett

Donnie Smith

Jabari Strait

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