Troy Hosts ULM on Military Appreciation Day at The Vet

TROY, Ala. – Troy returns to The Vet on Saturday, where the Trojans are a perfect 3-0 this season, to host ULM in Sun Belt Conference action. Saturday marks Troy's annual Military Appreciation Day celebration, with military recognitions before and during the game, including a pregame flyover by Fort Rucker.

Kickoff between Troy and ULM is set for 3 p.m.

Military, active and retired, can email athleticsmarketing@troy.edu to request complimentary tickets. Troy students can purchase $1 guest tickets and fans associated with youth sports can take advantage of a Youth Sports Day package that includes $5 general admission tickets and pregame field access by visiting TroyTrojans.com/promo and using the code YSD.

Saturday's game marks Troy's (3-3, 1-1 SBC) first home appearance since a 55-34 victory over Southern Miss on Oct. 6. The Trojans rushed for more than 400 yards in the victory over the Golden Eagles.

Troy has won five of the last seven meetings against ULM (0-6, 0-2), including last year's 37-14 win in Monroe.

The Trojans have played well at home this season, averaging 37.7 points and 477.0 yards per game, compared to 11.0 points and 328.3 yards on the road. A victory over ULM would be Troy's first 4-0 start at home since 2022 and just second since 2018.

Troy will look to rely on its ground game that ranks 27^th in the country, averaging 204.7 yards per game. The Trojans need just 145 rushing yards to surpass last year's total, if Troy does it on Saturday it would have taken the Trojans exactly half the number of games from a season ago.

Defensively, Troy boasts one of the nation's stingiest red-zone units, ranking 10^th in the country and allowing points on just 68.2 percent of possessions.

ULM is coming off a 24-0 loss to Louisiana Tech last week, in a game that was deadlocked at 0-0 at the half. The Warhawks opened league play with a 52-35 loss to South Alabama.

Notable
• Evan Crenshaw's 73-yard punt at Louisiana is the ninth longest in the country this season and tied for the longest in the Sun Belt.

• Troy's 437 rushing yards against Southern Miss were the most in a 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

• Tucker Kilcrease's six rushing touchdowns are the fifth most by a Troy quarterback since at least 1995

• Goose Crowder is averaging 4.5 yards after contact (179 total yards) and has forced 16 missed tackles. He is eighth nationally among QBs (min. 35 rushes) in YAC and tied for 35th in missed tackles forced

• Donnie Smith is tied for 15th nationally (PFF) with 18 quarterback hurries through six games. Among players with 150 snaps, ranks 17th nationally (7th in P6) with a 15.1 win percentage and 14th with a 15.1 pressure percentage (plays with pressure generated/pass rush snaps)

• Donnie Smith has a sack in 14 games dating back to last season, the most in the country

• Troy ranks 10th nationally holding opponents to a 68.18 success rate in the red zone (15-of-22) ... the Trojans are 51st with a 54.55 touchdown rate allowed (12-of-22)

• Troy has forced 71 missed tackles in the running game, the 13^th most in the country

• Jabari Strait has allowed receptions on just 37.0 percent of targets against him (10-of-27); that ranks fifth among FBS players with at least 25 targets. He also ranks third nationally with just three first downs allowed in coverage (min. 25 targets)

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

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Players Mentioned

Evan Crenshaw

Goose Crowder

Tucker Kilcrease

Donnie Smith

Jabari Strait

Troy University Athletics