MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama and Troy meet Thursday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium in a Battle for the Belt that carries Sun Belt Conference West Division implications for both teams.
The Jaguars (5-1, 2-0 Sun Belt) and Trojans (5-2, 3-1 SBC) can each move to the brink of bowl eligibility with a win, and the winner will control its own path to the division title and a berth in the conference championship game. South Alabama received votes in the Associated Press poll this week for the first time since 2016. The Jaguars are a three-point favorite.
Series History
The schools, about 170 miles apart, were already conference rivals in other sports before South Alabama began playing football. Troy has won the last four meetings and leads the series 7-3.
Last season’s game, a 31-24 Troy win in Troy, was the closest of the four. South Alabama lost starting quarterback Jake Bentley on its first series when a hit below the knee tore two tendons in his knee. Desmond Trotter started in his place until Bentley returned for the season finale against Coastal Carolina, and the Jaguars lost their final three games to finish one win short of bowl eligibility in head coach Kane Wommack’s first season.
Troy Under Jon Sumrall
Troy is in its first season under head coach Jon Sumrall, who was associate head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coach on Neal Brown’s Troy staff from 2015 to 2017. Sumrall began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kentucky, his alma mater, and later coached at San Diego, Tulane and Ole Miss before returning to Kentucky, where he was co-defensive coordinator in 2021.
The Trojans’ losses came 28-10 at then-No. 21 Ole Miss and 32-28 at Appalachian State on a Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired.
Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock previously ran the offenses at SMU from 2015 to 2017 and Arkansas in 2018 and 2019 and spent the last two seasons coaching tight ends at UAB. Defensive coordinator Shiel Wood came from Army, where he was co-defensive coordinator for a 2021 team that went 9-4 and beat Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Trojans Offense
Troy averages 24.3 points, 399.4 total yards, 312.7 passing yards and 86.7 rushing yards per game. The Trojans have converted 35.2 percent of third downs, committed 13 turnovers (nine interceptions, four lost fumbles) and scored on 20 of 27 red-zone trips, 12 of them touchdowns.
Gunnar Watson has completed 122 of 193 passes for 1,691 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Jarret Doege is 34 of 50 for 491 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
Deshon Stoudemire leads the team with 30 catches for 337 yards. Tez Johnson leads in receiving yards with 479 on 22 catches and three touchdowns. Jabre Barber has 25 catches for 351 yards, and RaJae’ Johnson has 15 catches for 263 yards and three scores. DK Billingsley leads the ground game with 386 yards and three touchdowns, and Kimani Vidal has 308 yards.
Watson left last week’s game against Texas State early with an injury, as did Tez Johnson. Sumrall has said both should be available Thursday. Wommack said South Alabama will prepare for both quarterbacks because Troy uses a rotation at the position.
Trojans Defense and Special Teams
Troy allows 19.3 points, 341 total yards, 229.7 passing yards and 111.3 rushing yards per game. The Trojans have 12 takeaways (seven interceptions, five fumble recoveries), and opponents have scored on 17 of 21 red-zone trips.
Linebacker Carlton Martial, a Mobile native and McGill-Toolen graduate, leads the team with 63 tackles. Craig Slocum Jr. has 53 tackles, T.J. Jackson leads with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, and Markeis Colvin has two interceptions.
Kicker Brooks Buce has made 10 of 11 field goals with a long of 48. Punter Mike Rivers averages 43.5 yards.
South Alabama Offense
South Alabama beat Louisiana-Monroe 41-34 last Saturday. Marco Lee carried the ball repeatedly on the final possession, picking up first downs and running out the clock. Quarterback Carter Bradley threw for a school-record 420 yards, but the Jaguars’ secondary allowed ULM’s Tyrone Howell nine catches for 244 yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yard scoring pass.
Starting running back La’Damian Webb was injured on the Jaguars’ first possession, but Lee and Omni Wells combined for 178 of South Alabama’s 195 rushing yards.
The Jaguars average 36 points, 462.3 total yards, 300.3 passing yards and 162 rushing yards per game. They have converted 48.9 percent of third downs, have just six giveaways and have scored on 24 of 29 red-zone trips, 18 of them touchdowns.
Bradley has completed 126 of 198 passes for 1,694 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Caullin Lacy, Jalen Wayne and Devin Voisin each had more than 100 receiving yards against ULM. Lacy leads the team with 35 catches for 503 yards and three touchdowns, Wayne has 31 catches for 491 yards and five scores, and Voisin has 26 catches for 334 yards.
Webb leads the rushing attack with 470 yards and six touchdowns on 91 carries. Wells has 141 yards and Lee has 138 yards and four touchdowns. Webb and Braylon McReynolds, who has been out since before the Louisiana-Lafayette game with a quad injury, are game-time decisions. Linebacker Quentin Wilfawn has also been sidelined.
South Alabama Defense and Special Teams
The Jaguars allow 21.3 points, 322 total yards, 227.2 passing yards and 94.8 rushing yards per game. Opponents have converted 32.1 percent of third downs. South Alabama has 14 takeaways and is plus-8 in turnover margin; Troy is plus-1.
Linebacker James Miller leads the defense with 33 tackles. Brock Higdon has 3.5 tackles for loss, and Trey Kiser, CJ Rias and Wy’Kevious Thomas each have two sacks. Yam Banks has three interceptions and four pass breakups.
Kicker Diego Guajardo has made all nine of his field goal attempts, with a long of 48, and leads the team with 52 points. Punter Jack Brooks averages 41.7 yards, and Lacy averages 14.7 yards per punt return with a touchdown.
South Alabama, coached by Wommack with defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, has two fewer days than usual to prepare after playing Saturday.
