TROY, Ala. — South Alabama travels to Troy for a midweek Sun Belt Conference game in the annual Battle for the Belt, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Jaguars are 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the Sun Belt. Troy is 4-1 and 1-0. South Alabama is a 17-point underdog.
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and carried in the Mobile area on 99.5 FM The Jag and 96.1 FM, as well as online through iHeartRadio.
Garvin Back Under Center
Head coach Joey Jones announced Monday that Cole Garvin will start at quarterback. Garvin started the season opener but injured his ankle on the first possession of the second game against Oklahoma State. Dallas Davis started the next two games before aggravating a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. Jones said Davis’ arm strength has returned.
Through three games, Garvin has completed 41 of 77 passes for 447 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he has added two rushing touchdowns.
Jones also said left guard Tyler Grimsley suffered a knee injury against Louisiana Tech and will miss the rest of the season.
Coming Off Louisiana Tech Loss
South Alabama played its first game with Richard Owens as offensive coordinator after replacing Bryant Vincent in that role. The Jaguars trailed Louisiana Tech by one point entering the fourth quarter before the Bulldogs scored twice late to win 34-16. South Alabama converted 5 of 15 third-down attempts in that game.
The Jaguars have had a long week to prepare under Owens.
Troy’s Offense
Troy is led by quarterback Brandon Silvers and running back Jordan Chunn. Last season in Mobile, Chunn scored twice in the fourth quarter, both on 80-yard drives, as Troy rallied to beat South Alabama.
Chunn is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 98 rushing yards per game with six touchdowns. He has 91 carries, more than half of Troy’s rushing attempts, compared to 26 for Jamarius Henderson, the team’s second-leading rusher. Chunn has more than double Henderson’s rushing yardage.
Troy has thrown two touchdown passes and rushed for 13 touchdowns this season. Silvers has completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 1,241 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Win at LSU
In its most recent game, Troy won at LSU despite being outgained 428-363. The Trojans rushed for 206 yards and all three of their touchdowns. Silvers completed 16 of 28 passes for 157 yards, with a long of 20.
Troy’s Defense
The Trojans allow 108.8 rushing yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry and have given up just two rushing touchdowns. Opponents are averaging 231 passing yards per game and 10.8 yards per catch against Troy, with eight passing touchdowns. Troy has five interceptions, including two over its last two games against Akron and LSU.
Jaguars’ Defense
South Alabama’s secondary has dealt with injuries this season. Safety Jeremy Reaves has led the defense, which has faced quarterbacks Shea Patterson of Ole Miss and Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State.
