Troy Tries to Regroup After Stunning Last-Minute Loss to ULM, Faces James Madison Thursday With Quarterback Plan Unsettled

Troy has not had much time to dwell on one of the most painful losses in program history. With a trip to James Madison just three days later, the Trojans had to turn the page almost immediately.

Troy (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt Conference) lost 21-14 on Saturday to previously winless Louisiana-Monroe after leading 14-3 with less than three minutes to play. The Warhawks scored two offensive touchdowns to take the lead with 15 seconds left, then recovered a Troy fumble in the end zone on the final play of the game.

Now the Trojans travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia, for a 6:30 p.m. Thursday kickoff against James Madison at Bridgeforth Stadium.

‘No excuses’

Troy coach Gerad Parker said there was nothing to argue about in how the ULM game ended.

“There’s no excuses, there’s no way to argue about anything that happened in the game or all those things that happened,” Parker said. “We have to flip the page, go back to work, find answers and find a way to play winning football and be a part of a team we’re proud of in doing so. So that’s what we’ve done.”

Parker said his staff started working on answers right away.

“It was an early morning on a Sunday morning that our staff was called to have to come in early and stay late Saturday after the game to find answers and then go and move the page to it. That’s what we’ve done,” he said. “The staff’s working tirelessly to make sure we find answers for our players and then we hold them accountable and challenge them to believe in themselves and learn a new game plan to go play better football. That’s all we can do.”

A championship rematch with a twist

Thursday’s game is a rematch of last season’s Sun Belt Championship Game, which James Madison won 31-14 on its way to a College Football Playoff berth. But instead of a showdown between conference front-runners, both teams are trying to rebound from surprising losses.

JMU (7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt) entered last week as a legitimate contender for a second straight playoff appearance. The Dukes then lost 34-31 in overtime at Appalachian State last Thursday, ending their 13-game winning streak in Sun Belt play. They likely need some help to get back into the playoff conversation.

The matchup also comes as JMU prepares to leave the Sun Belt. The school recently announced plans to join the American Conference, the second departure from the league in a matter of months.

What Parker saw from Appalachian State

Parker said App State’s win offered a blueprint, built on patience and discipline.

“I think App did a great job in the game of not doing too much, not trying to create too many things through their offensive attack,” he said. “They did a really good job of just being them, executing well, not turning the football over, playing sound and what they again clarity and velocity. They knew where to go. Their quarterback played very smart, took care of the football, ran it enough and then found what they needed to do and had scoring plays in the red zone.”

He also praised the Mountaineers’ defense and special teams.

“Defensively they did a really good job keeping the ball inside and in front. They challenged and conflicted wide receivers, tight ends and all those guys enough and challenged well, kept the ball inside and in front and continued to and in special teams it was kind of a neutral, if you will, on both sides where they didn’t let the returner get out and do anything special and kept playing sound.”

Quarterback questions

The biggest question for Troy is who will play quarterback.

Goose Crowder started against ULM after leaving the previous week’s game against Louisiana with a shoulder injury. He was pulled midway through the third quarter in favor of backup Tucker Kilcrease. Kilcrease threw a touchdown pass, but neither quarterback was especially effective. Together they completed 9 of 18 passes for just 47 yards.

Parker said he would begin forming a quarterback plan for Thursday after Monday night’s practice, with Crowder’s status still uncertain earlier in the day. He did not rule out playing both Crowder and Kilcrease against JMU. He also said junior college transfer Rodge Waldrop or sophomore Jack James could work into the mix as the No. 2 quarterback if Crowder cannot play.

“You have to look at having a backup prepared, at least one guy,” Parker said. “So looking for answers of Rodge being able to prepare, know the game plan and Jack James as well, puts everything on the table to make sure we can get through a game and function well in a game with those other two if it weren’t Tuck.”

“So we’re looking at all those things and still allowing Goose to prepare as well, which makes it tricky. We’ve got to find a way to do it efficiently with less time to make sure we can go out there and put something out there much better than what we have done this past weekend.”

A short week

Thursday games give teams two fewer days to recover and prepare than a normal Saturday schedule. For Troy, that means installing a game plan, managing injuries and settling the quarterback situation in a compressed week, all while traveling to one of the toughest road environments in the conference.

A win would give the Trojans a chance to even their conference record and restore some momentum heading into November. A loss would drop them further back in the Sun Belt race.

Game information

• Matchup: Troy (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) at James Madison (7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt)
• When: Thursday, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, Virginia
• Last meeting: James Madison won the 2025 Sun Belt Championship Game 31-14
• Last week: Troy lost 21-14 to ULM; JMU lost 34-31 in overtime at Appalachian State