After two games on the road, the Troy Trojans are heading back home. Troy and the Appalachian State Mountaineers will face off in a Sun Belt battle at 6 p.m. ET on Friday at Larry Blakeney Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Troy is the clear underdog, so they're hoping it's the size of the fight that determines this one.
The Trojans took a serious blow against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns last week, falling 53-3. QB Kaleb Barker had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: besides failing to produce a single touchdown, he threw two interceptions with only 178 yards passing.
Meanwhile, when you finish with 274 more yards than your opponent like Appalachian State did last week, a favorable outcome is almost sure to follow. They were the clear victors by a 35-13 margin over the Texas State Bobcats. RB Darrynton Evans had a stellar game for Appalachian State as he rushed for 154 yards and three TDs on 21 carries.
Appalachian State's victory lifted them to 10-1 while Troy's defeat dropped them down to 5-6. A couple stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Troy comes into the game boasting the 12th most passing yards per game in the league at 314. But the Mountaineers rank eighth in the league when it comes to passing yards allowed per game, with only 176.2 on average. We'll see which of these strengths -- offense or defense -- will win out.