Troy Set to Welcome South Alabama to the Sun Belt
Adam Prendergast
9/27/2012 1:27:00 PM



TROY, Ala. – The opposite ends of the Sun Belt Conference spectrum meet Saturday afternoon in Ladd-Peebles Stadium when Troy and South Alabama square off at 2:30 p.m. in a game televised by the Sun Belt Network (CSS/CST).

Troy comes into its first-ever matchup with in-state foe South Alabama with over 100 years of football history, five Sun Belt championships in the past six years and a hall of fame head coach that ranks ninth in victories among active coaches.

On the other end of the football landscape is South Alabama. The Jaguars fielded their first football team in 2009 and this season marks their first as a football-playing member of the Sun Belt. South Alabama (1-3, 0-0 Sun Belt) has had success under head coach Joey Jones during the program's infancy as the Jags have posted a 24-7 record to date.

Troy enters Saturday's game fresh off a 14-7 victory at North Texas that evened the Trojans overall and Sun Belt record (2-2, 1-1) and pushed their road ledger to 2-0 on the year. South Alabama returns to the comfort of home after dropping a pair of games at North Carolina State (31-7) and Mississippi State (30-10).

The Jaguars, who will be playing their first-ever Sun Belt game, have fared well at home over their three-plus years of existence with a 20-2 record; however, the visit by Troy will be the first by a FBS team to Ladd-Peebles Stadium (USA opened the season at home against FBS provisional Texas-San Antonio).

The defensive performance by the Trojans last week was impressive to say the least. Troy held North Texas to just 2-of-14 on third downs in the game with both conversions coming on the same drive in the first quarter. The Trojans held the Mean Green scoreless over the game's final 50 minutes and did all of that without two starters in the lineup – safety Chris Pickett and linebacker Kanorris Davis.
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