Bowl bound: Troy football to play in Dollar General Bowl

Troy is going to Mobile for the second time this season.

The Trojans received and accepted an invitation to play in the Dollar General Bowl against Ohio University in Ladd-Peebles Stadium. It is the first time that Troy (9-3, 6-2 Sun Belt) has made a bowl appearance since 2010, when it defeated the Bobcats 48-21 in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Troy’s fate was revealed during the College Football Bowl Selection Show, which aired Sunday afternoon.

The game will be Troy’s second played in Ladd Peebles Stadium, which is the home of Sun Belt rival South Alabama. The Trojans beat the Jaguars 28-21 back on October 20.

After falling just short of a share in the Sun Belt title, the Trojans will look to end an already historic season with a program-best 10 wins as an FBS program. They’ll be taking on an Ohio team (8-5, 6-2 MAC) that came up short on a run for the Mid-American Conference title following a 23-29 loss to undefeated, Cotton Bowl-bound Western Michigan.

The Bobcats’ season has been characterized by close losses, with its largest final deficit being nine points. On top of their loss in its conference title game, Ohio’s other notable close losses were a triple overtime loss to Texas State and a 28-19 loss at Tennessee.

Both teams have lost two of their last three games, and will look to stop the bleeding in a nationally-televised matchup of MAC versus Sun Belt.

Kickoff for the Dollar General Bowl is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT on Friday, Dec. 23. Coverage of the game will be broadcast by ESPN and on the WatchESPN app.