Football prepares for crucial conference road trip

Troy is looking to carry its momentum from a rivalry win into San Marcos, Texas, this Saturday when it takes on the Texas State Bobcats at Bobcat Stadium. 

The Trojans fell short at home against Texas State a year ago 38-17. Now, they hope to give the Bobcats the same feeling of frustration. 

Troy enters with a 1-0 conference record while Texas State is looking to redeem itself after an upset loss on the road to Arkansas State. Both teams are 3-2 overall. 

For the Bobcats, redshirt freshman Brad Jackson leads the offense. Since stepping into the starting quarterback job this year, he has accounted for seven passing touchdowns with just one interception. His legs are a major threat as well, with six scores on the ground so far. 

Of the seven touchdown passes, five of them have been to receiver Beau Sparks. The junior began the season as a standout player, scoring all five in the first two games along with 237 total yards. Since then, he has been somewhat limited, accounting for 191 yards over the last three contests. 

Treylin Payne leads the defense at the linebacker position. Now in his senior season, he has a team-high 37 tackles so far, already more than doubling his totals from a year ago. 

Troy saw its quarterback Tucker Kilcrease find a rhythm last week with over 300 total yards. The offense as a whole has been notably more efficient. After going nearly 11 quarters without an offensive score, the Trojans have now scored points in each of the last five quarters, along with an overtime touchdown.  

While Troy did a much better job cleaning up its penalties last week, Texas State has been efficient throughout the season. They currently sit tied for 30th in the nation with the least number of penalties. They had been much higher until the Arkansas State loss last Saturday, where the Bobcats were flagged nine times. 

These two teams do have a common opponent already. Troy and Texas State both managed to get wins over Nicholls. In week one, the Trojans took down the Colonels 38-20 after a slow start. Texas State quickly got out front and won 35-3 in week four. 

This is the 16th time these two teams have clashed. Troy has historically dominated the series, 14-2, but Texas State did get its first win over the Trojans since 1997 a year ago. 

Troy and Texas State will face off this Saturday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Troy Sports Media Network.