Football prepares to kick off at the Vet
- Hunter Boozer
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
The wait is finally over: Troy football is set to return to the field Saturday, Sept. 5 as it faces Sam Houston in season opener.
“Happy to know it’s now week one for us as we get a chance to open up at home,” said head coach Gerad Parker in a press conference. “Certainly, very grateful for us, a chance to get in front of our Troy fans around the Wiregrass and be at home.”
The Trojans finished the 2025 season with an 8-6 record and a 6-2 Sun Belt record, making the Sun Belt Championship game and the Salute to Veterans Bowl game in Montgomery, Alabama. The season was filled with ups and downs, with three separate two-game losing streaks but the Trojans pulled through to win seven of their last nine regular season games.
One of the challenges the Trojans faced in 2025 was the offensive line. The team allowed 59 sacks, which is nearly double the team’s 2024 total. With new coaches and four of the five starters on the line being new, Parker says the changes are necessary for the team to succeed up front.
“Our world is to make sure that we play productive, and we don’t play productive at O-line, and it starts there, then we aren’t going to be where we want to be as a football team,” Parker said. “The names are certainly different, and there’s a lot of change there, but there needed to be.”
Over the offseason, Troy picked up 14 transfers. Two of the transfers, defensive lineman Ty Clemons and offensive lineman Luke Petit, would be named captains by their teammates.
“Being a captain means everything,” Clemons said. “It really shows that my teammates feel a certain way about me, and I really appreciate that.”
The Trojans are projected to finish first in the Sun Belt West, with defensive lineman Donnie Smith and punter Evan Crenshaw being named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year by the Sun Belt.
Crenshaw was also named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America First Team, something that he said shows all his work at Troy has paid off.
“It just goes to show all the work that I’ve put in, not just that got put on display last year, but the previous three years that nobody really saw or cared about,” Crenshaw said. “It’s really cool to see the accumulation of all that.
“The preseason awards are great, but the big thing for me is going out there and proving them right.”
Coming into Veterans Memorial Stadium, Sam Houston finished 2-10 last season and 1-7 in Conference USA. Despite that, Parker is not overlooking the Bearkats, especially its backfield.
“Like all of us, and especially in Group of 6 football, there’s some unknowns,” Parker said. “Both backs are very difficult to tackle and are good players.
“If we don’t leverage the football properly and tackle those backs and stop the run with this group, this could give us problems in game one.”
The Trojans and Bearkats kick off both of their respective seasons Saturday night at 6 p.m. inside the Vet. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and on the airwaves of the Troy Sports Media Network.
Comments