Troy hits the road for showdown at Buffalo

Troy football heads to the U.S. and Canada border to face off with the Buffalo Bulls this Saturday at UB Stadium. 

Troy is coming off back-to-back losses to Clemson and Memphis. The Trojans offense was unable to score in the 28-7 loss to Memphis on Saturday.  

Trojans quarterback Goose Crowder suffered a collarbone injury and will not be available going into the final game before conference play begins. He is expected to miss multiple weeks. 

Tucker Kilcrease struggled in relief of Crowder last week but is the likely starter against Buffalo. He’ll have Houston transfer Uie Ale and freshman Jack James behind him if needed. 

The Bulls have already begun Mid-American Conference play and earned a late win at Kent State last week 31-28. With a 2-1 record, their only loss came at the hands of Minnesota 23-10, where Buffalo trailed by just three heading into the fourth quarter. 

Quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson has taken a commanding lead of the Buffalo offense this season. The Kansas State transfer has thrown for five touchdowns and ran for another two so far this season. Last week, he fired off 318 yards passing with 53 on the ground. 

Defensively, Troy will have to find a way past linebacker Red Murdock. He leads the team in tackles with 32, including one sack. He had the most tackles last year among returning players with 156, which is 90 more than the next highest on the team in Solomon Brown. 

Troy and Buffalo have played just once. In 2018, The Neal Brown-led Trojans downed the Bulls 42-32 to cap off a 10-3 season in the Dollar General Bowl. It was the final win of Brown’s tenure at Troy before taking the head coaching job at West Virginia. 

In order for the Trojans to head into the bye week before conference play with a record of .500, they’ll need to find a way to limit Roberson. He was held to less than 140 yards against both Minnesota and Saint Francis.  

The difference was Roberson’s seven yards on the ground when facing the Golden Gophers compared to an impressive 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Saint Francis. Keeping Roberson in the pocket could prove to be crucial. 

Troy’s offense will need to find a way to move the football even in Goose Crowder’s absence. If the Trojans cannot find a passing rhythm or establish the run game, it could prove to be a long trip. 

Finally, the penalties that have plagued the Men of Troy have proven to be an issue. The team has the 16th most penalties in FBS, and most recently had a 73-yard touchdown pass erased due to an illegal formation call. Winning requires clean football. 

The Trojans look to right the ship on Saturday when they clash with Buffalo at 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Troy Sports Media Network.