South Alabama’s football team is preparing for a key rivalry game against Troy on Saturday, October 4. The matchup, which will take place at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama, marks the Jaguars’ first conference road game of the season. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+ and listen to via the Jags Radio Network.
The Jaguars currently hold a 1-4 record overall and are 0-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. Troy enters with a 2-2 record and will be opening their conference schedule. South Alabama seeks its first win at Veterans Memorial Stadium since 2017 and aims to defeat Troy in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014-15.
Head Coach Major Applewhite commented on the upcoming contest: “We’re excited for the opportunity to play a much-improved Troy football team from last season. They’ve worked really hard as a staff and as a program to get where they are. It’s going to be a quality opponent that we play on Saturday night.”
Defensive Coordinator Will Windham discussed his reserve defensive backs: “I thought those guys handled it really well. I think those guys are battling and fighting, but I thought they did a great job. They complement each other really well. There was great energy on the sideline the whole time.”
Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino outlined his focus for improvement: “I think the biggest thing is stay in front of the chains, stay on schedule, when we take our shots, hit them. But most importantly, don’t hurt ourselves with assignment errors or with penalties.”
Running back Kentrel Bullock leads both South Alabama and the Sun Belt Conference with five rushing touchdowns this season and has scored 16 career touchdowns with South Alabama—the fifth-most in school history. Safety Christopher Wallace Jr., after totaling just 13 tackles across his previous three seasons, has made 35 tackles so far this year—currently leading his team and ranking sixth in the conference.
Wide receiver Devin Voisin has recorded 457 receiving yards this season, ranking second in the Sun Belt Conference and eighth nationally among all college players.
Troy’s head coach Gerad Parker is now in his second year with a cumulative record of 6-10 at Troy. Quarterback Tucker Kilcrease has thrown for 213 yards and one touchdown so far this season while running back Tae Meadows leads their ground attack with 337 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Jordan Stringer tops their tackle chart with 34 stops—including four tackles for loss.
The Battle for the Belt rivalry sees these teams meet annually; although Troy holds a series lead of nine wins to four, South Alabama claimed victory last year by defeating Troy 25-9—securing possession of “the belt” for the first time since 2017.
For further updates about South Alabama football, fans can follow @SouthAlabamaFB on social media or visit usajaguars.com.
