It’s the second week in a row Troy will be playing in the Sun Belt Game of the Week.
Last Saturday, the Trojans were a 2.5-point underdog against South Alabama and held the lead for much of the game before defeating the Jaguars to earn their first conference win of the season.
Troy will have an opportunity to extend its winning streak to three games against the Bobcats, who look to bounce back from a loss in a wild finish against Arkansas State.
How To Watch Troy-Texas State
The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday and will air on ESPN+.
Troy-Texas State Betting Odds
Texas State is a 9.5-point college football betting favorite over Troy as of this writing. The Over/Under is at 54.5.
Troy-Texas State Coaches & Records
TROY: Gerard Parker (7-16 overall, 7-10 at Troy)
TXST: GJ Kinne (31-14 overall, 19-12 at TXST)
Last meeting: Texas State won 38-17 at Troy. The only other win for the Bobcats in this series came in 1997. Troy leads the series 12-2.
Troy Preview
Trojans quarterback Tucker Kilcrease had a strong showing last week. The junior finished with 203 passing yards and two touchdowns and added 102 rushing yards on 19 carries to go with another score. He became only the second Troy QB since 1995 to throw for more than 200 yards and rush for more than 100 in a single game.
Kilcrease has been the starter since Goose Crowder was injured against Memphis.
Tae Maedows is pacing the Trojans with 416 yards and three TDs on the ground while wideout Tray Taylor is leading the team with 191 receiving yards and two TDs. Roman Mothershed has 15 catches for 168 yards, and Rara Thomas has 11 catches for 150 yards and two TDs.
Troy also got a big performance from Devin Lafayette last week. The hybrid defender secured a game-high 19 tackles and was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week. His 51 tackles are most on the roster and third most in the league. Teammate Jordan Stringer is fifth in the conference with 43 total tackles.
Despite surrendering 265 rushing yards to South Alabama, the Trojans statistically have one of the top defenses in the league, giving up 23.2 points and 328.4 yards per game. Their rush defense is arguably their weak spot, however, as they’re allowing 158.4 YPG on the ground.
Three weeks ago, they allowed Memphis to rush for 213 yards. This week, the Trojans’ defense will be put to the test against one of the best rushing attacks in the league.
Texas State Preview
An extra point was the difference in the Bobcats’ 31-30 loss to Arkansas State on Saturday. Texas State kicker Tyler Robles missed a PAT with just over a minute remaining after the Bobcats took a 30-24 lead.
Six plays later, ASU QB Jaylen Raynor rushed in from four yards out to knot the score with six seconds to play, and Clune Van Andel knocked in the extra point.
Texas State’s explosiveness was on display during the go-ahead drive, though. Bobcats QB Brad Jackson rushed for 63 yards to set up the TD and finished the contest with 131 rushing yards. He also had 230 yards through the air and two total TDs. He has over 1,300 total yards and 13 TDs this season.
Running back Lincoln Pare is another threat out of the backfield and is third in the conference with 468 yards while wide receiver Beau Sparks has 428 yards on 31 catches. Both have five TDs. Texas State leads the conference with 16 rushing scores and ranks second in points (35 per game) and yards (456.6 per game).
The Bobcats (3-2) are allowing 26.2 PPG and 382 YPG. They’re led by linebacker Treylin Payne’s 37 tackles. Safety Ryan Nolan has 34 tackles and two pass breakups.
The loss to Arkansas State was Texas State’s second in its last three games with the other coming against Arizona State three weeks ago. The Bobcats have defeated Eastern Michigan, UTSA, and Nicholls this season. Troy also beat Nicholls in Week 1.
Troy-Texas State Prediction
I predict Texas State wins but Troy covers the 9.5-point spread. I think the Trojans are being overlooked in this spot.
I don’t think the Bobcats have played to their full potential the past few weeks while Troy has picked up some decent wins and has played well as an underdog this year.
