After last week’s loss, Texas State football will open Sun Belt Conference play on the road against the Troy Trojans in its first official road test.
The Bobcats are on a two-game losing streak after giving up back-to-back double-digit leads, falling to the Arizona State Sun Devils 31-28 and the Sam Houston Bearkats 40-39, respectively.
The Trojans are coming off a loss at home, falling 13-9 to the University of Louisiana-Monroe in their Sun Belt Conference opener.
The Trojans have a perfect 9-0 record against the Bobcats since the Maroon and Gold joined the Sun Belt in 2013.
The last time these two played one another was last season, with the Bobcats taking an early 7-0 first-quarter lead. However, the Trojans came back, dropping 17 points in the fourth quarter to ice the game 31-13. Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne spoke about the Trojans’ culture and talent at his Tuesday press conference.
“Troy is a very good football team; they are coached well,” Kinne said. “You have to dissect what you see in a short week, but I have full confidence our staff is going to get that done. They are back-to-back Sun Belt Conference Champions for a reason: that culture is still there.”
The Trojan’s new Head Coach, Gerad Parker, the former Notre Dame offensive coordinator, takes the reins of the current defending Sun Belt Conference Champions. Parker complimented Texas State’s personnel on both sides of the ball.
“Texas State gives you multiple problems in your pass and run game,” Parker said. “Defensively, their front and what they have done in the personnel to create havoc and play across the line of scrimmage is huge for them and a critical issue for us.”
Kinne said Thursday’s matchup will be a battle due to both teams struggling in the past few weeks and have no room for error.
“Both teams have their backs against the wall, ” Kinne said. “We have to go to war and see who can correct the mistakes and who can get the job done.”
Kickoff between Texas State and Troy is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama. The game will be available to stream on ESPNU.
