Tag: Troy

2024 NFL draft: Chargers showing interest in Troy RB Kimani Vidal

The Chargers are looking to bolster the running game ahead of next season.

The Chargers are looking to bolster the running game ahead of next season, and a piece to the puzzle could be Troy running back Kimani Vidal.

According to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, Vidal garnered interest from Los Angeles at the Senior Bowl last month.

Vidal was Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American in 2023 after he ran for a school record of 1,661 yards. He left as Troy’s all-time leading rusher with 4,010 yards.

At 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Vidal has the size, vision, contact balance, lateral agility and passing game impact to be a part of a backfield committee at the next level.

With Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley slated for free agency, that leaves Isaiah Spiller as the only player who makes up the positional room, so the Chargers will be seeking a few to fill it out.

Vidal projects as a Day 3 selection.

Trooper Taylor wins first game as head coach

Former Tennessee assistant Trooper Taylor wins first game as head coach.

Duke (8-5) defeated Troy (11-3), 17-10, on Saturday in the Birmingham Bowl.

The contest was played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

Trooper Taylor served as Duke’s interim head coach against Troy in the Birmingham Bowl. He was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2004-07, overseeing running backs, wide receivers and as assistant head coach.

Taylor took over as the Blue Devils’ interim head coach following the departure of Mike Elko. Elko served as Duke’s head coach from 2022-23. He was hired in the same capacity at Texas A&M on Nov. 27.

Manny Diaz was hired as Duke’s head coach on Dec. 7, replacing Elko.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football head coaches through the years

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame football: Marcus Freeman statement on Gerad Parker

Freeman has spoken.

Some truly shocking news came down Monday for Notre Dame football as offensive coordinator Gerad Parker is gone, headed to Troy to become their head coach.

Parker was at Notre Dame for two seasons.  2022 saw him coach the tight ends before he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023.  This 2023 season had some highs and lows.

We here at Fighting Irish Wire will have plenty on the search for Notre Dame’s next offensive coordinator.  Whoever the next one is will be the fourth in as many years for the Fighting Irish.

In the meantime, Marcus Freeman released a statement on Parker taking the Troy job.  Check it out below:

Stay tuned to Fighting Irish Wire as the search for Notre Dame’s next offensive coordinator gets underway.

Volleyball dispatches Troy on Saturday morning

Arkansas continues to stack up volleyball wins in the early season, as they finished off a 3-0 road trip to Bowling Green and the University Plaza Invitational.

Arkansas’ No. 17 volleyball team capped off a 3-0 road trip with a four-set win over the Troy Trojans on Saturday.

The Razorbacks (7-2) had defeated College of Charleston and Bowling Green on Friday before taking out Troy.

Jill Gillen led the Razorbacks with 19 kills on 40 swings for a .400 hitting percentage. She also finished her 10 digs for a double-double and had two service aces.

As a team, the Razorbacks finished the match with 13 total blocks, the second double-digit blocking performance for them in as many contests. Arkansas also had 15 service aces, which ties the program record for second-highest in a match, last recorded in 2003.

Next up for the squad is a trip to the Big Apple, where the Razorbacks will face Buffalo, St. John’s and Bryant.

Troy left tackle Austin Stidham invited to Saints rookie minicamp

Troy left tackle Austin Stidham has been invited to Saints rookie minicamp. He’s one of the most-experienced blockers in college football with 4,000 career snaps:

Former Troy left tackle Austin Stidham has been invited to New Orleans  Saints rookie minicamp, the school announced Sunday. And he has a good shot at earning a contract offer. Stidham was one of the most-experienced blockers in college football with more than 4,000 career snaps, almost exclusively at left tackle.

He has the physical tools to hang at the next level, weighing in at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds with long 34-inch arms, though he did not complete athletic testing before the 2023 NFL draft. Still, he’s a five-year starter at a competitive program, though he’s been charged with allowing 15 sacks and drawing 14 penalties in his college career, per Pro Football Focus charting. We’ll see if he has the movement skills to get by at the next level.

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7 linebackers for the Eagles to watch at 2023 Senior Bowl

We’re looking at 7 linebackers for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch at the 2023 #SeniorBowl

The NFL draft starts in Mobile, and even with the Eagles preparing to face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, all eyes this week will be on Alabama, for the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Philadelphia has Haason Reddick under contract for two more years, but the other two starters, T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White are set to become unrestricted free agents.

The Eagles do have rookie Nakobe Dean, rookie Kyron Johnson, and Patrick Johnson under contract but could look to add more depth.

With kickoff from Mobile quickly approaching, here are seven linebackers to watch at the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

UTSA vs Troy Duluth Trading Cure Bowl Prediction Game Preview

UTSA vs Troy prediction, Duluth Trading Cure Bowl game preview, odds how to watch Friday, December 16, 2022

UTSA vs Troy prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Duluth Trading Cure Bowl, Friday, December 16, 2022

UTSA vs Troy Duluth Trading Cure Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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UTSA vs Troy How To Watch

Date: Friday, December 16, 2022
Game Time: 3:00 ET
Venue: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: UTSA (11-2), Troy (11-2)
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UTSA vs Troy Duluth Trading Cure Bowl 5 Things To Know

Duluth Trading Cure Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– None of the College Football Playoff games match up conference champions. This is the only bowl of the season that does. It’s about as close as possible to being a representative of a big regular season game with two 11-win teams that come in without any big transfers or head coaching changes – but UTSA lost offensive coordinator Will Stein to Oregon. It’s the Sun Belt vs Conference USA for bragging rights in what should be one of the best bowls of the bunch.

– It’s the first bowl under Troy head coach Jon Sumrall, and he has to keep the post-season run going – the program has been outlasting in bowls lately. Troy was 1-3 in its first four, but since 2010 it won its last four. It hasn’t been to one since beating Buffalo in the 2018 Dollar General. On the flip side …

– UTSA is still searching for its first bowl win. It’s 0-3 since first getting to the 2016 New Mexico Bowl – losing to New Mexico – and it lost the last two seasons under head coach Jeff Traylor. Last year it dropped the Frisco Bowl to San Diego State 38-24.

– The Cure has been a bit of a catch-all bowl when it comes to affiliations and matchups over its seven-year-run, and that’s a good thing – the games have been fantastic lately, The first four were all decided by double-digits, but they weren’t awful. The last three have all been close, the 37-34 Liberty overtime win over Coastal Carolina might have been the best bowl of 2020, and last year the Chanticleers beat Northern Illinois in a 47-41 thriller.

– The Sun Belt was all about the addition of new programs and the big splashy start with a slew of upset wins. Troy rose above the pack and rolled Coastal Carolina for the Sun Belt title. It’s coming in on a ten-game winning streak, just like UTSA.

The Roadrunners started 1-2 – coming this close to beating Houston in the opener – but they dominated the rest of the way with  a high-powered offensive style scoring 30 or more since losing 41-20 to Texas.

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Why UTSA Will Win The Duluth Trading Cure Bowl

Even with the changes at offensive coordinator, the show goes on thanks to veteran Frank Harris. One of the best all-around quarterbacks in the country, he hits 71% of his passes, doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, and he’s a dangerous runner with 588 yards and nine scores – he keeps the chains moving. On the flip side, the Troy O has big problems on third downs.

Relentless, UTSA doesn’t miss on its chances to take advantage of good drives, and it’s balanced enough to hit the great Troy defense in a variety of ways. The ground game hit 200 yards in five of its last six games, the passing attack threw for 220 or more in every game but a blowout over Rice, and Troy has to deal with all of it.

The Trojans might have a good enough offense to have their moments, but they can’t get behind. Not only do they have to keep up, but they have to prepare for a flurry – UTSA can score in a hurry when down.

Why Troy Will Win The Duluth Trading Cure Bowl

The defense stepped up big when it had to.

Granted, it lost to Appalachian State early in the season on a deep ball – sort of a Hail Mary, but not quite – in the last loss of the season, but it came back to shut down Marshall, stopped South Alabama in a huge 10-6 win on the road, and held down just about everyone else. It finished the season eighth in the nation in scoring defense helped by a great pass rush that should keep the pressure on Harris.

The offense wasn’t just along for the ride, but it wasn’t all that consistent. There’s a passing game good enough to push past 300 yards if needed. the ground game over five yards per carry in the finishing three games, and now it gets a UTSA defense that’s not totally awful, but doesn’t generate any pass rush.

Trojan QB Gunnar Watson threw for 318 yards in the Sun Belt title game against Coastal Carolina on just 12 completions – he’ll connect on a few big plays.

Duluth Trading Cure Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, UTSA vs Troy Prediction, Duluth Trading Cure Bowl History

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Coastal Carolina vs Troy Sun Belt Championship Prediction Game Preview

Coastal Carolina vs Troy Sun Belt Championship game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Sun Belt Championship Week game on Saturday, December 3

Coastal Carolina vs Troy Sun Belt Championship prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Championship Week, Saturday, December 3

Coastal Carolina vs Troy Sun Belt Championship Prediction Game Preview

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Coastal Carolina vs Troy How To Watch

Date: Saturday, December 3
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Venue: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, AL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Coastal Carolina (9-2), Troy (10-2)
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Why Coastal Carolina Will Win

It was a rocky road, but it’s here.

It only seems like Coastal Carolina is in its third straight Sun Belt Conference Championship Game.

It didn’t get a shot against Louisiana with the 2020 title game cancelled, and last year Louisiana and Appalachian State played for the third time in the four years of the Sun Belt Championship creation.

Coastal Carolina suffered a weird home loss to Old Dominion, got destroyed by James Madison – who should actually be in this representing the Sun Belt East, but wasn’t eligible in its first year up in the FBS world – and lost star QB Grayson McCall for the season.

Again, it’s here.

It managed to win close game after close game – five victories were by a touchdown or less – thanks to another year of high-powered passing efficiency and just enough takeaways to make up for the problems on defense.

The amazing Troy defense might be a rock, but it’ll give up passing yards. The offense will also turn it over just enough to matter.

Coastal Carolina has to be quick-hitting with the passing game, there have to be a few early scores to make Troy’s offense press a bit, and the takeaways have to be there to help the O.

However …

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Why Troy Will Win

The loss of Grayson McCall really did hurt the Chanticleer offense.

James Madison might be No. 1 in the nation against the run, but Coastal Carolina wasn’t able to do anything through the air, either, in the 47-7 loss last week.

The Troy defense isn’t quite as strong, but it isn’t far off.

The pass rush will be coming from the start – the Coastal Carolina timing should be off from the start.

Troy has won nine straight partly because the competition has been mediocre, but it’s also because the D keeps on coming up with takeaways, it’s fantastic at generating a pass rush, and it always finds ways to keep the score low and stay in control.

Coastal Carolina’s passing game might be great, but it has a problem when the running game isn’t rocking. It has to average at least four years per carry to keep everything moving, but that’s a problem – Troy allows just 3.3 yards per pop.

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What’s Going To Happen

The Troy formula should continue to work. Run well, rely on the defense, repeat.

The Trojans are 8-0 when at least getting to 70 rushing yards – and 1-2 when it didn’t – and Coastal Carolina hasn’t allowed fewer than 90 against any FBS team.

This might not be scintillating, but it should be close throughout before Troy finally breaks through with the ground game. Coastal Carolina’s two losses came in the two worst days of the season against the run. This won’t be that bad, but Troy will come up with a time crunching drive to survive.

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Coastal Carolina vs Troy Sun Belt Championship Prediction, Line

Troy 27, Coastal Carolina 24
Line: Troy -8.5, o/u: 48.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Coastal Carolina vs Troy Sun Belt Championship Must See Rating (out of 5):  4

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Army vs Troy Prediction Game Preview

Army vs Troy game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 11 game on Saturday, November 12

Army vs Troy prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 11, Saturday, November 12

Army vs Troy How To Watch

Date: Saturday, November 12
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Venue: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, AL
How To Watch: NFL Network
Record: Army (3-5), Troy (7-2)
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Army vs Troy Game Preview

Why Army Will Win

The running game still works.

The Knights might have struggled against Air Force, but that always happens when the service academies meet up. Before that the O rolled for well over 400 yards in the previous few games, it’s amazing on third downs, averages over 300 yards per game and it’s going to control the clock.

Troy’s offense sputters to keep things moving, has a hard time in the red zone, and the line can’t generate a push. It’s awful in pass protection and doesn’t run, but …

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Why Troy Will Win

The defense is a rock, especially against he run.

That’s sort of a plus against Army.

The team makes up for a slew of issues by keeping just about everyone to under 100 rushing yards – Ole Miss and Appalachian State, Louisiana, and Appalachian State were the only ones to get over that.

The defensive front is great at getting into the backfield and should be able to stop the Army offense before it gets started.

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What’s Going To Happen

It’s all fun and games until you see the Army offense up close.

But Troy will be able to handle it.

The defense mostly has problems against teams that can throw well, and that’s not Army. The Trojans will be able to sell out and keep the Army O from going off.

Army is 4-0 when generating over 410 yards and 0-4 when it doesn’t. Troy is 6-0 when it allowed under 400 yards.

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Army vs Troy Prediction, Line

Troy 26, Army 17
Line: Troy -9.5, o/u: 45.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Army vs Troy Must See Rating (out of 5): 2.5
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Troy vs South Alabama Prediction, Game Preview

Troy vs South Alabama game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 8 game on Saturday, October 22

Troy vs South Alabama prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 8, Saturday, October 22

Troy vs South Alabama How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 22
Game Time: 7:30 ET
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
How To Watch: ESPNU
Record: Troy (5-2), South Alabama (5-1)
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Troy vs South Alabama Game Preview

Why Troy Will Win

The Trojans have been terrific over the last month, and there but for a wild finish against Appalachian State they’d by on a six-game winning streak and the star of the Sun Belt.

It’s not like they’re playing a bunch of weak teams with wins over Marshall, WKU, and Southern Miss along the way. What’s working?

The offense is struggling and there are big problems on third downs, but the run defense is dominant. It’s a statistical thing, but it’s also indicative of how the team controls games – it’s 0-2 when allowing 100 rushing yards, and 5-0 when it gives up fewer.

That’s a problem because …

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Why South Alabama Will Win

South Alabama runs for 165 yards per game. It’s not a dominant ground game, but it hasn’t been close in any game to being under 100 yards.

Troy might be on a great run, but South Alabama is a botched moment against UCLA away from being 6-0.

It’s own run defense has been great – it only allowed more than 100 yards twice – unlike Troy the team is fantastic on both sides of the ball on third downs, and then there are the takeaways.

South Alabama has only turned it over multiple times twice – once was in the loss to UCLA – and is +8 overall. Troy is -1.

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What’s Going To Happen

Both teams are playing well. Troy finds a way, South Alabama is just that good.

Neither team will run well, but both can throw well enough to keep things moving. Turnovers won’t be a big deal, but South Alabama will be on the right side of that. Penalties won’t be a big deal, but Troy will be on the right side of that.

The difference will be on third downs. South Alabama will be far better and will do a better job of controlling a fantastic must-watch game that will go a long way to deciding the Sun Belt race.

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Troy vs South Alabama Prediction, Line

South Alabama 24, Troy 17
Line: South Alabama -3, o/u: 46.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Troy vs South Alabama Must See Rating (out of 5): 4
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