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Troy is 7-0 against Texas State since November of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. The pair will face off in a Sun Belt West battle at 7:00 p.m. ET at Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Troy had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 19.3 points), and they went ahead and made it four two weeks ago. They enjoyed a cozy 19-0 win over Army.
Troy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Gunnar Watson led the charge by throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown while picking up 10.8 yards per attempt. Damien Taylor and his 82 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Troy's victory.
Troy's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB six times. Leading the way was Richard Jibunor and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, Texas State dodged a bullet two weeks ago and finished off UL Monroe 21-20.
Joey Hobert was the offensive standout of the game as he picked up 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Hobert is on a roll when it comes to receiving yards, as he's now posted 100 or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of TJ Finley, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
One of those touchdowns was the difference in the game. Texas State was down by five with only three minutes and 15 seconds left when they drove 78 yards for the winning score. Finley hit Hobert from 22 yards out and that was all she wrote.
Troy's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Texas State, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season.
Going forward, Troy is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. They might be worth a quick bet since they've covered the spread the last three times they've played.
Troy skirted past Texas State 17-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2022. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Texas State's Lincoln Pare, who rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 71 receiving yards. Now that he won't be playing on Saturday, will it be that much easier for Troy to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
