Texas State opens conference play in style as the Bobcats battle the Troy Trojans in a Thursday night showdown that will be broadcast on ESPNU.
The Bobcats and Head Coach G.J. Kinne are coming off a tough loss to rival Sam Houston but must regroup quickly on the short turnaround.
“They are a really good football team,” Kinne said. “They are coached really well. Offensively it starts with [Devonte Ross]. He is very dynamic at receiver and in the return game. He is just a really good football player. They have a bunch of really good running backs, and they are coached really well.”
The Troy offense is led by wide receiver Devonte Ross, who has made 29 catches for 529 yards and six touchdowns.
Running back Damien Taylor leads the team in rushing yards with 57 carries for 336 yards and two touchdowns.
What remains a mystery for Troy is who will be the starting quarterback after starter Goose Crowder and backup Tucker Kilcrease both went down with an injury. Both quarterback’s status for the game will be game time decisions. Crowder had passed for 542 yards and five touchdowns for the Trojans and Kilcrease has passed for 134 yards and one touchdown The uncertainty of who will be leading the offense, on top of preparing on a short week’s notice, will be a challenge for the Bobcats.
“The biggest obstacle for us right now is who is going to be the quarterback [for Troy],” Kinne said. “We don’t know exactly what that looks like. They have played multiple guys this year and it looked like two of them got hurt in the game [last week]. So we don’t know if they are going to come back, if they are both out or if all three are going to be available. That is going to be a challenge within itself. But it’s something you have to prepare for in a short week.”
The Trojan defense has held opponents to 30.2 points per game.
“On defense, they play really hard,” Kinne said. “The personnel are big, long and athletic. They give you a bunch of different looks and you have to dissect in a short week. What you anticipate in this situation or this formation is a challenge in itself. But I have full confidence in
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our staff that we will get that done.
Troy enters Thursday night’s with a 1-4 overall record with the Trojans only win coming against Florida A&M.
In the Trojans conference opener against Louisiana Monroe, Troy managed only nine points off of three field goals as the Warhawks scored the game winning touchdown with nine minutes remaining in the game.
The history of the Texas State-Troy series dates back to 1996 when the Trojans joined the Southland Conference as football only members.
During their 1997 meeting, the Bobcats met the then No. 7 Trojans on Thursday night. Texas State upset the Trojans 31-17 behind 159 yards rushing from running back Claude Mathis.
The win represents the only time Texas State has defeated Troy.
Both the Bobcats and the Trojans remained in the Southland until 2001 when Troy made the transition to FBS.
Texas State and Troy would be reunited in 2013 when the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt Conference which Troy had been a part of since 2004.
Their in first meeting in 14 years, Troy defeated Texas State 42-28. The Trojans and the Bobcats played again in 2016 where the two teams have played ever since.
Troy leads the overall 13-1.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
