Troy University Athletics
Saturday, November 5
Troy, Ala.
2:30 p.m.
Troy University
vs
UMass
Football Opens Stretch Run vs. UMass Saturday at The Vet
11/3/2016 6:44:00 PM | Football
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TROY, Alabama – With Redemption Road and a quirky October schedule successfully in the past, the Troy football team opens a stretch of five straight games to close out the regular season on Saturday against UMass in Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff between the Trojans and Minutemen is set for 2:34 p.m. and tickets are available by CLICKING HERE. The Troy Sports Radio Network will have full coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Troy enters its final non-conference game of the year sitting at 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Sun Belt Conference; the Trojans are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Amway Coaches Polls.
The Trojans are coming off three victories over teams that handed Troy losses last year – Idaho, Georgia State and South Alabama – in what head coach Neal Brown dubbed Redemption Road. In a month that featured five Saturdays, Troy played just three games. The Trojans played two games in a span of five days, but will have played just three times in the 34 days leading up to Saturday's game against UMass.
The nation's seventh longest winning streak will be put on the line when the Trojans square off with the Minutemen as Troy has won five straight games. The contest will also pit Brown against his alma mater and his head coach, Mark Whipple, while he was a player at UMass.
A balanced Troy offense is led by sophomore Deondre Douglas and juniors Jordan Chunn, Brandon Silvers and Emanuel Thompson.
Chunn is closing in on a 1,000-yard season as he enters Saturday's contest with 816 rushing yards and is 12th nationally with 116.6 yards per game. Silvers leads the Sun Belt with 15 touchdown strikes, while ranking second in the league with 262.0 passing yards per game. Thompson and Douglas have been the beneficiary of most of those touchdowns and yards with a combined eight scores and 876 yards.
Troy boasts the nation's 24th-ranked scoring offense at 37.6 points per game behind an offensive line that has allowed an astonishing one sack all season, which leads the nation.
Flip sides of the field and the numbers are just as impressive. Troy ranks ninth nationally allowing just 105.4 rushing yards per game, while checking in 10th with 18 turnovers forced and 22nd in scoring defense as the Trojans allow just 19.9 points per game.
Senior bandit Rashad Dillard is ninth among active players in the country averaging 0.63 sacks per game and ranks 33rd nationally this season with 0.79 sacks per game. Blace Brown is second in the country with 0.7 interceptions per game (four overall) and Troy leads the country with 2.0 interceptions per game as a unit.
Troy is just as efficient on special teams led by one of the nation's top kickers in Ryan Kay and kick returners in Jabir Frye.
Kay was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award as he has made 13-of-16 field goal attempts, while Frye ranks ninth nationally averaging 30.2 yards per kickoff return. Troy leads the country averaging 28.9 yards per kickoff return as a team, while the kickoff coverage unit is sixth in the country allowing just 16.4 yards per return.
UMass (2-7) has played one of the nation's most difficult schedules as the Minutemen play as an independent – the slate has featured three SEC teams and one ACC squad.
The Minutemen come to Troy on the heels of a 34-10 victory over Wagner last week after a narrow six-point loss to South Carolina the previous week. UMass averages 22.2 points per game with a strong passing attack that averages 237.1 yards per contest; the UMass defense is allowing 30.8 points per game.
Quotable
"Seasons are made in November and I think the narrative of our season is yet to be written. We are off to a good start and we are proud of that, but from here on out is what is going to be the tale of the tape for us."
Notable
• Troy's defense has allowed just two touchdowns this season following a Troy offensive touchdown – 93.3 percent. The national average is 69 percent.
• Troy ranks third nationally holding opponents to a 68.2 percent success rate in the red zone.
• Troy has won three straight home games for the first time since the 2012-13 seasons when the Trojans won five straight home contests. Troy won 13 straight home games from 2008-10
• Troy's defense has held opponents scoreless this season in clutch situations -- Troy leading by eight or less in the fourth quarter
TROY, Alabama – With Redemption Road and a quirky October schedule successfully in the past, the Troy football team opens a stretch of five straight games to close out the regular season on Saturday against UMass in Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff between the Trojans and Minutemen is set for 2:34 p.m. and tickets are available by CLICKING HERE. The Troy Sports Radio Network will have full coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Troy enters its final non-conference game of the year sitting at 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Sun Belt Conference; the Trojans are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Amway Coaches Polls.
The Trojans are coming off three victories over teams that handed Troy losses last year – Idaho, Georgia State and South Alabama – in what head coach Neal Brown dubbed Redemption Road. In a month that featured five Saturdays, Troy played just three games. The Trojans played two games in a span of five days, but will have played just three times in the 34 days leading up to Saturday's game against UMass.
The nation's seventh longest winning streak will be put on the line when the Trojans square off with the Minutemen as Troy has won five straight games. The contest will also pit Brown against his alma mater and his head coach, Mark Whipple, while he was a player at UMass.
A balanced Troy offense is led by sophomore Deondre Douglas and juniors Jordan Chunn, Brandon Silvers and Emanuel Thompson.
Chunn is closing in on a 1,000-yard season as he enters Saturday's contest with 816 rushing yards and is 12th nationally with 116.6 yards per game. Silvers leads the Sun Belt with 15 touchdown strikes, while ranking second in the league with 262.0 passing yards per game. Thompson and Douglas have been the beneficiary of most of those touchdowns and yards with a combined eight scores and 876 yards.
Troy boasts the nation's 24th-ranked scoring offense at 37.6 points per game behind an offensive line that has allowed an astonishing one sack all season, which leads the nation.
Flip sides of the field and the numbers are just as impressive. Troy ranks ninth nationally allowing just 105.4 rushing yards per game, while checking in 10th with 18 turnovers forced and 22nd in scoring defense as the Trojans allow just 19.9 points per game.
Senior bandit Rashad Dillard is ninth among active players in the country averaging 0.63 sacks per game and ranks 33rd nationally this season with 0.79 sacks per game. Blace Brown is second in the country with 0.7 interceptions per game (four overall) and Troy leads the country with 2.0 interceptions per game as a unit.
Troy is just as efficient on special teams led by one of the nation's top kickers in Ryan Kay and kick returners in Jabir Frye.
Kay was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award as he has made 13-of-16 field goal attempts, while Frye ranks ninth nationally averaging 30.2 yards per kickoff return. Troy leads the country averaging 28.9 yards per kickoff return as a team, while the kickoff coverage unit is sixth in the country allowing just 16.4 yards per return.
UMass (2-7) has played one of the nation's most difficult schedules as the Minutemen play as an independent – the slate has featured three SEC teams and one ACC squad.
The Minutemen come to Troy on the heels of a 34-10 victory over Wagner last week after a narrow six-point loss to South Carolina the previous week. UMass averages 22.2 points per game with a strong passing attack that averages 237.1 yards per contest; the UMass defense is allowing 30.8 points per game.
Quotable
"Seasons are made in November and I think the narrative of our season is yet to be written. We are off to a good start and we are proud of that, but from here on out is what is going to be the tale of the tape for us."
Notable
• Troy's defense has allowed just two touchdowns this season following a Troy offensive touchdown – 93.3 percent. The national average is 69 percent.
• Troy ranks third nationally holding opponents to a 68.2 percent success rate in the red zone.
• Troy has won three straight home games for the first time since the 2012-13 seasons when the Trojans won five straight home contests. Troy won 13 straight home games from 2008-10
• Troy's defense has held opponents scoreless this season in clutch situations -- Troy leading by eight or less in the fourth quarter
Players Mentioned
CB
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DE
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WR
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QB
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WR
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