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Troy football is back in bowl season for the second consecutive year. The Trojans will face the Duke Blue Devils in the Birmingham Bowl. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday and can be seen on ESPN.
Oct 14, 2023; West Point, New York, USA; Troy Trojans quarterback Gunnar Watson (18) hands off the ball to running back Kimani Vidal (28) during the second half against the Army Black Knights at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Troy enters with one of the best seasons in program history, but will head to Birmingham with a new coach. Jon Sumrall, who led the Trojans to an 11-2 record and a Sun Belt title this season, left the program to take the head coaching job at Tulane. Defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato was named interim head coach.
Sumrall’s replacement? Troy football coaching search hot board: 11 candidates, including a Cadillac and a Kitchens
However, Troy isn’t the only team with an interim coach in this game. Duke head coach Mike Elko left the Blue Devils last month to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M, with running backs coach Trooper Taylor named his replacement for the matchup with the Trojans.
More Troy Football: Troy football claims Sun Belt Championship with dominant win over Appalachian State
Here’s our score prediction and scouting report for the Birmingham Bowl:
Big players
Duke’s main weapon entering the season was quarterback Riley Leonard, highly-touted as one of the top quarterbacks in the ACC. However, injuries limited Leonard to three touchdowns this season, and he announced his transfer to Notre Dame earlier this month. In his place will be freshman Grayson Loftis, who has been inconsistent in his seven games this year.
On the other side of the ball, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter has been a force this season, as the redshirt senior racked up a career-high 39 tackles…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/troy-football-vs-duke-scouting-100541198.html
Author : The Montgomery Advertiser
Publish date : 2023-12-22 10:05:41
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