College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Troy Trojans season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Troy Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 in Sun Belt
Head Coach: Chip Lindsey, 2nd year, 5-7
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 119
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 90
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 90
Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense worked just fine until late in the year against the Sun Belt stars Louisiana and Appalachian State, and it should be terrific again once the right quarterback emerges.
The Trojans averaged 456 yards and 34 points per game, and most of the starters are expected back, starting with a loaded receiving corps. Seniors Kaylon Geiger, Reggie Todd and Khalil McClain all back after combining for 160 catches. In all, the top six wide receivers return along with the top tight ends, but …
CFN in 60 Video: Troy Trojans Preview
– Who’s going to get all of the star receivers the ball? Kaleb Barker is done after throwing for 3,628 yards and 30 scores, and top backup Gunnar Watson only threw 22 passes last season. The 6-3, 205-pound Watson might have the inside track, but Vanderbilt transfer Jacob Free is a big bomber, and JUCO transfer Parker McNeil is an even bigger passer who’ll be in the mix.
– The passing game buttered the bread, but there was a decent ground game when the offense gave it a go. DK Billingsley was effective when he had his chances, running for close to six yards per carry for 899 yard and ten scores. He’s great, but so is BJ Smith, a 1,186-yard, 13-touchdown runner in 2018 who missed almost all of last season hurt. Now the Trojans have one of the Sun Belt’s best 1-2 rushing punches. Texas A&M transfer Charles Strong is coming in, too.
Just two starters are back, but center Dylan Bradshaw and left tackle Austin Stidham have all-star potential. There’s a ton of size ready to fill in the other slots – the line will likely average around 310 pounds per man.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Defense 3 Things To Know
– The offense exploded throughout most of the season, but the defense let the team down time and again, allowing 36 points or more in seven of the last 11 games. However, eight of the top nine tacklers are back, and a few good transfers are coming in.
The pass defense was the biggest problem, allowing 276 yards per game and allowing big play after big play. However, three starters are freshmen, and a whole slew of new parts are coming in to help the cause.
Leading pick-off man Will Sunderland is gone, and the rest of the defensive backs combined for just two picks. Safeties TJ Harris and Dell Pettus can both hit, but the corners have to rise up.
– The D will mostly work in a 4-2-5 alignment, with fantastic-hitting veteran Carlton Martial leading the way from his spot in the middle. He’s not all that big, but he came up with 126 tackles. 232-pound KJ Robertson brings the size, coming up with 51 stops last year. Coming into the mix is Iowa transfer Jayden McDonald, a 235-pounder who’ll find a role early on.
– The pass rush was strong throughout last year, and the line wasn’t bad against the run. There’s a bit of an overhaul happening on the front four, but 289-pound bowling ball Will Choloh is an active and talented nose guard to work around, and the hope is for Auburn transfer Richard Jibunor to step in and become the needed hybrid pass rusher at the Bandit.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Troy Trojans Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Troy Trojans Players
Best Troy Trojans Offensive Player
WR Kaylon Geiger, Sr.
The receiving corps should be one of Troy’s biggest strength, and it starts with Geiger, a former JUCO transfer who stepped in and led the team right away with 77 catches for 873 yards and five scores with a rushing TD.
The 5-10, 170-pounder is ultra-quick, can be used as a kick returner, and was a volume catcher with five 100-yard games topped out with 12 grabs for 145 yards and a score against Coastal Carolina.
2. WR/KR Reggie Todd, Sr.
3. RB BJ Smith, Sr.
4. C Dylan Bradshaw, Sr.
5. WR Khalil McClain, Sr.
Best Troy Trojans Defensive Player
LB Carlton Martial, Jr.
The veteran linebacker is only 5-10 and 216 pounds, but he’s a big hitter who can move. He led the team with 126 tackles in an all-star season after making 76 stops, and he came up with three interceptions for 78 yards and a pick-six. Steady, he came up with 11 tackles or more seven times on the year and in five of the last six games.
2. S Dell Pettus, Soph.
3. S TJ Harris, Jr.
4. DT Will Choloh, Jr.
5. LB KJ Robertson, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Troy Trojans Offense
Make the ground game work. It’ll be tempting again to keep throwing it all over the yard – a lot of the stats last year came in shootouts – but when Troy runs the ball well, it wins.
BJ Smith is back and DK Billingsley is in place after his terrific season, and the offense has to use them early and often to take control of games. Last year, Troy ran for over 200 yards four times – it won all four.
The program is 25-1 since 2014 when running for 150 yards or more, and it has the pieces to do that.
Biggest Key To The Troy Trojans Defense
Make up for the problems with the pass defense with more big plays. The secondary has experience and enough depth and talent to be better, but it has to do a better job of getting off the field, and it has to be better at coming up with picks.
It’ll still get hit for big plays from time to time, and it’ll still give up 200 yards on a regular basis, but it if can hold serve once in a while, the team should be okay.
The Trojans picked off 11 passes on the season but eight came in three games, two of them wins. Third down stops matter, too – Troy was 0-6 when allowing teams to convert 40% or more of their tries.
Key Troy Trojans Player To A Successful Season
DE John Hines, Sr.
Getting the quarterback situation right is a must, but the Trojans have to come up with more of a pass rush and they need to get more out of the ends with Marcus Webb gone. There’s some help coming in from transfers, but Hines – a former JUCO transfer who came up with just 1.5 sacks – or someone one the outside must emerge as a disruptive force.
Key Game To The Troy Trojans Season
Georgia State, Oct. 24
It’s not a bad Sun Belt slate to start out the season – and the Trojans have to take advantage of it. With four of the last five games on the road, taking advantage of every home game is a must to get into the hunt for a bowl game.
Last year, the D was rocked in a 52-33 loss to Georgia State. With at South Alabama, Texas State and ULM to start – all winnable – there’s a chance to get knee-deep in the Sun Belt title chase with a win.
– Troy Trojans Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Troy Fun Stats
– Troy scored over 100 points in every quarter but the third, scoring 67
– Punt Return Average: Opponents 5.88 yards – Troy 1.78 yards
– Penalties: Opponents 90 for 813 yards – 64 for 597 yards
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Troy Trojans Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Neal Brown won 31 games in his final three seasons before taking over at West Virginia, but Chip Lindsay struggled in his first season.
It was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding season, but the offense worked just fine until the final few games – the defense sputtered and struggled.
It’s asking for too much to expect a return to the ten-win seasons, and this isn’t going to be a good enough team overall to win the Sun Belt title, but 2019 was an aberration.
Set The Troy Trojans Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 7.5
How many wins can the Trojans crank out in the first two months? There can’t be any misfires against ULM, Georgia State, or at South Alabama with a finishing kick of four road games in the final five, going to Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Tennessee, and Appalachian State.
Troy will go bowling and it shouldn’t have too many problems getting past six wins, but can it come up with enough road victories to get eight or more?
NC State is winnable, but that’s going to be tough. Assume losses in three of the late four road games, but … at least the team will be good enough to be in just about every game.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
