Troy football vs. App State: Scouting report, score prediction for Sun Belt Championship
Troy football is trying for back-to-back Sun Belt championships this Saturday, as the Trojans (10-2, 7-1) host the Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-4, 6-2) with the conference title on the line.
The Trojans enter Saturday the winners of nine straight since its 1-2 start in September, one of the longest winning streaks in college football. With a win over Louisiana-Monroe last month, Troy clinched the SBC West, but didn't find out its opponent — or the game's location — until the final week of the regular season.
The NCAA denied James Madison's waiver for postseason eligibility before Week 13's games last Saturday. That afternoon, Troy beat Southern Miss to clinch home-field advantage. Later that evening, JMU beat Coastal Carolina and App State defeated Georgia Southern, giving the Mountaineers the SBC East by one game over the Chanticleers.
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With a win, Troy will win two straight conference titles for the first time since winning four in a row from 2006-09. Saturday's game kicks off at 3 p.m. on ESPN. Here's our scouting report and score prediction for the Sun Belt Championship:
Players to know
Offensively, junior quarterback Joey Aguilar has blossomed into arguably the best passer in the Sun Belt. In his first season of Division I football, the former junior college transfer has thrown for more than 3,200 yards and a league-leading 33 touchdowns. His top target has been junior wideout Kaedin Robinson, who caught 10 touchdowns to lead the conference.
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The Mountaineers also boast one of the top defenses in the SBC. Linebacker Andrew Parker enters Saturday as one of five Sun Belt players with more than 100 tackles this season, while defensive backs Tyrek Funderburk and Jordan Favors tied for the league lead with four interceptions each.
History of Troy football vs. Appalachian State
The Trojans have played the Mountaineers 11 times in program history, with eight of those coming since App State joined the SBC in 2014. While Troy won two of three prior to the Mountaineers joining the conference, App State reversed the trend since then: the Mountaineers are 7-1 against Troy after moving to the Sun Belt, winning its last five in a row.
Score prediction
Troy 31, Appalachian State 21: The Mountaineers had the Trojans number recently, but this year's Troy team is just too talented for App State to handle.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Troy vs. App State: Scouting report, score prediction for SBC title
