General
It appeared to be something of a non-sequitur, when Troy head coach Gerad Parker ended his post-game comments to ESPN+ on Saturday with the declaration, “We’re going to Buc-ee’s.’”
Parker made good on his promise after the Trojans beat first-place Georgia Southern 28-20 in Statesboro on Saturday for their second straight win. On the 6-hour drive back home after the game, the Troy team bus pulled into the Fort Valley, Ga., location of the popular interstate travel center, renowned for its spotless restrooms and freshly sliced brisket sandwiches.
Parker picked up the tab for the entire Trojans traveling party, but was a bit sheepish Monday to discuss how much it cost him (“I’ll keep it between me and the wife,” he said). At any rate, it was worth it after his team not only pulled off a major upset, but continued its upward trajectory after a frustrating early season that saw the Trojans lose seven of their first eight games.
“In conversations of where we’re going to stop to give our bus drivers a fair chance of getting us home safely and taking a breather … there was mention that there was a Buc-ee’s that was a little bit on our way,” Parker said Monday. “And I said, ‘well, we’ll stop at Sunoco if we don’t get the job done. But if we get this job done, we’re going to stop at Buc-ee’s on the way home.’ So I told the players, Buc-ee’s was on me if we get this job done.
“So it was a little bit of a battle cry to get a better stop and stop at a Buc-ee’s. So that’s how it all came full circle and became a little bit of a motivation for our guys who appreciated a soft drink and a bite to eat.”
Troy (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt Conference) will test its good road trip karma again this week, and again vs. a first-place team. The Trojans travel to face Louisiana, which is 8-1 overall and atop the Sun Belt West with a 5-1 league mark.
The Ragin’ Cajuns also lost in shocking fashion last week, 24-22 to a South Alabama team that was more than a touchdown underdog. Louisiana still has a one-game lead over the Jaguars and Arkansas State in the West, but cannot afford another slip-up.
“There’s no better measuring stick for us as a program because we want to be at the top of our league,” Parker said. “And that’s the expectation, right? We missed that mark because of too much early stuff, but we’re moving forward.
“And for us moving forward, that’s where we want to be. … We want to make sure we measure ourselves against the best right now and get ourselves prepared for how we want to put ourselves in a position going into next year. So this will be even a greater test for us on our side and going to their place.”
Troy is riding a 10-quarter streak in which it has outscored Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern by a combined 94-55. The Trojans trailed 23-3 at halftime before losing 33-30, then beat the Chanticleers 38-24 before taking down the Eagles.
Troy was eliminated from bowl consideration after suffering its seventh loss of the season to Arkansas State, but the vibes are certainly better now than they were just three weeks ago. The Trojans have begun to see light at the end of the tunnel, and have a chance to end Parker’s first season on a four-game winning streak.
“I think it’s just chemistry, knowing and trusting your teammates and your scheme,” safety Ian Conerly-Goodly said. “It just got better throughout the weeks, and we’ve got momentum.”
Troy had to replace nearly all of its key players from last year’s Sun Belt Conference championship team, which also lost head coach Jon Sumrall to Tulane. Several top players graduated, a few left for the NFL and several more transferred away (some joining Sumrall with the Green Wave, which is 8-2 and tied for first in the American Athletic Conference).
Though it has taken some time for the Trojans to adapt to Parker’s way of doing things, Troy has also been blessed with better health late in the season. The injury-ravaged offensive line has stabilized, and quarterback Matthew Caldwell has managed to stay upright after he, original starter Goose Crowder (who is out for the season) and third-stringer Tucker Kilcrease all left at least one game due to injury early in the year.
Caldwell is the reigning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against Georgia Southern, when he accounted for four touchdowns. The Gardner-Webb transfer completed 26 of 32 passes for 288 yards and two TDs while also rushing for two scores on quarterback sneaks, one that gave the Trojans the lead and the other that put the game away with 2:32 left.
“The tough part of growth is, there’s only one way to grow, and that’s by doing things and learning in the fire,” Parker said. “And we’ve been in it together as a team, and he’s been in it in a position that gets the most at most times. It’s great maturation process for (Parker) and learning who he is even more as a young man and player, us as a staff also learning who he is and helping him do things that he’s best at, but also allowing him to grow and make better decisions.
“He does that and accepts that role and understands our trust in the process for him, I think it breeds confidence. It breeds confidence in himself, confidence, and then also team confidence in him and in our process.”
Kickoff for Troy-Louisiana is set for 4 p.m. at Cajun Field in Lafayette. The game will stream live via ESPN+.
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