WHAT: Arkansas State (3-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) at Troy (3-2, 1-1)

WHEN: 3 p.m., Saturday

WHERE: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy

SERIES: Arkansas State leads 11-8

TV: None (ESPN+)

LINE: Troy by 16.5

THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE: If Troy can extend its winning streak to three after a 1-2 start to the season.

RELATED: Troy back home to face much-improved Arkansas State

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Are the Trojans about to mount another epic winning streak?

Troy has won two straight after a 1-2 start. The Trojans also lost two of their first three in 2022, then won 11 straight to finish 12-2 and ranked in the Top 25 nationally. There’s a very long way to go before this year’s team can come close to matching last year’s, but a double-digit win over Arkansas State would be a good sign.

2. Will Troy continue to dominate second halves?

The Trojans are 6-3 when trailing at halftime under coach Jon Sumrall, and outscored Georgia State 22-0 in the final two quarters a week ago. The second-half dominance speaks to Sumrall and his staff’s ability to make halftime adjustments, but also in the team’s belief that is it never out of any game.

3. Is Arkansas State’s recent surge real or imagined?

The Red Wolves got off to about as poor a start as possible this season, losing 73-0 to Oklahoma and 37-3 to Memphis in their first two games. But Butch Jones’ team has won three straight, with the run of success dovetailing closely with the change at quarterback to freshman Jaylen Raynor. The competition the last three weeks — Stony Brook, Southern Miss and UMass — hasn’t been great, however.

KEY MATCHUP

Troy secondary vs. Arkansas State QB Jaylen Raynor: Raynor is coming off a 383-yard, 6-touchdown passing performance vs. UMass, but Troy has limited a pair of outstanding quarterbacks to well below their averages the last two weeks vs. Western Kentucky and Georgia State. The freshman is likely to struggle vs. the Trojans’ experienced secondary.

BY THE NUMBERS

19-3 — Troy’s record when Kimani Vidal rushes for at least 50 yards. Vidal ran for 73 in a 28-7 win at Georgia State last week.