2018 Troy Trojans football team

The 2018 Troy Trojans football team represented Troy University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Trojans played their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Neal Brown. They finished the season 10–3, 7–1 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for the East Division championship with Appalachian State. Due to their head-to-head loss to Appalachian State, they did not represent the East Division in the Sun Belt Championship Game. They were invited to the Dollar General Bowl where they defeated Buffalo.

2018 Troy Trojans football
Sun Belt East Division co-champion Dollar General Bowl champion
Dollar General Bowl, W 42–32 vs. Buffalo
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
	East Division
2018 record	10–3 (7–1 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Neal Brown (4th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Matt Moore (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Sean Reagan (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Vic Koenning (6th season)
Home stadium	Veterans Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 30,420)

2018 Sun Belt Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Appalachian State xy$		7	–	1					11	–	2
Troy x		7	–	1					10	–	3
Georgia Southern		6	–	2					10	–	3
Coastal Carolina		2	–	6					5	–	7
Georgia State		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Louisiana xy		5	–	3					7	–	7
Arkansas State x		5	–	3					8	–	5
Louisiana–Monroe		4	–	4					6	–	6
South Alabama		2	–	6					3	–	9
Texas State		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: Appalachian State 30, Louisiana 19
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Previous season

The Trojans finished the 2017 season 11–2, 7–1 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for the Sun Belt championship. They received an invitation to the New Orleans Bowl where they defeated North Texas.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Rimington Trophy[1]	Deontae Crumitie	C	SR
Jim Thorpe Award[2]	Blace Brown	CB	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[3]	Blace Brown	CB	SR
	Hunter Reese	DE	SR
Outland Trophy[4]	Deontae Crumitie	C	SR
Paul Hornung Award[5]	Marcus Jones	CB/KR	SO
Wuerffel Trophy[6]	Damion Willis	WR	SR

Sun Belt coaches poll

On July 19, 2018, the Sun Belt released their preseason coaches poll with the Trojans predicted to finish in second place in the East Division.[7]

East Division
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Appalachian State	46 (6)
2	Troy	44 (4)
3	Georgia State	26
4	Georgia Southern	22
5	Coastal Carolina	12

Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams

The Trojans had ten players at eleven positions selected to the preseason all-Sun Belt teams.[8]

Offense 1st team Tristan Crowder – OL Deontae Crumitie – OL 2nd team Deondre Douglas – WR

Defense 1st team Hunter Reese – DL Trevon Sanders – DL Tron Folsom – LB Blace Brown – DB 2nd team Marcus Webb – DL Marcus Jones – DB Cedarius Rookard – DB

Special teams 2nd team Marcus Jones – KR

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	5:00 p.m.	No. 22 Boise State*	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPNews	L 20–56	29,612
September 8	6:00 p.m.	Florida A&M*	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPN+	W 59–7	25,767
September 15	11:00 a.m.	at Nebraska*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	BTN	W 24–19	89,360
September 22	6:00 p.m.	at Louisiana–Monroe	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA	ESPN+	W 35–27	15,722
September 29	2:30 p.m.	Coastal Carolina	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPN+	W 45–21	23,810
October 4	6:30 p.m.	Georgia State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPNU	W 37–20	22,903
October 13	1:00 p.m.	at Liberty*	Williams Stadium Lynchburg, VA	ESPN3	L 16–22	17,389
October 23	7:00 p.m.	at South Alabama	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (Battle for the Belt)	ESPN2	W 38–17	25,878
November 3	2:30 p.m.	Louisiana	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPN+	W 26–16	24,631
November 10	12:00 p.m.	at Georgia Southern	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN+	W 35–21	16,289
November 17	2:30 p.m.	Texas State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPN+	W 12–7	20,437
November 24	1:30 p.m.	at Appalachian State	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC	ESPN+	L 10–21	20,410
December 22	6:00 p.m.	vs. Buffalo*	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (Dollar General Bowl)	ESPN	W 42–32	31,818
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:[9]

Game summaries

Boise State

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Broncos	14	21	7	14	56
Trojans	7	0	7	6	20

Florida A&M

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rattlers	0	7	0	0	7
Trojans	21	17	14	7	59

at Nebraska

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	3	14	0	7	24
Cornhuskers	0	7	6	6	19

at Louisiana–Monroe

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	7	28	0	0	35
Warhawks	7	0	7	13	27

Coastal Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chanticleers	0	14	7	0	21
Trojans	21	3	14	7	45

Georgia State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	3	3	14	20
Trojans	14	9	0	14	37

at Liberty

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	7	3	3	3	16
Flames	0	14	0	8	22

at South Alabama

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	16	15	0	7	38
Jaguars	7	10	0	0	17

Louisiana

	1	2	3	4	Total
Ragin' Cajuns	3	0	13	0	16
Trojans	10	13	3	0	26

at Georgia Southern

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	3	14	11	7	35
Eagles	14	0	0	7	21

Texas State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	0	0	0	7	7
Trojans	3	6	0	3	12

at Appalachian State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	0	3	7	0	10
Mountaineers	7	14	0	0	21

vs. Buffalo (Dollar General Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	7	10	7	8	32
Trojans	7	7	7	21	42

References

1. "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
2. "Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Names 2018 Preseason Watchlist". July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
3. "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
4. "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
5. "43 PLAYERS NAMED TO 2018 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
6. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
7. http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2018/7/18/mountaineers-red-wolves-selected-as-division-favorites-in-2018-sun-belt-football-coaches-preseason-poll.aspx
8. http://www.sunbeltsports.org/news/2018/7/20/sun-belt-announces-2018-preseason-all-conference-football-teams.aspx
9. "2018 Troy Trojans Football Schedule". TroyTrojans.com. Retrieved April 27, 2018.