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BYU FOOTBALL
Game 2 | BYU vs. Troy | Saturday, Sept. 26 | 8:15 p.m. MT | Provo, Utah | LaVell Edwards Stadium | ESPN | BYU Sports Network |
TROY TROJANS (1-0)
Head Coach Chip Lindsey (2nd year) Alma Mater. . . . . . . . . . . Alabama, 1997 Career Record 6-7 Record at Troy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . same Lindsey vs. BYU. . . . . . . . . First meeting
BYU 55.0 3.0 28.0 301.0 119.0 279.0 30.0 580.0 149.0 19.0 -2.0 5.0 44.0 37:20 54.5 50.0 5-29 0-0 85.7 0.0 BYU
CATEGORY Scoring Offense Scoring Defense
First Downs Rushing Offense Rushing Defense Passing Offense Passing Defense
Total Offense Total Defense Kickoff Return Punt Return Penalties (YPG) Net Punting Time of Possession 3rd Down % 4th Down % Sacks-Yards Sacks Allowed Red Zone % Opp. Red Zone % HISTORICAL
TROY 47.0 14.0 30.0 240.0 87.0 256.0 154.0 496.0 241.0 20.5 0.0 45.0 28.3 35:45 68.4 100.0 1-6 4-29 85.7 100.0 TROY
1922
First Year of Football
1909
583
Wins
545
16
10-Win Seasons
9
37
Bowl Games
8
23
Conference Titles
21
1
National Titles
3 (NAIA, D2)
246
Weeks in AP Poll
1
4
Weeks at No. 1
0
13
Consensus All-Americans
0
1
Heisman Winners
0
143
NFL Draft Picks
34
11
First Round Picks
2
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS Football Media Relations Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Pyne Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-4912 Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-367-1631 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brett_pyne@byu.edu Assistant FB Media Relations Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kenny Cox Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-5202 Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-420-7703 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kenny_cox@byu.edu FB Media Relations Graduate Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ari Davis Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-8999 Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-243-8265 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . footballpr@byu.edu Associate AD/Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duff Tittle Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (801) 422-4910 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . duff_tittle@byu.edu Media Relations Main Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-8948 LaVell Edwards Stadium Press Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-2609 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Twitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @BYUcougars, @BYUgamenotes, @BYUCougarsPR Facebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . byufootball Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT 84602
Kickoff 8:15 p.m. MT TV ESPN
Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
Radio . . . . . BYU Sports Network, BYUradio Sirius XM 143/ BYUradio App,BYUCougars App, KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM Greg Wrubell (play-by-play), Riley Nelson (analyst), Mitchell Juergens (sideline)
Radio start6:15 p.m. MT Pregame show BYUtv, 7:00 p.m. MT
BYU VS. TROY SERIES
Total gamesFirst Meeting Series Record 0-0 at BYU 0-0 at Troy 0-0 Neutral 0-0 First game Last game Average Score -
? THE SERIES. BYU and Troy are meeting for the first time. The Cougars are scheduled to visit Troy, Alabama in 2026 for a return game.
? HOME OPENERS. The Cougars are 13-7 in home openers since 2000. Troy will be just the seventh Group of Five team to face the Cougars in their home opener during that run. The Cougars are 6-0 against teams from outside the Power Five during that stretch.
? RANKED TEAM. BYU is currently ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 23 in the Coaches Poll. The No. 18 mark ties the best ranking since a No. 18 ranking in 2014 when the Cougars started the year in 4-0. Prior to the 2014 ranking, BYU's highest ranking was a 2009 finish at No. 12.
? SUN BELT = FUN BELT. Home of the Trojans, the Sun Belt Conference started out the 2020 college football season with a bang, with three wins over Power Five teams. Louisiana beat No. 23 Iowa State 31-14, Arkansas State edged Kansas State 35-31 and Coastal Carolina beat up on Kansas 38-23. The league currently has one ranked team in No. 19 Louisiana.
? WELCOME BACK COACH PUGH. Troy offensive coordinator Ryan Pugh is making his return to Provo probably sooner than expected with the 2020 matchup with BYU. Pugh served as the offensive line coach in Provo in 2018 when Cougar offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes arrived and brought him in from UTSA. Pugh also played for Grimes at Auburn and has been with him at several coaching stops. Pugh put together a solid showing in his one campaign at BYU and departed for the Trojan opportunity in 2019.
? WEEKLY HONORS. Following the Cougars' 55-3 win at Navy, BYU hauled in the weekly awards. Athlon Sports named BYU the National Team of the Week, along with Jeff Grimes as the Offensive Coordinator of the Week and Isaiah Kaufusi as the Linebacker of the Week. Kaufusi was also named the Bronko Nagurski National Linebacker of the Week. The senior captain posted two sacks and five total tackles against the Midshipmen. Quarterback Zach Wilson earned the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week for his performance. Sixth Year Sports also awarded running back Tyler Allgeier and wide receiver Gunner Romney as members of their First-Team offense for the week, along with the Cougars entire starting offensive line.
? OFFENSIVE LINE GRADES. Pro Football Focus graded BYU's linemen as some of the best in the early season, with Clark Barrington earning the highest grade of 95.0, Tristen Hoge at 94.9, James Empey at 92.1 and Brady Christensen at 91.1 en route to 301 rushing yards and 580 total yards. Christensen and Empey were both were listed in Pro Football Focus' top returning linemen for the 2020 season and are up for the Rimington and Outland Trophies. BYU's offensive linemen entered the season with 115 combined starts, tied for fourth-most among FBS programs.
18BYU COUGARS (1-0)
Head Coach Kalani Sitake (5th year) Alma Mater BYU, 2000 Career Record 28-25 Record at BYU same Sitake vs. Troy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First meeting
2020 BYU SCHEDULE (All times local)
DATE OPPONENT
TIME TV
9/7 at Navy
W 55-3 ESPN
BYU dominated the Midshipmen in every facet of the game, outgaining them 580-149 in total yards and held the potent rushing attack to just 3 yards per carry. The Cougars ran for more than 300 yards and put up the most points in a season-opener since 2001.
9/19 at Army
POSTPONED
Due to a small number of Covid-19 cases at BYU, the game at Army was postponed with hopes to reschedule for later in the 2020 season. It will be the first meeting between the two schools.
9/26 Troy
8:15 p.m. ESPN
Another new face to LaVell Edwards Stadium, the Troy Trojans kickoff a home-and-home series with the Cougars. Former BYU offensive line coach Ryan Pugh, a coach on Jeff Grimes' staff, is now the offensive coordinator at Troy.
10/2 Louisiana Tech 7:00 p.m. ESPN2
Added during the regular season, the Cougars will host Louisiana Tech in a nationally televised Friday-night matchup at LaVell Edwards Stadium?the first meeting between the two schools. The Bulldogs are coming off a 10-win season and sixth-straight bowl win.
10/10 UTSA
TBA
TBA
UTSA started its football program in 2011, under former national championship coach, Larry Coker. The Roadrunners played one season at the FCS level before joining the FBS in 2012. The Roadrunners have spent the past seven seasons in Conference-USA.
10/16 at Houston
8:30 pm. ESPN2
BYU beat Houston 33-25 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2013 behind 160 rushing yards from Taysom Hill and 139 from Jamaal Williams. The matchup of the Cougars is the third after BYU won in 2012 at Reliant Stadium.
10/24 Texas State
TBA
TBA
The Bobcats are another relatively new team to the FBS ranks after playing as an independent in 2011, WAC in 2012 and in the Sun Belt since 2013. Texas State won back-to-back FCS national championships in 1981-82.
10/31 Western Kentucky TBA
TBA
Western Kentucky is coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2019 under C-USA Coach of the Year, Tyson Helton. The Hilltoppers return much of their talented squad for 2020. This will be the first meeting for the two schools.
11/21 North Alabama TBA
TBA
BYU hosts the Lions for the first time in program history. North Alabama moved from Division II to the FCS in 2018 and has gone 11-10 in its first two years as an independent and a member of the Big South Conference.
GAME NOTES TWITTER
For the most up-to-date notes follow @BYUGameNotes on Twitter throughout gameday. Track milestones, news and notes as they happen, along with other exciting facts, stats and more.
MEDIA INFORMATION - 2
FOOTBALL CONTACTS
Football Media Relations Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Pyne Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-4912 Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-367-1631 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brett_pyne@byu.edu Assistant FB Media Relations Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kenny Cox Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-5202 Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-420-7703 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kenny_cox@byu.edu FB Media Relations Graduate Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ari Davis Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-8999 Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-243-8265 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . footballpr@byu.edu Associate AD/Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duff Tittle Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (801) 422-4910 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . duff_tittle@byu.edu Media Relations Main Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-8948 Media Relations Fax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-0633 LaVell Edwards Stadium Press Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-422-2609 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Twitter . . . . . . . . @BYUcougars, @BYUgamenotes, @BYUCougarsPR Facebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . byufootball Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAB 301, Provo, UT 84602
2020 QUICK FACTS
Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Provo, Utah 84602 Elevation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,553 feet Enrollment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,517 Founded. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 16, 1875 Owned . . . . . . . . . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Nickname. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cougars Mascot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cosmo the Cougar Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue and White Stadium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LaVell Edwards Stadium Surface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natural Grass BYU President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin J Worthen (BYU, 1982) Athletics Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Holmoe (BYU, 1983) Head Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kalani Sitake (BYU, 2000) Seasons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5th year Career Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-25 Record at BYU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Same Defensive Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiple Offensive Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiple 2020 Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-0 2020 National Ranking (High). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -2019 Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6 2019 Nat'l Ranking (High). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(RV) Total lettermen RET. (R)/LOST (L). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58/17 Offensive Lettermen R/L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24/6 Defensive Lettermen R/L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33/8 Specialist Lettermen R/L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/3 Starters R/L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15/7 Offensive Starters R/L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/3 Defensive Starters R/L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7/4 National Championships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 (1984) Bowl Appearances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Bowl Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-21-1 Last Bowl Appearance. . 2019 Hawai'i Bowl (38-34 loss to Hawai'i) Last Bowl Victory. . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Potato Bowl (49-18 vs. WMU) First Year of Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1922 All-time Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583-427-26 (.575) All-time Home Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318-144-6 (.686) All-time Road Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-257-19 (.481) All-time Neutral Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-26-1 (.518) All-time Independent Record 71-47 (.602) Stadium Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240-80 (.758)
BRETT PYNE
Football Media Relations Director Office: (801) 422-4912 Cell: (801) 367-1631 Email: brett_pyne@byu.edu @brettpyne
KENNY COX
Assistant Football Media Relations Director Office: (801) 422-5202 Cell: (801) 420-7703 Email: kenny_cox@byu.edu @kennycoxkc
ARI DAVIS
Football Media Relations Graduate Assistant Office: (801) 422-8999 Cell: (801) 243-8265 Email: footballpr@byu.edu @adavis22_
DUFF TITTLE
Associate Athletic Director Communications Office: (801) 422-4910 Cell: (801) 372-4401 Email: duff_tittle@byu.edu @dufftittle
BYU MEDIA AVAILABILITY - TROY (subject to change)
MON 9/21 12:05 p.m. MT Head coach Kalani Sitake and select players media
availability via Zoom
TUE 9/22 5:45 p.m. MT Defensive coaches and players post-practice media availability via
Zoom
WED 9/23 5:35 p.m. MT Offensive coaches and players post-practice media availability via
Zoom
THU-FRI 9/24-25 No media availability
SAT 9/26 BYU vs. Troy 8:15 p.m. ESPN Head coach Kalani Sitake and select players available at postgame press conference via Zoom
BYU Football with Kalani Sitake Show--head coach Kalani Sitake and player guest 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ()
WEEKLY GAME NOTES Thank you for your coverage of BYU football for the 2020 season. These game notes have been designed to provide local, regional and national media with useful information about the BYU football program, specific to this week's game. Additional information on BYU's history and tradition, along with much more in-depth team information can be found in the 2020 BYU Football Almanac or at . Should you need additional information such as photographs, video or additional almanacs, please contact the BYU Athletic Communications office at (801) 422-8948.
SOCIAL MEDIA BYU AthleticsTwitter : @BYUcougars BYU Football Twitter: @BYUFootball BYU Game Notes Twitter: @BYUgamenotes (Follow this account for the most up-to-date notes and milestones during games) BYU Athletic Communications: @BYUCougarsPR (Follow this account for news and press releases) Instagram: BYUcougars, BYUfootball Facebook: BYU Football Head coach Kalani Sitake: @kalanifsitake Use the hashtags: #BYUFootball #GoCougs
Please visit for press releases, updated player and coach bios, statistics, game notes, press conference transcripts and schedules. In addition, the site features numerous video highlights, interviews and features posted daily. The 2020 BYU Football Almanac is also available online.
LIVE RADIO AND STREAMING Listen to Greg Wrubell, Riley Nelson and Mitchell Juergens as they broadcast play-by-play on the BYU Sports Network via BYU Radio Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2, KSL Newsradio 1160 AM/102.7 FM, LiveRadio, and on the BYU Cougars app, BYU Radio app and KSL app. For fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium, live radio play-by-play can also be heard on BYU Gameday app.
BYUtv PREGAME AND POSTGAME SHOWS Watch the football pregame show Countdown to Kickoff before every kickoff and after the game tune into BYU Football Postgame on BYUtv and . Also tune into BYUtv and for complete replays of every home game.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY If you have a specific interview request for the week's availability sessions for defense and offense send to Brett Pyne (brett_pyne@byu.edu) before Tuesday. The requests help determine the interviews for the week in the general zoom or smaller group or individual Zoom depending on the requests and the player/coach availability.
ATHLETIC STAFF INTERVIEWS Interview requests for director of athletics Tom Holmoe or any other member of the athletic administration should be directed to associate director of athletics Duff Tittle.
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY After home games, postgame press conference will be conducted via Zoom at LaVell Edwards Stadium. At the descretion of the visiting team, opponent interviews will be conducted via Zoom. Coach Sitake and select players will be available following the NCAA mandatory cooling off period. Members of the media are invited to participate in the Zoom media sessions with login credentials provided by the BYU Athletic Communications staff and opponent communications staff. A direct video feed will also be sent to the press box from the BYU postgame press conference. A basic transcript of Sitake's comments from the postgame press conference will be provided with additional player quotes upon availability. For road games, BYU will conduct Zoom interviews in a similar manner.
POLICY REMINDERS Other than during the recognized interview times indicated, interviews and information inquiries must be initiated and arranged through the Athletic Communications office prior to being conducted. Media members should not contact directly BYU players, coaches, support staff or other athletic department personnel for any reason. Some players may not be available depending on circumstances such as classes, exams or other obligations. We support and maintain the philosophy that reports submitted via blog, Twitter or any other form of social media or mass communication should maintain the same standards of professional conduct, judgment and ethics as would any reports broadcast or published by your organization under the scrutiny of standard professional editorial guidelines and principles. We request your cooperation in our efforts to maintain a professional environment.
BYU WEEKLY AWARDS/WATCH LISTS
TEAM Athlon Sports College Football Team of the Week 9/8
PLAYER LB Isaiah Kaufusi Athlon Sports College Football Defensive Player of the Week 9/8 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week 9/8
QB Zach Wilson Manning Award Quarterback of the Week 9/8
RB Tyler Allgeier Sixth Year Sports First-Team Offense 9/8
WR Gunner Romney Sixth Year Sports First-Team Offense 9/8
Starting OL at Navy Sixth year Sports First-Teamm Offense 9/8
Doak Walker Award - Best Running Back RB Lopini Katoa
John Mackey Award - Best Tight End TE Matt Bushman
Outland Trophy Award - Best Interior Lineman DL Khyiris Tonga OL James Empey
Bronko Nagurski Trophy - Besst Defensive Player DL Khyiris Tonga LB Isaiah Kaufusi
Paul Hornung Award - Most Versatile Player RB Lopini Katoa
Maxwell Award - Best College Player QB Zach Wilson
Wuerffel Trophy - Premier Community Service Award DL Bracken El-Bakri
OPPONENT INFORMATION - 3
TROY DOWNS MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN RETURN OF THE BATTLE FOR THE PALLADIUM
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The Trojans earned the coveted Palladium trophy after Saturday's convincing 47-14 victory over Middle Tennessee at Floyd Stadium in the first matchup between the former Sun Belt Conference rivals since 2012.
The Trojans (1-0), who scored 40 unanswered points after the Blue Raiders (0-2) tied the contest at seven, were sparked by a nine-point outburst over the final 90 seconds of the opening half that was powered by a Will Choloh safety and a 5-yard touchdown reception by Khalil McClain with three ticks remaining in the opening half.
In his first career start, sophomore signal-caller Gunnar Watson impressed completing 26-of-37 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
B.J. Smith made his return to action Saturday afternoon, rushing for 81 yards on an efficient 10 carries. Terence Dunlap also made quite an impact in his return action with a pair of interceptions in a game.
The Trojans drew first blood capping a 12-play, 73-yard drive on an 8-yard strike from Watson to McClain.
Watson showed off his poise, leading the Trojans on a 7-play drive that ended with Charles Strong's first career collegiate touchdown. The 1-yard rush gave the Trojans a 14-7 lead with 14:11 left in the opening half.
Troy cashed the turnover in for three points when Evan Legassey connected on a career-best 47-yard field goal that gave the visitors a 17-7 lead with 6:50 left in the half.
Following a stalled Trojan drive, Kyle Coale pinned the Blue Raiders back on their own 6-yard line. The punt proved to be a big turning point in the game, as Will Choloh on third down sacked Chase Cunningham in the end zone for a safety with 1:29 left.
Looking to seize control of the contest, the Trojans answered the safety with another seven points, as Watson found McClain in the right-corner of the end zone for the senior's second touchdown of the half.
The strike gave the Trojans a commanding 26-7 lead at the break.
On the opening drive of the second half, Dunlap picked off a Cunningham pass at the Trojans' 30-yard line, giving Watson and the Trojan offense the ball back. On the ensuing drive, Vidal capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive with a 2-yard scamper that gave the Trojans a 33-7 advantage with 9:56 left in the third period.
After yet another Dunlap interception, the Trojans offense again found pay dirt, as junior DK Billingsley's 2-yard run on third-and-goal gave the Trojans a 40-7 advantage with 3:22 left in the third quarter.
Troy recorded its final touchdown of the afternoon midway through the fourth quarter, when Jacob Free found Tyler Hussey for an 8-yard touchdown strike. The connection was the first touchdown pass of Free's career and the first reception of Hussey's career.
Troy continues its three-game road trip to open the season with a visit to No. 22 BYU next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 9:15 p.m. (CT) and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
TROY 2020 SCHEDULE
Date Day Opponent
Time/Result
Sep 19 Sat at Middle Tennessee W, 47-14
Sep 26 Sat at BYU
9:15 p.m.
Oct 3 Sat at South Alabama TBA
Oct 10 Sat Texas State
TBA
Oct 17 Sat Eastern Kentucky 6 p.m.
Oct 24 Sat Georgia State 2:30 p.m.
Oct 31 Sat at Arkansas State TBA
Nov 7 Sat at Georgia Southern 2:30 p.m.
Nov 14 Sat Coastal Carolina 2:30 p.m.
Nov 21 Sat Middle Tennessee 2:30 p.m.
Nov 28 Sat at Appalachian St. 1:30 p.m.
Dec 5 Sat ULM
2:30 p.m.
All times local
TROY COACHING STAFF Head Coach.................................................Chip Lindsey .................................................................Alabama, '97 Spc. Tms. Coord..................................... Brian Blackmon ........................................................................Troy, '96 CBRay Brown ............................................................East Central, '09 AHC/IWR.........................................................John Carr ........................................................Louisiana Tech, '96 DC/S...........................................................Brandon Hall ...............................................................Oklahoma, '00 Def. Run Game Coord./DE......................... Bam Hardmon ....................................................................Florida, '03 OC/OL............................................................Ryan Pugh ...................................................................Auburn, '12 LB.........................................................Andrew Warwick .......................................................... Knox College, '07 RB............................................................... Cole Weeks ........................................................ Southern Miss, '14 Pass Game Coord./OWR..................... Carnelius Williams ........................................................................Troy, '10 DL.........................................................Davern Williams ........................................................................Troy, '02
TALE OF THE TAPE
TROY
PROJECTED STARTERS
283
DL WT
6-2
DL HT
299
OL WT
6-4
OL HT
OL WT OL HT DL WT DL HT
BYU 308 6-6 294 6-4
TROY PLAYERS TO WATCH
#18 | GUNNER WATSON | QB | 6-3 | 208 | SO | BUTLER, GA | TAYLOR COUNTY HS
GP EFFIC COMP ATT YDS Y/G PCT LNG INT TD R ATT YDS Y/A LNG TD
1 139.01 26 37 248 248 70.3 25
1
2
-
-
-
-
-
#6 | KHALIL MCCLAIN | WR | 6-4 | 222 | SR | FAIRBURN, GA | TULANE
GP
REC
YDS
Y/C
LNG
TD
1
6
75
12.5
25
2
#26 | B.J. SMITH | RB | 5-9 | 207 | RS SR | MILLBROOK, AL | STANHOPE ELMORE HS
GP
RUSH
YDS
Y/A
LNG
TD
REC
YDS
Y/A
LNG
TD
1
10
81
8.1
38
0
1
19
19
19
0
#41 | JAVON SOLOMAN | LB | 6-2 | 240 | RS FR | TALLAHASSEE FL | GODBY HS
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
YDS
SACKS
YDS
FF
PBU
1
4
0
4
2
8
0
0
1
0
BYU VS. TROY SERIES
BYU vs. Troy (Overall) at BYU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0 at Troy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Neutral. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0
BYU vs. Troy (By Decade) 2010s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0 2000s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0 1990s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 1980s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 1970s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 1960s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 1950s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0 1940s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0 1930s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0
BYU VS. SUN BELT OPPONENTS
Appalachian State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Arkansas State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-0-0 Coastal Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Georgia Southern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Georgia State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Louisiana Lafayette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Louisiana Monroe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-0-0 South Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Texas State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-0 Troy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0-0 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 0 - 0
TROY QUICK FACTS Location ........................................................... Troy, AL Stadium (Capacity)...............Veterans Memorial (30,000) Colors.....................................Cardinal, Silver and Black Nickname........................................................... Trojans Founded................................................................1887 Conference....................................................... Sun Belt President........................................Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. Enrollment..........................................................20,000 Athletic Director...........................................Brent Jones 2019 Record 5-7 Sun Belt Record 3-5
TROY 2019 STATISTICAL RANKINGS (as of 9/20/20)
Total Offense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496.0 (14) Total Defense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241.0 (8) Passing Offense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256.0 (23) Pass Defense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154.0 (13) Passing Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148.43 (24) Pass Efficiency Defense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134.16 (68) Rushing Offense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240.0 (14) Rushing Defense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87.0 (9) Scoring Offense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47.0 (8) Scoring Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.0 (13) First Downs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 (29) Third Down Conversions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.684 (2) Net Punting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.33 (46) Kickoff Returns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.50 (20) Turnover Margin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00 (10)
OPPONENT INFORMATION - 4
INDEPENDENCE: YEAR TEN
As the only football team playing in the western part of the United States, the BYU football team looks to make its mark during an unprecedented 2020 football season. Entering its 10th year as an independent, BYU has pressed forward with its 2020 football season despite many conferences and teams canceling their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As one of only four independent teams moving forward, the Cougars currently have eight teams on the schedule from the American Athletic Conference, Sun Belt Conference, Conference USA and FCS's Big South Conference and with one game against a fellow independent team. The season features six home games against Troy, UTSA, Texas State, Western Kentucky and North Alabama with road matchups against Navy and Army.
BOWLING OPPONENTS
Both Navy and Western Kentucky played in bowl games following the 2019 season. After going 11-2 in, Navy participated in the 2019 Liberty Bowl coming away with a last-minute win taking down Kansas State 20-17. Western Kentucky also participated in the 2019 bowl, traveling to the First Responder Bowl taking the win against Western Michigan 23-20.
LAVELL EDWARDS STADIUM
LaVell Edwards Stadium with its 63,470-seat capacity is home to BYU football. Originally Cougar Stadium, it was built in 1964 and seated 30,000. It was expanded in 1982 to seat 65,000 permanent seats before official capacity became 63,470 after various refurbishments. For the 2012 season the stadium featured new video walls and LED ribbons on the north and south end zone stands. BYU's winning percentage at LaVell Edwards Stadium is ranked No. 14 among teams playing in their current stadium. Stadium record: 245-79 (.756) Since 2005: 74-22 (.771) 2019: 4-2
MISSIONS
Brigham Young University is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The missionary emphasis of the Church is perhaps one of its most recognized characteristics.
Since the organization of the Church in 1830, over one million missionaries have served. The Church operates more than 400 missions around the world in over 150 nations speaking more than 160 languages. More than 67,000 missionaries representing the Church are serving proselytizing missions around the world. Most of the Church's proselytizing missionaries are young men between the ages of 18 and 26. A substantial number of young women and older couples also serve proselytizing missions. Missionaries work long hours -- seven days a week for two years (or 18 months for women and couples) -- teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and participating in community service.
About 65 percent of the current team has served a mission. Members of the team have served in 28 different countries and six of the seven continents around the globe. More than 30 members of the team (previous signees or on roster) are currently serving in the mission field.
HONOR CODE
BYU's Honor Code helps maintain this learning environment. Initiated by students in 1949, the Honor Code emphasizes being honest, living a chaste and virtuous life, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, using clean language, and following other values in line with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2020 WEEK 4 NATIONAL RANKINGS:
Associated Press Top 25 (Week 14)
# Team (1st place) Record Prev. Record
1 Clemson (59)
1,523
1
2-0
2 Alabama (1)
1,458
2
0-0
3 Oklahoma
1,368
3
1-0
4 Georgia
1,320
4
0-0
5 Florida
1,239
5
0-0
6 LSU (1)
1,221
6
0-0
7 Notre Dame
1,200
7
2-0
T-8 Texas
1,037
9
1-0
T-8 Auburn
1,037
8
1-0
10 Texas A&M
972
10
0-0
11 North Carolina
883
12
1-0
12 Miami (Fla.)
816
17
2-0
13 UCF
771
14
1-0
14 Cincinnati
720
13
1-0
15 Oklahoma State
693
11
1-0
16 Tennessee
529
15
0-0
17 Memphis
510
16
1-0
18 BYU
405
21
1-0
19 Louisiana
374
19
2-0
20 Virginia Tech
350
20
0-0
21 Pittsburgh
315
25
2-0
22 Army
296
22
2-0
23 Kentucky
230
23
0-0
24 Louisville
115
18
1-1
25 Marshall
108
NR
2-0
Others receiving votes: Baylor 89, West Virginia 59, SMU 57,
TCU 30, Virginia 30, Boston College 23, Arkansas State 20, Mis-
sissippi State 6, UAB 5, Texas Tech 5, Ole Miss 4, Appalachian
State 3, UTSA 2, Troy 1, Coastal Carolina 1
USA Today Coaches Poll
# Team (1st place) Record Votes
Prev
1 Clemson (44)
2-0
1196
1
2 Alabama (1)
0-0
1119
2
3 Oklahoma
1-0
1019
3
3 Georgia
0-0
1019
4
5 LSU
0-0
962
5
6 Florida (1)
0-0
899
6
7 Notre Dame
2-0
896
7
8 Auburn
0-0
766
9
9 Texas
1-0
764
8
10 Ohio State (2)*
0-0
741
NR
11 Texas A&M
0-0
651
10
12 North Carolina
1-0
563
11
13 Penn State*
0-0
536
NR
14 Miami
2-0
500
18
15 UCF
1-0
497
13
16 Cincinnati
1-0
416
14
17 Wisconsin*
0-0
411
NR
18 Oklahoma State
1-0
315
12
19 Michigan*
0-0
287
NR
20 Memphis
1-0
269
15
21 Tennessee
0-0
266
17
22 Minnesota*
0-0
178
NR
23 BYU
1-0
177
22
24 Virginia Tech
0-0
167
19
25 Louisiana Lafayette 2-0
158
21
Others Receiving Votes: Kentucky 146; Pittsburgh 140; Army
121; Baylor 57; Louisville 53; Southern Methodist 42; West
Virginia 41; Marshall 40; Iowa 39; Texas Christian 26; Virginia
24; South Carolina 22; Boston College 20; Appalachian State
12; Mississippi 10; Mississippi State 7; Arkansas St. 6; NC State
5; Nebraska 4; Georgia Tech 4; Coastal Carolina 4; Air Force 3;
Louisiana Tech 2.
* Indicates teams in the Big Ten who begin play Oct. 24
Bold = BYU ranking Italics = 2020 opponents
INDEPENDENTS SNAPSHOT
BYU is one of six FBS Independent teams. Here is a look at how the Cougars and the other independents did last week.
Team
W-L
Army
2-0
BYU
1-0
Liberty
1-0
Notre Dame 2-0
UMass*
0-0
New Mexico St* 0-0
UConn*
0-0
Last game W, 37-7 vs. ULM W, 55-3 at Navy
W, 30-24 at WKU
W, 52-0 USF -
Next Game at Cincinnati
Troy
FIU
at Wake Forest -
* Indicates team canceled their games for the 2020 season
Note: Notre Dame has been included into the Atlantic Coast Conference for just the 2020 football season
TEAM NOTES - 5
POLYNESIAN PIPELINE The Polynesian Islands have become a hotbed for recuiting in recent years, but BYU has been one of the pioneers in bringing these players from Tonga, Samoa, the Hawaiian Islands and all of Polynesia to the forefront of college football since the early 1950s. About 40 members of the current roster are of Polynesian descent.
Some of BYU's most celebrated and decorated players have come from the Pacific islands, including All-Americans, national record holders, players who have gone on to compete in the NFL and now, several members of BYU's current coaching and support staff.
Kalani Sitake was named BYU's 14th head coach on Dec. 19, 2015, becoming the first Tongan head football coach in the NCAA. His staff includes Polynesians Ilaisa Tuiaki, Fesi Sitake Harvey Unga, Nu'u Tafisi, Jack Damuni, Jasen Ah You and Vince Feula.
FORMER PLAYERS ON STAFF
There are 15 former BYU football players on the football and athletic admnistration staff. Members of the staff were part of Cougar teams that won
the 1980 "Miracle Bowl," the 1984 National Championship, 1996 Cotton Bowl along with many other accolades.
Tom Holmoe
DB
1978-82
Athletic Director
Kalani Sitake
RB/FB
1994, 97-00
Head Football Coach
Chad Lewis
TE
1993-96
Associate AD/Development
Lee Johnson
P
1980-84
Assistant Development Director
Robbie Bosco
QB
1981-85
Varsity Club/Development
Fui Vakapuna
RB
2002-03, 06-08
Assistant to the AD
Ed Lamb
LB/DE
1994-96
Asst. Head Coach/Linebackers/Sp. Tms
Aaron Roderick
WR
1996-98
Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Jernaro Gilford
DB
1999-03
Cornerbacks
Preston Hadley
DB
2011-12
Safeties
Harvey Unga
RB
2006-09
Running backs
Jack Damuni
DB
1993-94
Community Relations Coordinator
Vince Feula
DL
2004-05
Football Analyst
Gavin Fowler
DB
2011, 14-18
Graduate Assistant/Defense/ST
Tanner Jacobson
DB
2016-18
Graduate Assistant/Defense/ST
FATHERS AND SONS BYU has a family legacy unique to many other institutions. This year's squad features 13 players with fathers who also played football at BYU.
James Empey, OL Blake Freeland, OL Kyle Griffitts, RB Jaren Hall, QB Brayden Keim, OL Hobbs Nyberg, WR Connor Pay, OL Isaac Rex, TE Hank, Ben, Petey Tuipulotu Mo, Eli Unutoa (OL) Carter Wheat, TE Payton Wilgar, LB Shamon Willis, DB
Mike Empey, OL (1987, 91-93) Jim Freeland, LB (1994, 95) Bobby Griffitts, DB (1987, 92-93) Kalin Hall, RB (1992-93) Mike Keim, OL (1987-90) Brent Nyberg, WR (1989-90) Garry Pay, OL (1986, 89-92) Byron Rex, TE (1986, 89-92) Peter Tuipulotu, RB (1987-91) Morris Unutoa OL (1989, 93-95) Warren Wheat, OL (1985-87) Dana Wilgar, DB (1973-76) Jamal Willis, RB (1991-94)
BROTHERS IN ARMS BYU also has four sets of brothers on the current roster
Kaufusi Romney Tuipulotu Wilson
Isaiah (Sr. LB) and Jackson (So. LB) Baylor (So., QB) and Gunner (Jr., WR) Hank (So. TE), Ben (Fr. TE), Petey (Fr. DB) Zach (Jr. QB), Josh (Fr. LB)
2020 OPPONENTS
NAVY Last game Next game
1-1 W 27-24 at Tulane at Air Force
ARMY Last game Next game
2-0 (POSTPONED) W 37-7 vs. LA-Monroe at No. 14 Cincinnati
TROY Last game Next game
1-0 W 47-14 at Middle Tennessee at BYU
UTSA Last game Next game
2-0 W 24-10 vs. Stephen F. Austin Middle Tennessee
UTSA Last game Next game
2-0 W 24-10 vs. Stephen F. Austin Middle Tennessee
HOUSTON Last game Next game
0-0 North Texas
TEXAS STATE Last game Next game
1-2 W 38-17 at LA-Monroe at Boston College
W. KENTUCKY Last game Next game
0-2 L 30-24 vs. Liberty at Middle Tennessee
NORTH ALABAMA 0-0
Last game
-
First game
at Liberty (10/3)
Combined record: 9-5
COUGARS OVERPOWER NAVY 55-3 IN 2020 SEASON OPENER
ANNAPOLIS, Md. ? BYU overpowered Navy on both sides of the ball, winning 55-3 on Monday, Sept. 7 at Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium to open the Cougars' 2020 football campaign.
BYU racked up 580 total yards with 301 on the ground and 279 through the air. Tyler Allgeier led all rushers with 132 yards and two touchdowns on 14 attempts. Lopini Katoa scored two rushing touchdowns and totaled 80 yards on 10 attempts while adding three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Zach Wilson went 13-for-18 for 232 yards while wide receiver Gunner Romney grabbed four receptions for 134 yards with a career-long 45-yarder that resulted in a touchdown.
On defense, Pepe Tanuvasa led all tacklers against his former team, posting eight tackles, including four solo stops, and one quarterback hurry. Isaiah Kaufusi recorded a career-high two sacks and a forced fumble, finishing with five tackles overall.
The defense held the Midshipmen to a three-and-out on Navy's first drive. Allgeier pounded through Navy's defense on BYU's subsequent drive, rushing 9 yards for a first down followed immediately by a 34-yard touchdown run.
After another three-and-out for the Midshipmen, the Cougars again capitalized on a three-play drive as Lopini Katoa made his way into the end zone on a 39-yard rush, putting BYU up 14-0 with 7:16 left in the first quarter.
On the first drive of the second quarter, Katoa again found the end zone. Wilson dumped the ball over Navy's defense to a wide-open Katoa for a 15-yard score, putting the Cougars up 21-0.
BYU increased its lead to 24-0 on a 22-yard field goal from Jake Oldroyd and capped the quarter with a one-yard rushing touchdown from Katoa to make the score 31-0 going into halftime.
The Cougars continued to march down the field in the third quarter, capping off the first drive of the second half with another touchdown. Gunner Romney made swift work down the field, catching a 33-yard pass followed by a 45-yard touchdown to give BYU a 38-0 lead with only 1:55 off the clock.
On the next BYU drive, Allgeier made it into the end zone for the second time in the game with a 17-yard rush to make the score 45-0. Jake Oldroyd put the ball through the uprights on the next drive with a 34yard field goal pushing the Cougars lead to 48-0.
Navy got its first points of the game with under a minute to go in the third quarter with a 48-yard field goal, bringing the score to 48-3.
The Cougars punted for the first time in the game during the fourth quarter as Ryan Rehkow booted a 56-yarder for the first punt of his career.
Running back Jackson McChesney tacked on another touchdown as the Cougars went up 55-3 with 7:26 remaining in the game.
BYU closed out the game taking a knee on Navy's 10-yard line to run out the clock and take the win, 55-3.
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