Boise State Football vs Troy: 3 Takeaways from the Broncos’ win

1. Troy will be a Sun Belt contender again in 2017

Last year the Trojans finished a game behind Arkansas State and Appalachian State in the Sun Belt standings. For the first time in school history, the Trojans made their way into the AP Top 25 during the season. They also finished the year with 10 wins for the first time ever. By any metric, it was a historic season for Troy.

But unlike in seasons past, Troy failed to win the Sun Belt crown. They came close to knocking off Clemson last year, but they couldn’t even win a share of their conference. Ultimately, though, this year’s Trojans team will be gunning to return to the top of the Sun Belt. Troy is entering the seventh season since they took at least a share of the title.

If the Boise State game is any indication, the Trojans have a defense to contend for their league once again. Troy held Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien under 200 passing yards and picked off the veteran once. The visiting defense also prevented Boise State from getting an individual 100-yard rushing performance.

While they are now 0-1 to start the year, Troy also has three more games to iron out the kinks before facing No. 13 LSU at the end of September. They should be 3-1 by that point, and will be in the thick of their league race all season long.