2. Troy is far from a winning season
While the game was a huge indicator of the Cougars’ success as a program, it is certainly a wake-up to the Trojans. They felt good after their big 47-14 win over Middle Tennessee last week. The Trojans entered their second game of the season looking for a better continuing start to their season in Chip Lindsey’s second year as head coach. Instead, they continue to backtrack in a conference in which other teams have encountered huge non-conference wins.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Trojans only accounted for 181 total yards with 162 of them coming from the passing game. They were 2-for-14 on third-downs and only accounted for eight first downs in the game. The Trojans only had 19:53 minutes of possession with the ball.
The defense for the Cougars was so efficient that Troy only rushed the ball for 19 yards on 18 carries for an average of 1.1 yards per run. BYU’s defense constantly broke through the line of scrimmage to disrupt the play.
Trojans sophomore quarterback Gunnar Watson threw for 162 yards on 21-of-33 passing. He accounted for a QBR of 28.9 against the Cougars’ tough defense that gave him pressure the entire game. BYU’s defense accounted for seven overall pass deflections.
Last season, the Trojans finished with a 5-7 (3-5 Sun Belt) overall record. This season, unless the Trojans develop from their heavy offensive woes, they will not be to survive in a highly-competitive conference setting with a winning record.