Battle for the Belt rivalry game gets national spotlight with Tuesday night kickoff
Reading time: 3 minutes
Sun Belt, Fun Belt right?
At least, that’s what the rest of the college football world is hoping for when they tune into a Tuesday night—yes, a TUESDAY NIGHT—college football game this week. And for those familiar with the South Alabama-Troy rivalry, fun is an understatement.
The two teams have not been playing for very long but the bitterness between the two fanbases puts this rivalry near the top in all of college football.
Keep reading to find out more about what to expect in this year’s matchup + learn more about the short history of the rivalry.
Troy at South Alabama
This year’s matchup may not look too important when you look at each team’s record but Tuesday’s game could prove to be the difference in either of these teams becoming bowl eligible by the end of the season.
Here’s what you need to know:
- What: Troy Trojans (1-5) at South Alabama Jaguars (2-4)
- When: 6:30PM, Tuesday, Oct. 15
- Where: Hancock Whitney Stadium, 500 Stadium Dr, Mobile, AL 36688
- Watch: ESPN2
- Tickets
South Alabama sits at 1-1 in conference play and still control its own destiny in the West Division. Quarterback Gio Lopez has 12 touchdowns and just one interception this season while former Oneonta star Fluff Bothwell leads the team with 406 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
The Jaguars are averaging 36.5 points per game this season. They are 12.5-point favorites against their rivals entering Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Troy desperately needs a win to get coach Gerad Parker’s first season back on track. The Trojans have lost three consecutive home games entering this week, including two to the Sun Belt leaders in UL Monroe and Texas State.
Troy’s offense has struggled at times, surpassing the 21-point mark just one time this season. But the defense has kept them within striking distance well into the second half in several games including losses to Nevada, Memphis and Iowa.
Battle for the Belt
South Alabama and Troy split the first six meetings in this series but the rivalry has been dominated by the Trojans recently. Troy has won six consecutive matchups by an average of 17.2 points per game.
The Jaguars have come within one touchdown just twice in the last six seasons including a 10-6 final the last time the game was played in Mobile.
The rivalry was officially dubbed “The Battle for the Belt” in 2017 when the two school’s student governments got together.
“In the hearts of students, Troy has always been our biggest rival. The ‘Battle for the Belt’ is the culmination of those passions. The introduction of the trophy to the rivalry will offer a new way for Jag Nation to connect with our football program. The concept behind the Belt stemmed from our student body and was accompanied by insight from our football team; the football team really liked the concept of a wrestling belt, and the Belt also plays off of the Sun Belt Conference of which both Troy and USA are members.”
~ Ravi Rajendra, former South Alabama SGA president
Who will you be rooting for in Tuesday night’s rivalry game? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
