South Alabama–Troy football rivalry
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First meeting |
September 29, 2012 Troy 31, South Alabama 10 |
| Latest meeting |
October 20, 2016 Troy 28, South Alabama 21 |
| Next meeting | 2017 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 5 |
| All-time series | Troy leads 3–2 |
| Largest victory | 21; Troy (2012) |
| Current win streak | 1; Troy |
The South Alabama–Troy football rivalry, commonly known as the Battle for the Belt, is an college football rivalry game between two public universities in the U.S. state of Alabama, University of South Alabama Jaguars and the Troy University Trojans. The current winner is Troy, who won, 28–21, on October 20, 2016. Troy leads with the all-time series, 3–2.[1]
History
Background: 1976–2011
The South Alabama Jaguars were co-founding members of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976. Troy joined the conference in 2004 as a football-only member. In 2005, the Trojans transitioned the rest of their sports to the Sun Belt, and South Alabama and Troy began facing each other in sports other than football, since at that time, South Alabama did not have a football team.
On December 6, 2007, South Alabama's Board of Trustees approved the addition of football to the intercollegiate athletics program. The team began play in 2009 with a planned full transition to the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) by 2013.[2]
In 2012, South Alabama's football team officially joined the school's other sports in the Sun Belt Conference and started to face the conference members in a full conference schedule.
The Games: 2012–present
Game 1 (2012)
The South Alabama – Troy football rivalry officially began on a rain-soaked[3] Saturday, September 29, 2012, at historic Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, where Troy defeated the Jaguars 31–10.[4]
Game 2 (2013)
The second meeting between the teams was a thriller.[5] In a game where South Alabama dominated the stats, the Jags suffered a one point loss in a battle that featured two lead changes in the final minutes, including a game-winning Troy touchdown with 7 seconds left on the clock.
Game 3 (2014)
The Jaguars claimed their first victory in the series with a convincing 27–13 win,[6] and the rivalry was truly born.
Game 4 (2015)
The 4th game of the series took place in Troy. Troy had a bye week the week before giving them 2 weeks to build the hype. Troy had a huge pep rally with a bonfire on campus the Thursday night before the game. A car spray painted red, white, and blue (South Alabama's colors) was on campus and hammers were used to smash the car. This game was a "Blackout" game. All fans were encouraged to wear black. The first 10,000 fans into the stadium were given a free black t-shirt. A DJ was provided for the game for the students. South Alabama rolled to a 24–18 victory.[7]
Game results
| South Alabama victories | Troy victories |
| # | Date | Location | Winner | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 29, 2012 | Mobile | Troy | 31–10 | ||||
| 2 | October 5, 2013 | Troy | Troy | 34–33 | ||||
| 3 | October 24, 2014 | Mobile | South Alabama | 27–13 | ||||
| 4 | October 3, 2015 | Troy | South Alabama | 24–18 | ||||
| 5 | October 20, 2016 | Mobile | Troy | 28–21 | ||||
| Series: Troy leads 3–2 | ||||||||
References
- ↑ "South Alabama Game by Game against Opponents". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ↑ BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTES TO ADD NCAA FOOTBALL – USAJaguars.com—Official Web Site of University of South Alabama Athletics
- ↑ "Rainy day for South Alabama-Troy in Mobile". Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Troy holds South Alabama to 51 second-half yards in 31–10 win". Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Amazing finish: Troy comeback tops South Alabama's comeback in 34–33 win". Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Live updates: FINAL SCORE: South Alabama Jaguars 27, Troy Trojans 13". Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ↑ Herndon, Mike (October 3, 2015). "South Alabama rides defense to win over Troy in Battle for the Belt". Press-Register. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.