SAN MARCOS, Texas — In preparation for this weekend's Sun Belt Conference matchup against Troy, below are five talking points to preview the Trojans:
ONE OF THE MORE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS
Since the start of the 2004 football season, the Troy football program are the second-winningest — by percentage — of the 18 teams embedded within the Sun Belt Conference over the last 17 seasons.
The Trojans' 62.6 winning percentage in conference games is one percent higher than Arkansas State, which enters this weekend with a 61.6 percent clip. Georgia Southern rounds out the trio of teams within the 60-percent plateau as the Eagles fly in with a 61.1 mark. Only Appalachian State has a higher winning percentage (82.8 percent) than Troy during the span.
QUICK OUT OF THE GATES
In 19 games under head coach Chip Lindsey, Troy has received the opening kickoff 21 times with the Trojans scoring on their opening drive in 13 of those 21 games (eight touchdowns, five field goals).
In 2021, Troy have won three of its six game-opening coin tosses. Despite the .500 winning percentage during the coin toss, the Trojans have scored on five of six opening possessions (two touchdowns, three field goals). The lone exception came against ULM when Troy lost the coin toss, received the kickoff then was forced to punt on its first possession.
TRANSFERS
Of the 104-member 2021 Troy football program, 15 student-athletes have transferred in from four-year institutions around the country.
Of those 15, 11 arrived in Troy from Power Five football programs, two came via a Group of 5 program with two more moving up from the FCS ranks. Devan Barrett and Richard Jibunor are two of the Power Five transfers after moving over from Auburn University, where current Trojan head coach Chip Lindsey served as the offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018 and an offensive analyst in 2013.
DEEPLY ROOTED
Speaking on Lindsey's coaching experience, the 47-year-old head coach from Madison, Ala., has been deeply connected to the Yellowhammer State since he broke into the coaching business in 1998.
After graduating from the University of Alabama in 1997, Lindsey became an assistant coach at Sparkman (Ala.) High School in 1998. Following a two-year stint in Huntsville, Lindsey went on to 4-year stay as an assistant coach at Deshler (Ala.) High School. Stops at Florence (Ala.) High School, Colbert Heights (Ala.) and Hoover (Ala.) preceded a brief two-year stop at Lassiter (Ga.) High School as the head coach.
Lindsey then returned to Alabama as Troy's quarterback coach in 2010, before serving as the head coach at Spain Park (Ala.) High School in Birmingham in 2011 and 2012. A return to the college ranks awaited Lindsey next as he served as Auburn's offensive analyst in 2013, before being tabbed as Southern Miss' offensive coordinator for two seasons. Following a one-year stay at Arizona State in 2016, Lindsey served as Auburn's offensive coordinator up until being appointed Troy's head coach prior to the 2019 season.
FAST AND FURIOUS
Since head coach Chip Lindsey's first season (2019) as head coach and calling offensive plays, Troy ranks 47th nationally while averaging 70.62 plays per game and 16th with 2.52 plays per minutes. Last season, the Trojans averaged 71.27 plays per game and 2.65 plays per minute.
