TROY TROJANS NOTES:
Did You Know?
• Troy is 22-2 since losing on a Hail Mary at App State in 2022 • Troy has won 23 games the last two seasons, tied for the fourth most in the country • Troy’s five straight bowl victories are tied with Georgia for the second longest active streak in the country (Minnesota – 6) • Kimani Vidal was named to the Associated Press All-America Third team; he is Troy’s first AP All-American since 2000 (Lawrence Tynes, Tim Betts) • Troy has won 14 of its last 15 games played in the state of Alabama; the Trojans have won six straight games in the state not played in The Vet • Troy won 10 games during the regular season in consecutive years for the first time since 1999 and 2000, when the Trojans were FCS members • Troy has won 11 games in consecutive seasons for just the second time in program history (1995, 1996) … a bowl win would mark the first time in 103 years of Troy football the program has won 12 games in consecutive seasons • Gunnar Watson and Kimani Vidal are just the third Troy duo to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season in program history • Troy is 13-1 when Kimani Vidal rushes for 100- plus yards and 26-3 when he rushes for 50-plus yards. The Trojans are 7-11 when Vidal rushes for fewer than 50 yards • Kimani Vidal’s Troy records set this season – single-season yards, single-game yards, career yards, single-season 100-yard games, career 100- yard games and single-game rushing touchdowns • Troy’s eight conference titles since 2006 are tied with Clemson for the fifth most over that period • Senior safety Dell Pettus has started 60 straight games, the longest active streak in the country • Gunnar Watson is one of 43 sixth-year quarterbacks at the FBS level; he is the only one who hasn’t transferred • Troy has the nation’s top two active leaders in career sacks — Javon Solomon (1st, 33.0)and Richard Jibunor (2nd, 31.5.) • O’shai Fletcher has played 65 career games, the fourth most among active FBS players and eighth most across all divisions … Grant Betts’ 64 games are the second-most among all FBS offensive linemen
The Series
• Troy and Duke met in a home-and-home series in 2013 and 2014, with the Blue Devils winning both matchups. • Duke won the initial meeting in Durham, 38-31 … Troy appeared to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, but a suspect holding call pulled a 56-yard touchdown off the board. The Blue Devils won the return trip to Troy, 34-17, the following year. • Troy’s last game against an ACC opponent came in 2016, when the Trojans again came within a blown call of a victory, this time falling to No. 2 Clemson 30-24. • Troy is 1-13 all-time against the current members of the ACC; Troy defeated Florida State in 1947.
Bowl Winning Streak
• Troy has won its last five bowl games, dating back to a 2010 victory in the New Orleans Bowl.
Points on the Board
• Troy has been shutout just six times since moving to FBS in 2001 with three of those coming during the 2003 season. • Troy has only been shutout once (North Texas, 2003) by a non-Power Five school — the Trojans have played 214 straight games against non-Power Five schools without being shutout. • Troy was shutout by Georgia, 66-0, on Sept. 20, 2014, which snapped a streak of 99 straight games without being shutout (Nebraska, 56-0, on Sept. 23, 2006). • Troy’s current overall streak stands at 120 games.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS NOTES:
OPENING KICKOFF
• Duke makes it’s 16th bowl appearance when it faces off against Troy on Saturday at 12 Noon (11 a.m. CT) at Protective Stadium … the game will be televised live by ABC. • Duke leads the all-time series between the two schools, 2-0, including a 34-17 victory in Troy, Ala., on Sept. 6, 2014 during the teams’ last meeting … quarterback Anthony Boone finished the night 27-of-41 for 268 yards and one touch- down while rushing nine times for 47 yards and two scores … David Helton paced the Duke defense with 15 tackles, while DeVon Edwards added 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops, and a pair of forced fumbles. • The Blue Devils have won four-straight bowl games, which entered the bowl season tied for the fourth longest active streak nationally behind Alabama (8), Minnesota (6) and Troy (5) … among ACC teams, Duke holds the longest active streak heading into Saturday’s game. • Duke has seven-plus wins in a single season for the sixth time in the last 10 years … with a win on Saturday, the Blue Devils will have registered eight wins to conclude a season for the 20th time in program history … additionally, it will mark the first time since 2014-15 in which Duke finished with eight-plus wins in back-to-back years (nine wins in 2022). • Ten Blue Devils were honored with ACC recognition at the conclusion of the regular season, including offensive tackle Graham Barton, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter and punter Porter Wilson who also picked up All-America nods … a full list of Duke’s postseason ACC honors are located on Page 5. • The Blue Devils join Clemson, Florida State, Louisville and NC State as the only ACC schools averaging 25.0 points or more per game (27.75 ppg, 8th) and allowing 20.0 points or less per outing (19.92 ppg, 4th). • Redshirt sophomore linebacker Tre Freeman leads the team and ranks sixth in the ACC with 97 tackles on the year … the Durham, N.C., native is averaging 8.08 tackles per game and is three stops shy of becoming the first Duke player since Koby Quansah in 2019 to achieve 100-plus tackles in a single-season (105) … over his last eight outings, Freeman has compiled 76 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one caused fumble, one pass breakup, and five quarterback pressures. • Graduate running back Jordan Waters ranks fourth in the ACC in rushing touchdowns (12), tied for fourth in points scored by touchdown (72), sixth in yards per rush (5.30), ninth in rushing yards (753), and 10th in rushing (62.75 ypg) … the Fairmont, N.C., native has scored one rushing touchdown in eight of Duke’s 12 games this season. • Duke ranks seventh in the ACC, averaging 5.68 yards per play … the Blue Devils have averaged 5.0 yards per play in 7-of-12 games in 2023, missing the mark against No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 4 Florida State, No. 18 Louisville, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh.
Bowl Game Notes:
The Blue Devils are familiar with Birmingham, Ala., in the postseason, having already played one bowl game in the city, the 1989 All-American Bowl … during the contest, No. 24 Texas Tech defeated Steve Spurrier’s No. 20 Duke, 49-21. Duke is 4-4 during postseason play in the month of December. The Blue Devils have played one overtime contest in the postseason, a 44-41 victory over Indiana in the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl.
Saturday’s game will mark the third on the gridiron between the two schools with the series currently in Duke’s favor at 2-0 … during the last meeting on Sept. 6, 2014, quarterback Anthony Boone rushed for a pair of touchdowns and added another score through the air to lead Duke to a 34-17 win over Troy at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Ala. … David Helton paced the Duke defense with 15 tackles during the game, while DeVon Edwards added 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops, and a pair of forced fumbles.
BLUE DEVILS BY THE NUMBERS
15 — Number of sacks Duke’s offensive line has allowed this season, a mark that ranks tied for second in the ACC and tied for 20th nationally
16 – Number of wins Duke has compiled over the last two seasons, marking the best two-year span since posting 17 combined victories during the 2014 and 2015 seasons
19.75 – Points per game Duke is allowing, which ranks third in the ACC and tied for 21st nationally
25 — Number of rushing touchdowns Duke has scored in its 12 games … a mark that ranks the Blue Devils fourth in the ACC and tied for 33rd nationally
123.01 — Duke’s pass defense efficiency mark, which ranks fifth in the ACC and 30th nationally
251 — Career catches for WR Jalon Calhoun, who is fourth all-time in Duke history … he is two receptions away from tying T.J. Rahming for third
3,705 – Total career snaps played by OL Jacob Monk, marking the most among active Blue Devils
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS
The Blue Devils rank third in the ACC in points scored off turnovers this season with 67 … they trail Clemson (87) and Syracuse (75) … Georgia Tech (68) and Louisville (60) are the next closest to Duke. Additionally, Duke and Wake Forest are tied with the third fewest points allowed off turnovers this year with 33 points given up … they trail Florida State (13 points) and North Carolina (23 points). Since 2022, Duke has scored 139 points off turnovers (18 touchdowns, four field goals and one two-point conversion).
BOWL ELIGIBLE & FOUR CONSECUTIVE BOWL WINS
The Blue Devils earned their sixth win of the season against Wake Forest, making them bowl eligible for the second consecutive year. By capturing the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, 2017 Quick Lane Bowl, 2018 Walk-On’s Independence Bowl and 2022 Military Bowl, Duke holds the longest active bowl streak in the ACC at four wins … Duke has been victorious in its last four bowl appearances after having won three bowl games in its history entering the 2015 season.
