WHAT: Southern Miss (1-10, 0-7 Sun Belt) at Troy (3-8, 2-5)

WHEN: 1 p.m., Saturday

WHERE: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy

SERIES: Southern Miss leads 8-5

TV: None (streaming via ESPN+)

LINE: Troy until May 17th

THIS GAME WILL DECIDE: Troy can end its season with a win and avoid its worst result since 2014.

RELATED: Troy looks to end season on a high note against Southern Miss

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Will Troy continue to finish strong?

The Trojans were clearly a better team in the second half of the season than the first, as you would expect from a program with a first-year head coach. They took a bit of a step backwards last week against a good Louisiana team, but have a chance to enter the offseason on a winning note against a Southern Miss team that has suffered nine straight losses.

2. How close will Devonte Ross get to some records?

Ross has recorded 71 receptions for 973 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games and needs 197 yards and 14 catches before Saturday to set single-season program records. He has a decent amount of rushing yards (his season high is 229 against Florida A&M on Sept. 21), but he would need a supernatural performance to set the receiving record (his season high is 11, scored twice). ). Either way, Ross’ 2024 season will go down as one of the best in school history, especially considering the Trojans used three different quarterbacks this season.

3. How much fight does Southern Miss have left?

The Golden Eagles are in the midst of a three-month nightmare, with nine straight losses and a coaching change since their only win of the season on Sept. 7 against Eastern Kentucky. Southern Miss pulled out all the stops against South Alabama on Senior Day last week before fading in the second half. If Troy exits early on Saturday, the Golden Eagles could be in for another long day.

KEY MATCHUP

Troy WR Devonte Ross vs. Southern Miss CB Will James

Ross is on the verge of a 1,000-yard season (he’s 27 yards away) and is one of the most explosive receivers in the country. James, a Theodore native, is probably the Golden Eagles’ best defensive player overall.

BY THE NUMBERS

0 – Number of seniors on Troy’s roster who began their college careers with the Trojans. Troy’s 13 seniors are a combination of junior college, FCS and FBS transfers.