Birmingham Bowl: Troy vs Duke
By Rory Daniels
Bowl season continues! 84 teams, 42 matchups, 35 different cities; if you thought the College Football postseason was restricted to the four teams in the playoffs, think again. In this game preview, we turn our attention to the Birmingham Bowl:
Where and When
Birmingham Bowl
Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Date: 23rd December 2023
Time: 12:00pm (ET)
Story so far…
Most of the end-of-season news for these two programs has been bad. Both have had their head coaches poached and for Duke they face a major rebuild considering their top defensive player and Quarterback are heading to Notre Dame.
First up, Troy’s coach John Sumrall had done an excellent job guiding the Trojans to their second straight Sun Belt Championship. Two years as head coach and two titles is not a bad record to leave town with. In both years Troy went 11-2, while also claiming victory in the Cure Bowl last season. Next man up for Troy is Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. With only one season in that role for the Irish, an up-and-down one at that, he will have big boots to fill.
Duke lost Mike Elko back to his previous home of Texas A&M. It was expected and the Blue Devils moved swiftly to grab Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Diaz was unlucky to lose his job as HC at Miami and will welcome another shot. Other losses include QB Riley Leonard and edge rusher RJ Oben who depart on transfers. After a promising start to 2023, downing Clemson in the opener, Duke faltered to a 7-5 record. Injuries to Riley Leonard making it difficult to string wins together.
The Quarterbacks…
Troy will have experience on their side in the quarterback battle. They can call on 6th year senior Gunnar Watson, who enjoyed his best season to date. Throwing for 3,310 yards, 27 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. His connection with receiving duo Jabre Barber and Chris Lewis will test Duke’s secondary.
For Duke, the absence of Leonard means Grayson Loftis will be the likely starter. Loftis has already dipped his toes into Power 5 action, standing in for four games this year. He was fairly efficient throwing 8 touchdowns and 3 picks. While he will hope to make an impression on Diaz, it is expected that a high-profile transfer is on the cards. Rumours are already swirling around Texas transfer Maalik Murphy.
Prospects to watch…
Troy
Kimani Vidal, Running Back – Heading up the running back group for Troy is Vidal, who has enjoyed a super productive season. He rushed for 1,582 yards at 5.7 yards per carry. On three separate occasions he went over 200 rushing yards, including the Sun Belt Championship game where he also scored 5 touchdowns.
Javon Soloman, Defensive End – Edge rusher Javon Soloman led the nation in sacks with 16 in 2023. According to PFF he recorded 43 pressures that earned him an 89.7 pass rush grade. Add to that 17.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles and you see what a wrecking force on the line Soloman is.
Duke
Jordan Moore, Wide Receiver – Moore was the Blue Devils leading receiver this year with 794 yards and eight touchdowns. The highlight of the season being his three touchdown display against North Carolina. In the last two games of the year he passed the 100 yard receiving mark and displayed a good rapport with his new quarterback.
Al Blades Jr., Cornerback – High profile transfer Al Blades Jr arrived this spring from Miami. The idea was to improve his draft stock going into his sixth year. That said, it was an up and down year and you get the feeling that could be how Blades career goes from here on out. One thing you can’t deny is his nose for the football, he led Duke in pass breakups, tallying six on the year.
Prediction
As much as I like the Manny Diaz hire for Duke, I don’t think he sees his future team take a bowl victory here. A squad decimated by the transfer portal should find it hard to keep up with the well-oiled Troy machine.
Troy 36-14 Duke
