Sun Belt Championship Preview: Troy vs James Madison

The Sun Belt championship will be up for grabs on Friday as the Troy Trojans will travel to Harrisonburg, VA, to take on the No. 25 James Madison, who have yet to lose a home game all season.

Troy

Troy led wire to wire over Southern Miss on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Golden Eagles 28-18 to advance to the Sun Belt Championship. This is Troy’s third appearance in the last four seasons, having won the Sun Belt West Division and advancing to the championship. The Trojans won back-to-back Sun Belt Championships in 2022 and 2023.

𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 M̶O̶N̶D̶A̶Y̶ 𝙎𝙐𝙉𝘿𝘼𝙔

We have to bump up the schedule a little bit … have a game to play on Friday!! pic.twitter.com/FjtrePooVk

— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) November 30, 2025

The Trojans are back in this position, and quarterback Goose Crowder’s return helped push them over the edge, after Tucker Kilcrease filled in well during his absence. In Crowder’s last two starts against Georgia State and Southern Miss, he has completed 66% of his passes for 646 yards and seven touchdowns to just one interception. Crowder played an integral role in the Trojans’ season, whether it was on the field or on the sideline.

“He’s been critical in leadership, even when he was injured,” said Troy Head Coach Gerad Parker. “Certainly, the presence of playing and being out there with him in the huddle and moving throughout practice is a different type of leadership. I think you’ve seen a step taken by him, and our team when he’s been back out there.”

Crowder, along with the rest of the Trojans, will certainly have to bring one of their best games, as they are facing their biggest challenge of the season. This wasn’t a position a lot of people expected the Trojans to be in after a disappointing 4-8 2024 campaign. The Trojans were predicted to finish sixth in the Sun Belt West Division in a preseason coaches poll.

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞.@RaginCajunsFB & @JMUFootball picked to finish atop the Sun Belt West & East Divisions in the @SunBeltFB Preseason Coaches Poll. ☀️🏈

📰 » https://t.co/jf6QHV7GUN pic.twitter.com/LonRmsv4Du

— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) July 21, 2025

James Madison is looked at as the favorite, due to the 10-game winning streak they are currently on and how they have dominated teams all year, with a victory margin of over 20+ points this season. Troy has been a good team most of the season but has gone through some adversities with injuries. The Trojans will certainly come with their best effort, as they have all season, and make no excuses.

“Our injuries are low, but where they have happened have been in one side of the ball and in key positions, and it’s made it harder,” Parker said. Welcome to life. We found a way. Nobody wants to hear it. Nobody cares about the injuries and all these things that have happened, and nobody cares what it looks like.”

James Madison

James Madison will enter this contest on the heels of the announcement that Head Coach Bob Chesney will sign a 5-year contract with UCLA after the championship game against Troy. If James Madison makes it to the College Football Playoffs, Chesney will still coach JMU.

Sources: James Madison coach Bob Chesney has emerged as the target of UCLA’s coaching search. He’s set to sign a 5-year deal with UCLA that will emerge after James Madison’s Sun Belt championship game. UCLA has agreed for him to coach in the CFP, if JMU makes it. pic.twitter.com/PLznBJoY5r

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 1, 2025

But that is a situation that the Chesney nor the JMU players need to be focusing on too much, as they will focus on finishing out the year strong and winning their first Sun Belt Championship.

As far as the season goes, James Madison has been the best team in the Sun Belt, as they have unblemished record in conference and only a single loss in out of conference play. James Madison has had an elite defense this year, and that is the top reason they have dominated the Sun Belt. Their defense only allows 253.5 yards per game, which is 5th in the FBS, 16.0 points per game, which is 10th, 168.8 passing yards per game, which is 12th, and 84.7 rushing yards per game, which is 5th. While James Madison’s defense has been one of the top all year, the offense isn’t too far behind, ranking in the top 25 in multiple categories.

Their offense has been led by quarterback Alonzo Barnett III, who has thrown for 20 touchdowns and rushed for 13. Their top running back, Wayne Knight, is second in the Sun Belt conference in rushing yards with 1,051.

They showed off their all-around dominance with a 59-10 win over Coastal Carolina last weekend, not allowing a single second-half point and holding the Chants to -5 rushing yards on the day.