No. 25 LSU must tame surging Troy to remain ranked

Sep 28, 2017 - 6:35 PM Troy (3-1) at No. 25 LSU (3-1), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU) Line: LSU by 21. Series record: LSU leads 2-0. WHAT'S AT STAKE LSU must win to remain in the AP Top 25 and lay the foundation for a competitive run through a tough Southeastern Conference gauntlet that ramps up at Florida next week. Troy, which is among the favorites in the Sun Belt conference, could improve its bowl prospects considerably if its resume at season's end includes a victory over a power conference team on the road. KEY MATCHUP LSU's running game against Troy's defensive front. The ground game is the foundation of LSU's offense, although it's not clear how healthy top rusher Derrius Guice is. The Trojans have been stout against the run so far this season, holding their previous three opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. PLAYERS TO WATCH Troy: QB Brandon Silvers is averaging 271 yards passing per game, which ranks 27th nationally LSU: CB Andraez "Greedy" Williams, a first-year starter and redshirt freshman, has intercepted a pass in three of LSU's first four games. Last week, he returned Syracuse's first pass of the game to the Orange 1, setting up LSU's opening touchdown. FACTS & FIGURES Troy is 2-21 all-time against the current members of the SEC, the lone wins coming over Mississippi State and Missouri. ... LSU is 35-0 all-time against current Sun Belt Conference teams. ... LSU is seeking to extend its nonconference, home winning streak to 50 games. The Tigers haven't lost at home to a team outside the SEC since falling to UAB in 2000. ... Troy is averaging 448.8 yards of offense per game, while LSU averages 404.2. ... LSU outside LB Arden Key has 17 ½ career sacks, leaving him half a sack away from moving into the top-10 in that category in Tigers history. ... Troy has allowed 18 points per game, but only 14.5 points per game with its defense on the field. ... LSU has yet to fumble or recover a fumble this season, but is plus-three in turnovers with four interceptions by Tigers defenders and one interception thrown by backup QB Myles Brennan. ___ More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25