Troy @ North Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2012 ) Troy 14, North Texas 7

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL STORYLINES

1. Former Sun Belt Conference rivals Troy and North Texas will meet in the New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Dec. 16. Troy leads the series 8-2, including a 2005 win that snapped the Mean Green's 26-game conference win streak. Troy won a share of its sixth Sun Belt title this season while the Mean Green won four Sun Belt titles between 2001-2004.

2. Troy senior quarterback Brandon Silvers (2,985 passing yards, 13 touchdowns) and the Trojans have scored 38.7 points during a six-game win streak - 17.4 points more than their first six games. North Texas sophomore quarterback Mason Fine broke single-season school records with 3,749 yards and 28 touchdowns on the way to first-team All-Conference USA honors. The Mean Green are on track to break single-season records in scoring (467 points) and total offense (467.0).

3. The Trojans finished the regular season leading the nation in red-zone defense, holding opponents to 23 scores (six rushing TDs, 10 passing TD and seven field goals) in 39 attempts. The Troy defense is ranked 11th in scoring defense (17.5 points) and has 101 tackles for loss - five away from setting a single-season school record. The Trojans could get a break if North Texas is without 1,000-yard rusher Jeffery Wilson, who missed the last two games with a broken bone in his foot.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Troy -5.5

ABOUT TROY (10-2, 7-1 Sun Belt): Silvers - who has 82 total career touchdowns and needs two sores to tie Corey Robinson's school record - has thrown 11 of his touchdowns during the win streak. Freshman cornerback Marcus Jones (44 tackles) returned an interception 100 yards in the season finale and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns on the way to a conference-record 32.9-yard kickoff return average. Troy, which is 2-1 at the New Orleans Bowl, has won 21 of its past 26 games under coach Neal Brown after he started 3-8 in 2015.

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (9-4, 7-1 Conference USA): Wilson rushed for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns - and sits third in school history with 32 career rushing scores - before getting hurt. Sophomores Michael Lawrence (56 catches, 749 yards, three TDs), Jalen Guyton (48 catches, 764 yards, nine TDs) and Rico Bussey (43 catches, 613 yards, six TDs) account for more than half of Fine's touchdown passes. The Mean Green, who are playing in the New Orleans Bowl for the fifth time, are seeking their first 10-win season since 1977.



PREDICTION: Troy 34, North Texas 24