The history between the Red Wolves and Trojans has created epic moments of entertaining football.

The battle between Arkansas State and Troy is a kind of quiet, understated shadow war – one between two opponents for which each harbors a solemn respect. “I have a lot of respect for Troy,” said Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones. “They play with an edge and toughness.” For his part, Troy head coach Jon Sumrall said he respected the fight and culture established by Jones.

But the heat is real between the programs. Troy and Arkansas only became competitors when Troy joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, playing only sparingly in the years before. The conference series between the two are virtually even – 7-7 with an extra win for the Red Wolvesvacated by the NCAA for academic infractions. Troy holds six conference championships. The Red Wolves have five. The recent history has had consequences.

In 2016, just four days after becoming the Sun Belt’s first AP ranked team ever, Arkansas State rolled into Troy and dominated Neal Brown’s Trojans 35-3. The next season in Jonesboro, in what was one of Arkansas State’s most exciting defeats in recent memory, quarterback Brandon Silvers drove the Trojans 72 yards in nine plays to deliver the game winning touchdown with only a handful of seconds left on the clock. The loss made Arkansas State a runner up to Troy (and Appalachian State) for the conference championship. Since then, Troy has take two of the last three games, including the 48-19 thumping last year.

Today, both programs are 3-2 and marshaling strengths in specific areas – Arkansas State with its suddenly explosive offense and Troy with its traditionally stout defense. The stage is set for another dramatic game between the two SBC old-schoolers.

The Buzz Is All About Jaylen Raynor

After throwing six touchdown passes against Massachusetts, true freshman Jaylen Raynor was dubbed Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week an has become the toast of college football. Well deserved, except coach Butch Jones would rather see his star quarterback enter Troy a bit further beneath the radar.

“Now everybody has film on Jaylen,” Jones bemoaned. He insisted his young signal caller still had much to learn about the position. Still, Raynor has brought a noticeable air of confidence and cool-headedness too the huddle. Behind an offensive line that is becoming increasingly impenetrable, Raynor has had time to cook in the pocket, throwing catchable, “soft” passes that has elevated the game of every receiver in the locker room. When the defensive pressure breaks the line of scrimmage, Raynor is able to gain positive yards with his feet – Raynor is the second leading rusher on the team with 189 yards.

While many are focusing on Raynor, the offensive contributions of running back Ja’Quez Cross (337 yards, 3 TDs) and wide receivers Courtney Jackson (274 yards, 4 TDs) and Jeff Foreman can’t be ignored. Foreman started the season with an unnerving case of the drops, unable to make a real connection with JT Shrout or Jaxon Dailey. Since Raynor assumed the huddle, Foreman has accrued 184 yards and three touchdowns – with all of the scoring plays made from a sharpshooter’s distance.

Wolf to Watch: Adam Jones, WR

Healthy at last, Adam Jones had a career game against Massachusetts on Saturday, hauling in three receptions for 105 yards and a score. Has Raynor found his big target (6’2″, 190) in Jones?

Trojans Bring the Big D

Ranked 24th nationally in total defense, the Trojans held JMU to just 16 points, limited a WKU team that averages 31 points to 24, and allowed the Panthers just one touchdown last week. Troy held Georgia State to a respectable 298 total yards, but it was the three turnovers the D manufactured that cemented the victory.

How (and where) Troy is excelling on defense is not easy to say. The red zone defense is mid (112th), they’re just okay at creating turnovers, and the Trojans rank near the bottom of college football for team sacks (6). Where’s the firepower?

Troy simply doesn’t allow yards. The rush defense only surrenders 91 yards a game (15th best in the country), and the pass defense is stingy too (211 yards). It’s just a well-balanced, well coached defense – a Troy trademark.

Is Troy Quarterback Gunnar Watson Underrated?

Coach Jones declared that the senior signal caller is “playing the best football of his career,” and he has put up some impressive numbers in games like JMU and Western Kentucky. However, Watson bears a QB rating behind seven Sun Belt throwers with a completion rate that’s just middling for Sun Belt quarterbacks (61%).

However, he may have made a star connection with junior wide receiver Jabre Barber, who enjoyed his best game of the season against Georgia State (seven catches for 121 yards). The combo of Barber and Devonte Ross could prove a boon for Watson against Arkansas State’s bendy pass defense.

But Yeah, Red Wolves Gotta Stop Kimani Vidal

Only Appalachian State’s Nate Noel has more rushing yards than Troy’s Kimani Vidal (590, ranked 5th in the nation). He’s not all dash and flash either. He’ll get the hard yards, too. Against Georgia State, he carried the rock 23 times for a modest 76 yards and a score. The Red Wolves haven’t been terrific against the run this season (95th nationally) – recently Frank Gore Jr. lit up the defensive line for 132 yards and a score, and Umass’ Greg Desrosiers ripped the Red Wolves for a 75-yard touchdown.

Red Wolves can’t afford to allow Kimani have a game like those.

What If the Red Wolves Win?

Vegas isn’t buying an Arkansas State win – the men who wear sunglasses indoors have Troy a 16 point favorite. It’s hard to win in Troy, and it’s difficult to ignore the first two weeks of the season, when the Red Wolves were outscored 110 to 3. But we’re witnessing a new breed of Red Wolves – one that evolved rapidly with a sudden injection of super serum.

What if the Red Wolves win?

IMAGES: a mix of me and Sun Belt Sports