The Salute to Veterans Bowl on Tuesday night will pit the Troy Trojans and Jacksonville State Gamecocks against one another in Montgomery. Both teams enter this postseason contest with identical 8-5 records following disappointing losses in their respective conference championship games. Before these programs meet for the first time since 2001, you can continue reading to get my Troy vs Jacksonville State prediction in college football.
Our Troy vs Jacksonville State Pick
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Troy Trojans vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks
- Date & Time: Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 9:00 p.m.
- Venue: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
- Broadcast: ESPN
Key Storylines
- Troy and Jacksonville State both finished 8-5 and lost their league title games, leaving each squad motivated to end their seasons on a high note. Troy was beaten in the Sun Belt championship by a James Madison team that made it to the College Football Playoff, while Jax State lost to Kennesaw State in the CUSA title game.
- Troy’s offensive numbers this season have been modest, ranking in the lower tier of FBS in yards per game, while Jacksonville State’s ground attack ranks among the best nationally.
- The Trojans will be missing their leading rusher Tae Meadows, who has entered the transfer portal. That weakens their run game significantly going into this bowl matchup.
Quarterback Play
Troy’s quarterback situation has been fluid this season, but Tucker Kilcrease has emerged as the primary signal-caller. He has thrown for 1,421 yards with 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, while completing nearly 60% of his passes. Kilcrease will be especially important in the passing game for the Trojans without Meadows to rely on in the ground game.
Jacksonville State freshman Caden Creel has thrown for 1,341 yards with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards this season. Creel’s ability to make plays with his legs complements the Gamecocks’ dominant rushing attack. That rushing attack is led by Cam Cook, who piled up 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground this season.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Troy is 9-4 against the spread this season, demonstrating a tendency to outperform expectations.
- Jacksonville State sits at 6-7 against the spread and will try to end their season with a .500 record against the spread.
- The under has hit in 8 of the 13 games that Troy has played in so far this season.
- Jacksonville State has gone over the total in 8 of their 13 games entering bowl season.
Troy vs Jacksonville State Model Projection
Final Thoughts
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