Troy's visit to Roberts Stadium marks the first meeting between the two schools since the overtime thriller in the 2008 New Orleans Bowl. It will be the first on-campus game between the two schools since 1940 and is the first of a home-and-home series as Southern Miss visits Troy in 2019.
The Trojans return seven starters on both sides of the ball in addition to welcoming one of the top recruiting classes in program history. Coach Neal Brown's first full recruiting class was rated as the second best in the Sun Belt Conference by both 247Sports and Scout.