To understand why both teams will battle for control of the Sun Belt Conference title race today, one must recall from where the homestanding Trojans and the visiting Mountaineers have come.
In 2014, the Mountaineers were struggling in their first season on the FBS level. They entered an October contest at Troy 1-5 and emerged with a crushing 53-14 victory over the Trojans.
Since arriving in Troy, Appalachian State is 24-4 overall and 18-1 in Sun Belt play. This year, the Mountaineers come to Troy with a 7-2 overall record, 5-0 in league play.