# College Football Week 9: Troy Trojans (3-4) vs. James Madison Dukes (7-1) Game Preview and Predictions

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/news/college-football-week-9-troy-trojans-3-4-vs-james-madison-dukes-7-1-game-preview-and-predi

> James Madison looks to right the ship at home against a struggling Troy squad in a Week 9 Thursday night matchup.

By Cole Saturday · Published 2026-10-28 23:31 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

James Madison tries to shake off its first loss of the season while Troy looks to snap a two-game skid.

[James Madison Dukes](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/james-madison-dukes) (7-1) are coming off a one-game slide, falling to App State Mountaineers 31-34 in their last outing. [Troy Trojans](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/troy-trojans) (3-4) enter on a two-game losing streak, most recently dropping a 14-21 decision to UL Monroe Warhawks.

## Game details

- When | Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET
- Where | Bridgeforth Stadium
- TV | ESPN2
- Line | James Madison Dukes -18.5 | O/U 49.5 (market view)
- Troy Trojans record | 3-4
- James Madison Dukes record | 7-1

## The matchup

Troy's last five games have been a mixed bag. The Trojans lost 14-21 to UL Monroe Warhawks, then fell 6-33 to Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns the week before that. Sandwiched in there was a 55-34 win over Southern Miss Golden Eagles, but Troy also dropped games to Utah State Aggies (10-21) and Missouri Tigers (17-27) earlier in that stretch.

James Madison's run has been far steadier until last week. The Dukes beat Georgia State Panthers 49-22, Georgia Southern Eagles 27-24, Marshall Thundering Herd 45-17 and Old Dominion Monarchs 46-20 across their prior four games before the App State loss snapped that momentum.

## Key matchups

This one comes down to James Madison's offense against Troy's defense. The Dukes have put up 331 points on the season, and Troy has allowed 174. If that trend holds, it's going to be a long night for the Trojans defense.

On the other side, James Madison's defense, which has allowed just 146 points this season, lines up against a Troy offense that has managed only 160. Troy will need its offense to find a rhythm it hasn't shown much of over the last two weeks to keep this one competitive.

## The pick

The market has James Madison as an 18.5-point favorite with a projected score of 34-16 and a total of 49.5, reflecting the gap between the Dukes' scoring offense and Troy's defense that's been leaking points all year.

James Madison's only blemish of the season came on the road against App State, and getting back home should help. Troy's two-game skid and its defensive numbers make it tough to see a path to the upset here, even against a Dukes team coming off a loss.

## Recent results

- Team | Last games
- Troy Trojans | Wk8 L 14-21 vs UL Monroe Warhawks, Wk7 L 6-33 vs Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, Wk6 W 55-34 vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles
- James Madison Dukes | Wk8 L 31-34 vs App State Mountaineers, Wk7 W 49-22 vs Georgia State Panthers, Wk6 W 27-24 vs Georgia Southern Eagles

[**Game page**](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/3043)

*Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our [editorial standards](https://profootballnewshub.com/editorial-standards).*

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