In something of an unusual twist, this year’s Birmingham Bowl will feature two schools — Duke and Troy — with interim coaches.
The Troy Trojans, who come into the game with a 10-game winning streak, will be led by Greg Gasparato after head coach Jon Sumrall announced he was leaving to coach Tulane. Meanwhile, Duke lost head coach Mike Elko to Texas A&M. He’s been replaced by former University of Miami coach Manny Diaz. But for this game, the Blue Devils will be coached by assistant Trooper Taylor.
Duke will also be without quarterback Riley Leonard, who has announced that he’s transferring to Not
Fans looking to watch this college football bowl game can do so for free on fuboTV, which offers a free trial (as well as RedZone, for you NFL fans) or on DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV has promotional offers available, as well. Through the end of 2023, fuboTV is also offering $20 off the first two months of subscription (in addition to the 7-day free trial).
Who: Duke vs. Troy
When: Saturday, Dec. 23, noon ET, ABC
Where: Protective Field, Birmingham, AL.
Stream: fuboTV (free trial); or Sling; or DirecTV Stream
Tickets: StubHub and *VividSeats
Gear: Shop around for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com
Sports Betting Promos: Football fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
RELATED CONTENT:
Birmingham Bowl: Troy (11-2, Sun Belt) vs Duke (7-5, ACC), Dec. 23, noon Eastern (ABC).
Line: Troy by 7 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Duke leads 2-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Led by interim head coaches, both teams are trying to finish the season strong. The Trojans claimed their second straight Sun Belt Conference championship and are riding a 10-game winning streak. Coach Jon Sumrall left to take over the Tulane program, and Greg Gasparato is interim coach. Duke’s Mike Elko left for Texas A&M, with assistant Trooper Taylor handling interim duties. Duke has already hired Manny Diaz and Troy turned to Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker.
KEY MATCHUP
Duke’s offense against Troy’s aggressive defense, which has already set the Sun Belt Conference record with 45 sacks. The Blue Devils’ former starting quarterback Riley Leonard has announced plans to transfer to Notre Dame after an injury-shortened season. The Trojans rank sixth nationally in sacks, 10th in scoring and rushing defense and 15th in total defense. Javon Solomon leads the nation with 16 sacks, including 10 over the last four games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Troy: RB Kimani Vidal has run for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns. The program’s career rushing leader ran for 233 yards and five TDs in the Sun Belt title game against Appalachian State. He’s the league’s offensive player of the year and a third-team AP All-American.
Duke: QB Grayson Loftis has taken over for Leonard, and had success. The freshman has completed 53.7% of his passes for 823 yards and eight touchdowns while throwing three interceptions.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Duke has hired Manny Diaz as head coach while Troy turned to Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. … Troy is the first Sun Belt team to face a Power Five opponent in a bowl game. … The Trojans have won 23 games the past two seasons, tied for fourth-most nationally. … Both teams are riding bowl winning streaks. The Trojans’ five straight bowl wins are tied with Georgia for the second-longest active streak, one behind Minnesota. Duke has won four straight in the postseason. … Troy receiver Chris Lewis is averaging 23 yards a catch, second-highest nationally. … LB Tre Freeman needs three tackles to become the first Duke player with 100 tackles in a season since Koby Quansah in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
