IS4S Salute to Veterans to pair old rivals, Troy, Jacksonville State
By BARRY ALLEN
Two long-time, in-state rivals will square off in the 2025 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Troy and Jacksonville State will meet at 8 p.m. (CT) at Cramton Bowl with the game televised by ESPN.
“We are thrilled to revive the Battle for the Ol’ School Bell rivalry here in Montgomery for this year’s IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” stated Clay Norrell, the bowl’s executive director. “We are expecting a great matchup between two long-time rivals.”
Jax State and Troy are both former members of the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference and are meeting on the gridiron for the first time since 2001.
The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 33-28-2 with the Trojans having won the last seven meetings. JSU won the last meeting on Nov. 3, 1990.
Troy (8-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) lost at No. 25 James Madison 31-14 in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game. The Trojans were the Sun Belt Conference Western Division champions.
The Trojans had 12 players named to the 2025 All-Sun Belt Conference Team, including punter Evan Crenshaw, who named the Special Teams Player of the Year. A finalist for the Ray Guy Award, he is the FBS leader with 20 punts for more than 50 yards.
Jax State (8-5, 7-1 USA) lost at home to Kennesaw State 19-15 in the 2025 Conference USA Championship Game. The Gamecocks and Owls were regular-season co-champions.
The Gamecocks had 17 players named to the 2025 All-CUSA Team, including running back Cam Cook, who was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. He is the FBS leader with an average of 131.8 rushing yards per game and 153.67 all-purpose yards per game.
Troy owns a 6-4 (.600) all time bowl record, dating back to the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl in San Jose, Calif. The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl will Troy’s 11th all-time bowl appearance with a berth in all three bowl games played in the state of Alabama.
Jax State is making its third straight bowl appearance after playing in the 2024 New Orleans Bowl and 2025 Cure Bowl.
The Gamecocks defeated Louisiana 34-31 in overtime in the school’s first-ever bowl game. JSU lost to Ohio 30-27 last year.
Ten of the previous 11 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowls have been one-score games with the average margin of victory at 4.3 points.
In eight of the 11 games, the winning score came in the fourth quarter, including game-winning kicks by Appalachian State (2015) and Georgia Southern (2018).
Bowling Green defeated South Alabama 33-28 in the inaugural IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (previously the Camellia Bowl) on Dec. 20, 2014.
Last year, South Alabama set the bowl’s total offense record with 537 yards in the 30-23 win over Western Michigan.
The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl matches teams from the Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA.
Tickets are available through www.salutetoveteransbowl.com.
IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL RESULTS
Game scores of the IS4S Salute Veterans Bowl (Camellia Bowl)
Date Result TV
Dec. 20, 2014 Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 ESPN
Dec. 19, 2015 Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 ESPN
Dec. 17, 2016 Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 ESPN
Dec. 16, 2017 Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas St. 30 ESPN
Dec. 15, 2018 Georgia Southern 23, E. Michigan 21 ESPN
Dec. 21, 2019 Arkansas St. 34, FIU 26 ESPN
Dec. 25, 2020 Buffalo 17, Marshall 10 ESPN
Dec. 25, 2021 Georgia State 51, Ball State 20 ESPN
Dec. 27, 2022 Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21 ESPN
Dec. 23, 2023 Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19 ESPN
Dec. 14, 2024 South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23 ESPN