Jon Sumrall accepted a head coaching gig at Tulane, but in two years running Troy’s program, he turned the Trojans into a Sun Belt dynasty. Troy Trojans outlook Kimani Vidal, the nation’s second leading rusher, gained 72 yards and scored a touchdown in the 2022 Cure Bowl to lead Troy to victory. It’s the first appearance in this bowl for both Duke and Troy.

The 17th annual Birmingham Bowl serves as the opener of a stacked 7-game Saturday slate on the final weekend before Christmas. That leaves defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato as Troy’s interim and running backs coach Trooper Traylor as Duke’s interim in a high-stakes clash between shorthanded staffs. Texas A&M hired Mike Elko in late November after registering 16 wins in his first two years at Duke, including a 2022 Military Bowl victory. Tulane hired Jon Sumrall earlier in December after he led the Trojans to back-to-back Sun Belt titles and double-digit win seasons in just two years at the helm. Troy and Duke meet for the first time since 2014, and both sides are operating with interim coaches. ACC bowl matchup in history, and the matchup takes place less than 150 miles north of Troy’s campus within the state of Alabama. Only two syllables and eight letters are needed to spell out this year’s Birmingham Bowl participants of Troy and Duke. 2022 Birmingham Bowl matchup: Toledo 21, Liberty 19.Duke last bowl: 2022 Military Bowl, 30-13 win over UCF.

Troy last bowl: 2022 Cure Bowl, 18-12 win over UTSA.Last meeting: Duke 34, Troy 17 - September 6, 2014.Location: Protective Stadium - Birmingham, AL.Time and date: Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 p.m.

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