The Sun Belt championship race took an unfortunate turn Monday as Troy head coach Neal Brown announced Trojans quarterback Kaleb Barker has been lost for the season to a torn ACL.
A junior from Decatur, Ala., Barker ranks second in the Sun Belt in passing efficiency, hitting a league-best 73 percent of his 126 throws for 1,013 yards with 10 touchdowns against two interceptions.
Barker is in his first year as a starter after appearing in 25 games as a freshman and sophomore as a holder and a backup quarterback.
Troy HC Neal Brown announced at his press conference Monday that quarterback Kaleb Barker has suffered an ACL injury and will miss the remainder of the season.
— Troy Trojans Football 7x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) October 8, 2018
Sawyer Smith will start Saturday's game at Liberty.#RTW #OneTROY
Barker completed 9-of-10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions before leaving Troy’s 37-20 win over Georgia State on Thursday.
Sophomore Sawyer Smith entered and hit 10-of-15 passes for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception. For the year, Smith is 22-of-34 for 213 yards with three scores and two picks.
For the year, Troy is 5-1 and 3-0 in Sun Belt play, sitting atop the East Division standings. The Trojans entered the year as co-favorites in the East with Appalachian State; Troy and App State meet Nov. 24 in Boone, N.C.
