The Troy Trojans players are ready to fly with the Golden Eagles of the University of Southern Mississippi Dec. 21 in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in the Louisiana Superdome.

“This is awesome, and this is exactly what we wanted to be at,” Troy junior linebacker Bear Woods said. “We are outright (Sun Belt) champs, and we are going down to New Orleans. We have been there before and we know it is a great time and we are looking forward to it.”

Troy made the trip to the New Orleans Bowl after sharing the Sun Belt title in 2006, but Woods said the trip in 2006 just doesn’t even come close to this year’s trip for him personally.

“The first time we went I was a red shirt, and I just got a vacation and got to enjoy watching a great football team play. This year I am going in wanting to get a win against Southern Miss as a starter,” Woods said. “This is a totally different feeling for me.”

Senior wide receiver Mykeal Terry is happy to go back to the New Orleans Bowl. Terry caught two balls from then Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook for 96 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown in Troy’s 41-17 rout of Rice in the 2006 game.

“It was fun,” Terry said. “I didn’t expect to do as well as I did, but I guess they just decided to throw me the ball and I made some plays. Hopefully I can do the same thing this year.”

Having success in ‘06 made an impression on Terry and he wants to make sure to have a repeat performance. “Last time I didn’t party that much, so I am going to try and do the same things this year so I have the same results this year as I did in ‘06,” he said. “All of the younger guys will be expecting to be there to have a good time, but we are there for business. It is a reward, but we are there for business. We will show them around and have a little bit of fun, but not too much fun.”

For Terry the New Orleans Bowl is a culmination of every single drop of sweat the Trojans have seen this year.

“All the stuff we went through this summer and spring in camp has been for this,” he said. “If we would have lost that last game, it would have been for nothing. I am ecstatic right now.”

Playing in a college bowl game is a dream come true for Woods.

“It is every young kid’s dream to play a college bowl game at the Division I level,” he said. “I would have never imagined I would get to play in the Superdome in my wildest dreams and I am stoked I am getting the chance to do that.”

Woods will face off with an old high school teammate when the Trojans clash with the Golden Eagles later this month. Woods and senior Golden Eagle wide out Chris Rhoden attended Baker County High School in MacClenny, Fla. together.

“I know it will be a big game since it is such a regional game,” Woods said. “And I hope that will bring a lot of fans to the game. Maybe we will have a good crowd in the Superdome.”

The Trojans dominated the Arkansas State Red Wolves 35-9 to claim the school’s first ever outright Sun Belt Championship last weekend and clinch the spot in the bowl. For tickets go to troytrojans.com or call the Troy University ticket office at 1-877-878-WINS.