The Troy Trojans have officially invaded Mobile in advance of their showdown with Buffalo in the 2018 Dollar General Bowl on Saturday.

The Trojans began practice today at Saraland High School just outside of Mobile. It began what will be a busy week in Mobile.

The week will include trips to the local bowling alley as well as stops at the USA Women’s and Children’s hospital and the USS Alabama battleship.

The Trojans have worked in four practice sessions during a week. Bowl season is a reward for the Trojans according to head coach Neal Brown, and they will use the week and practices to reflect on another successful season.

“We try to make them a real fun experience,” said head coach Neal Brown. “The practices that we have during bowl season are distinctly different than the ones we have in season. We go shorter, they are less physical, a lot of it is built around development of next year’s team.”

The Trojans will make their third consecutive trip to a bowl game and, for the seniors, it’s nothing new.

Even though winning is a top priority, bowl season is a time to relax a little more and have some fun. For senior cornerback Blace Brown, it’s all about the extra activities and having fun.

“We still go to work, but it’s a lot more fun and there are more team activities than in regular drill work.”

For some, like running back B.J. Smith, the extra practice time is another opportunity and chance to get better.

“We are going into it the same way,” Smith said. “We are looking to get better than we were than when we walked into practice. At the end of the day, the coaches do a good job at keeping us into it, letting us know that the main objective is to win.”

Senior receiver Deondre Douglas will play in his final game with the Trojans on Saturday. Practice this week will feature plenty of intensity and as well as work.

“There is definitely a lot of intensity,” Douglas said. “There is a lot less pressure. It’s a lot more fun. It’s about us and not really about anybody else. It’s about what we do.”

The Trojans will practice one final time on Friday morning before kicking off against the Bulls at 6 p.m. on Saturday.