Troy Takes The Battle of the Belt 28-21
The rivalry belt will spend the next year in Troy, Alabama after the Trojans scored 18 unanswered points to win 28-21 with a strong contingent of Trojan fans there to view the game. Jags fall to 3-4 overall and 0-4 in Sun Belt Conference play while Troy improves to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
The game started with a flurry but would later be overshadowed by the terrible officiating. The level of officiating would make anyone angry and would draw endless ire if it occurred in a Power 5 conference.
The first play from scrimmage it looked like the Trojans has scored a 79 yard touchdown, but running back Chunn stepped out of bounds near midfield. Then a pass was caught in the middle of the field and he was surrounded by the Jaguars swarm defense and stripped of the ball.
The Jags would capitalize with Xavier Johnson scoring on a short touchdown run.
The Jaguar defense forced a punt deep in Trojan territory, but the snap was low and the Jags pounced. Again another Xavier Johnson short touchdown run put the Jags up 14-0 early in the game.
Troy’s first big play of the game came on an 80 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Silvers to Tevaris McCormick to half the leave 14-7.
On one of the more dubious moments of officiating in the game, the play was called dead at the snap, Johnson was running out to the right flat and slowing down after the whistle, but a Trojan player kept going full speed, lowered his head and blindsided Xavier. No flag was thrown, but after head coach Joey Jones went to the numbers of the opposite side of the field pleading and checking on his player, the referees reviewed the play for targeting. They determined it was not targeting, Xavier left the game with an injury and never returned.
USA would score only once more after he left as the Jaguar rushing attack went anemic. Actually the Jags were outscored after Johnson and starting left guard Curtis Williams, who left with a knee injury in the first quarter, by a score of 21-7.
In the fourth quarter, in a tie game, the Jags had an opporunity after Randy Allen recovered a fumble late in the game, but the Jaguar offense couldn’t get anything going and went 3 and out.
Troy then drove 80 yards in 5 plays and only used :53 seconds to take a 28-21 lead.
Dallas Davis was sacked on the first play forcing the Jags to use their second time out with 1:06 left. After an incomplete pass, the Jags had some confusion on offense and burned their final time out with 1:00 left in the game.
Dallas Davis, facing 3rd and 18 at their own 13, was flushed out of the pocket and with the secondary playing deep coverage, he was able to scramble for 17 yards and a first down after a review due to a bad spot from the officiating crew.
Dami Ayoola rushed for 10 yards and another first down before Davis was sacked again in the pocket. After way too much time ran off the clock, Davis found Kutchera for a 35 yard completion but as he was trying to fight his way toward the end zone the ball came loose and was recovered by the Trojans with no time left on the clock.
Depsite leaving the game so early, Xavier was the Jags leading rusher with 58 yards on only six carries. Tyreis Thomas added 41 on 10 carries and Ayoola with 34 on 8 carries.
Davis was 11-of-20 for 195 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked 6 times.
Kutchera led the receiving corps with 92 yards on three receptions. Tyrone Williams hauled in 4 catches for 50 yards while Gerald Everett finished with 3 catches for 49 yards and the lone receiving touchdown.
Brandon McKee had seven punts for an average of 49.3 yards per kick, including a 74 yard lone as he pinned the opponent inside the 20 three times. Corliss Waitman kicked twice with an average of 42 yards per kick.
Jordan Chunn led the Trojans with 143 yards rushing on 23 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Silvers finished 28-of-42 for 395 yards and a touchdown.
Tevaris McCormick led all receivers with 127 yards on four catches and the lone passing touchdown. Emanual Thomas was next with 74 yards on 7 catches and John Johnson who has 72 yards on six catches.
Overall Troy outgained USA 585 to 340. Rushing, the Trojans had 190 to USA’s 145. Passing the Trojans had 395 yards to Davis’ 195.
Time of possession was pretty much equal as Troy possessed it for 30:56 in the game.
Jags will have a couple extra days before they host Georgia State on October 29 for homecoming.
Comments
2 Responses to “Troy Takes The Battle of the Belt 28-21”
glad to see you posting again. I thought we had s chance to win against Troy too.
Sorry, just now getting around to reply. We definitely had a chance to win. What a crowd for Troy though, I hope our students and fans look at what they saw during that game and take some notes.