The Troy Trojans secured their first road victory in the Gerad Parker era by defeating Georgia Southern, 28-20, Saturday at Paulson Stadium.
Key offensive plays and a late turnover sparked the second upset win in a row to bring Troy’s record to 3-7.
“They’re playing at a high level now,” said head coach Gerad Parker in an interview with Troy Athletics. “The building sounds different, and that is what winning does.
“Sooner or later, you have to create more belief by seeing some results.”
The Troy offense kicked into high gear straight out of the gate, taking advantage of the Sun Belt’s worst defense. Damien Taylor ripped off a big run to get the Trojans on the Eagles’ side of the field in only five plays. The drive stalled out and resulted in a missed field goal.
Georgia Southern did not waste this opportunity. The Eagles drove the length of the field going 80 yards in 12 plays to strike first. After a few key penalties, wideout Josh Dallas scored on a 4-yard jet sweep to take the early lead.
Troy did not let this setback deter them. Immediately after receiving the ball, Matthew Caldwell connected with Devonte Ross for a 31-yard gain, and one play later, former Eagles running back Gerald Green gashed his old team for 33-yard run. Caldwell then found Brody Dalton wide open in the endzone for a six-yard strike, tying the game 7-7.
Defense became the name of the game to close out the second quarter. Neither team could find a rhythm, trading punts for four straight drives. Georgia Southern finally broke the stalemate, scoring a 21-yard field goal to take a 10-7 halftime lead.
Caldwell continued his breakout performance leading the Trojans to a first drive touchdown in the third quarter. The quarterback would finish with 288 yards passing, 13 yards rushing and all four of Troy’s touchdowns. The performance earned him Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.
“We believe in our passing game, and that has never wavered,” Caldwell said. “I thank the coaches for putting their trust in me and putting the football in my hands.”
Caldwell accounted for 39 yards on the 71-yard scoring drive, connecting with Ross on a four-yard score. The Trojans took a 14-10 lead to start the third quarter.
Georgia Southern attempted to answer but stalled out on the offensive side of the ball.
However, costly penalties helped the Eagles continue their drive. Troy finished the game with 11 penalties for 89 total yards compared to only two for the Eagles.
“It is something that you have to go through,” Parker said. “We are battle tested, and our guys have seen the worst of the worst and now the best of the best.
“We are responding in a way to each other as opposed to worrying about ourselves.”
Running back Jalen White capitalized on the mistakes and put Georgia Southern back in front, 17-14.
The Troy offense could not be stopped. The passing game began ripping apart the Eagles’ defense, leading to chunk play after chunk play. Caldwell found Peyton Higgins down the seam for a 37-yard gain on third-and-three to put Troy in scoring position. Caldwell scored on a two-yard quarterback sneak to recapture the lead.
The Troy defense had struggled all game to keep Georgia Southern in check, but in clutch situations it came up big.
The Eagles drove the length of the field looking to retake the lead in the final five minutes of the game. The drive stalled on the 27-yard line thanks to key tackles from Brendan Jackson and Devin Lafayette. The Eagles were forced to take a long field goal, keeping Troy ahead by one.
“It is a process,” said linebacker Jordan Stringer. “We are playing for more than just wins; we are playing for these seniors and building something special here.”
The next Troy drive was a thing of beauty. The Trojans drove the ball 75 yards in 16 plays, taking eight minutes off the clock in the process. Caldwell scored his second rushing touchdown of the day, increasing the lead to eight points and leaving only two and a half minutes on the clock to answer.
Georgia Southern’s answering drive was short lived. Justin Powe found the ball in his hands for a clutch turnover, and the ball game was over.
. Next week, the Trojans will travel to first place Louisiana with a chance to spoil the Ragin’ Cajuns championship hopes.
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