Troy Downs Campbell, Wins First Game of Lindsey Era

Saturday, August 31

Troy, Ala.

5 p.m.

Troy University

1-0

Campbell

0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Campbell

Troy

Troy Downs Campbell, Wins First Game of Lindsey Era

8/31/2019 11:03:00 PM | Football

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Kaleb Barker threw for two touchdowns and B.J. Smith rushed for 108 yards en route to a 43-14 victory over Campbell in the first game of the Chip Lindsey era. The win over Campbell marks the Trojans' first season opening win since 2016, and the Trojans are now 23-5 over their last 28 games.

Troy (1-0) limited Campbell (0-1) to just 143 total yards during the contest, the fewest allowed by a Trojan defense since 2008 (Alcorn State).

After finishing 12^thnationally in sacks a year ago, the Troy defense picked up right where they left off, finishing with five sacks and two quarterback hurries. Carlton Martial led the way with a game-high 13 tackles while Marcus Webb proved to be a problem in the backfield, finishing with two sacks.

Two Trojans topped the 100-yard receiving mark in their Troy debut. Reggie Todd finished with three receptions for 108 yards while Kaylon Geiger had five receptions for 104 yards; both joined the Trojans from the junior college ranks. Barker and crew racked up 527 yards of total offense, which is the second time in the last two seasons the Trojans have eclipsed the 500-yard mark.

The Trojans were on the Camels from the opening whistle as Smith took an inside hand-off up the middle for 41 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Tyler Sumpter capped off the first drive with a 27-yard field goal, which was the first time Troy scored on its opening possession since 2016.

On Troy's next drive, Barker connected with a wide-open Todd on a 61-yard touchdown pass to put the Trojans up by 10 early in the first quarter. The pass was the longest completion of Barker's career.

Campbell capitalized off a Troy fumble to pull within three, but it was all Trojans from that point on. Troy scored 26 unanswered points until the Camels connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.

DK Billingsley had an answer for the Campbell touchdown as the sophomore waltzed into the end zone from 38 yards out for his second touchdown of the day.

The game was delayed by 74 minutes in between the first and second quarter, but the weather didn't deter a great crowd at The Vet as 23,172 fans were in attendance.

Quotable – Coach Chip Lindsey
"I appreciate everyone being here, and I'm glad we got the win … I was a little bit worried with how we would respond after the long delay, but I was really pleased with how we played in the second half. I was really pleased with how we tried to take control of the game up front and win the line of scrimmage."

Sound Smart with Your Friends
Chip Lindsey became the first Troy coach to win his debut since Robert Maddox in 1988 and just the second since 1983. First-year coaches are now 9-9-4 in their Troy debuts.

Notable
• B.J. Smith's 24-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the 16th of his career, tying him for 10th all-time in Troy history.

• B.J. Smith finished the game with 108 yards on 10 carries for the sixth 100-yard rushing game of his career; he moved into a tie for 10th place all-time in Troy history with his six 100-yard games.

• Carlton Martial finished the game with a career-best 13 tackles. His previous high was 10 last season against Liberty.

• Troy won for just the ninth time (9-24) since joining the Sun Belt in 2004 when not forcing a turnover; the Trojans entered the season as the nation's leader with 87 forced turnovers over the past three seasons.

Up Next
Troy has a rare bye week next season before hosting Southern Miss on Sept. 14 in The Vet.