Troy Cruises Past Akron on the Road

Saturday, September 21

Akron, Ohio

2 p.m.

Troy University

2-1

Akron

0-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Troy

Akron

Photo by: Joey Meredith

9/21/2019 6:44:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stats Game Notes (PDF)Chip Lindsey Press Conference Players Press Conference Highlights Photo Gallery

By: Troy Athletics Communications

AKRON, OHIO – Kaleb Barker accounted for four touchdowns and the Troy defense limited Akron to just 242 yards as the Trojans defeated the Zips, 35-7, Saturday at InfoCision Stadium.

Troy (2-1) broke the game open in the second quarter with a pair of touchdowns – a 2-yard pass from Barker to Khalil McClain and a 9-yard run by Barker – to start a run of 28-straight points by the Trojans to end the game.

Barker completed 27-of-37 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns while rushing for 42 yards on eight carries and the touchdown. In his first game since taking over for B.J. Smith, DK Billingsley rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, while Trevon Woolfolk rushed for 84 yards and Tanner Blatt added 44 yards.

The Trojans rolled up 485 yards of total offense on the Zips (0-4) and 32 first downs – Troy ran 95 plays compared to just 50 by Akron. The Troy defense bounced back in a big way limiting Akron to just 10 first downs, 39 yards on the ground and 203 yards through the air.

Billingsley capped a 15-play scoring drive to open the second half with a 1-yard score to extend Troy's lead to 28-7 and then Bret Clark pulled down an 11-yard strike from Barker in the closing seconds of the third quarter to ice the game for Troy.

The teams traded touchdowns in the opening quarter of play with A.J. Lewis scoring from eight yards out for his first career touchdown on Troy's opening drive of the game, and then Maverick Wolfley pulled down a 21-yard touchdown from Kato Nelson for the lone Zip score of the game. Nelson finished the game 15-of-29 for 200 yards.

Luke Whittemore and Kaylon Geiger both finished with a career-best seven receptions to pace the Trojans. T.J. Harris led the Trojans with six tackles, while Orlando Lacey recorded his first career interception.

Quotable – Troy Head Coach Chip Lindsey
"First time we were traveling in an environment we're not similar with. I thought our guys handled it great. They did an excellent job preparing g all week. They came and really took care of business and I am really proud of them."

Sound Smart with Your Friends
Junior running back Tanner Blatt was delivering food for Door Dash up until Saturday when the Trojans lost three running backs to injury against Southern Miss. By Sunday, Blatt was at practice with the Trojans for the first time since December 2018, and against Akron he rushed for 44 yards.

Notable
• Kaleb Barker finished the game with three touchdown passes for his third straight multi-touchdown game to open the season; he now has multiple touchdown passes in six of his last nine games. The three-touchdown game marked the third of his career with three-plus touchdowns.

• DK Billingsley scored from 1-yard out in the third quarter for his team-leading fourth touchdown of the season. Billingsley rushed for a career-best 100 yards on 22 carries in his first game as Troy's starting running back.

• Troy held Akron to just 242 yards in the game marking the 31st time in Troy's FBS history that the Trojans have held their opponent under the 250-yard mark; Troy is now 26-5 in such games.

• Troy forced two turnovers in the game after going the opening two games without one; the last time Troy went back-to-back games without a turnover it also forced multiple turnovers in the next game (three vs. Akron in 2016).