Troy Drops Heartbreaker at South Carolina

Saturday, October 2

Columbia, S.C.

2:30 p.m.

Troy University

2-3 , 0-1

South Carolina

3-2 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Troy

South Carolina

10/2/2021 8:26:00 PM | Football

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By: Ken Rogers - TroyTrojans.com

Don't misunderstand; the outcome was a disappointment.

Troy couldn't overcome four turnovers and missed an opportunity to add to its "giant killer" reputation when South Carolina survived several miscues of its own and defeated the Trojans 23-14 on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

In a game featuring wide momentum swings – sometimes within the same play – both defenses kept finding ways to keep their team in the game. South Carolina kicker Parker White converted on kicks of 23, 48 and 37 yards – the final one with 2:20 remaining gave the Gamecocks a two-score lead.

"There are no moral victories," Troy head coach Chip Lindsey said. "We feel like we could have won the game and we didn't. But we don't have anybody to blame but ourselves. We made too many mistakes."

Despite the disappointment, the Trojans (2-3) left Columbia knowing they were a much better football team than the one that turned in a disappointing 29-16 loss the previous week at ULM. Lindsey said he was proud of the way his team responded.

Linebacker K.J. Robertson, who led Troy with nine tackles, said he saw "growth" from his team.

"Just to come to an SEC team – they're good for a reason; they're in the SEC – and to stick with them and really fight for it for all four quarters and have them worried and have them struggle running and moving the ball on us, it shows that we performed at the level we're capable of," Robertson said. "It shows growth from the entire team. Now we've got to keep building on that. There's still much more we can be. We're going to keep pushing. That's all we can do."

Troy faced its share of adversity – some created by the Gamecocks (3-2), some self-inflicted. The Trojans were driving in the final minute of the first half trailing 10-7. They got as far as the Carolina 23.

A holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards before quarterback Taylor Powell threw up the left sideline for Reggie Todd, who continued running long. The pass was picked off by David Spaulding, who raced 74 yards to the end zone and a 17-7 halftime lead for the Gamecocks.

"We had just talked about, 'Hey, let's be smart here,'" Lindsey recalled. "We were in field goal range and just made an errant throw. Sometimes that happens."

Rather than hang their heads, the Trojans opened the second half with an 8-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Jamontez Woods scoring on a pitch around left end. Brooks Buce's PAT cut it to 17-14.

Troy forced a punt on Carolina's next possession but started its next drive from its own 2. B.J. Smith, who became Troy's first 100-yard rusher in a game this season, gained 21 yards bouncing a handoff off the left side. However, that possession ended with another momentum-swinging play.

Jahmar Brown rushed the punt and drove protector A.J. Lewis backward. Luke Magliozzi's punt was blocked and recovered at the Troy 23. The defense held, and White's 48-yard field goal gave the Gamecocks a 20-14 advantage.

Troy dodged a bullet when an apparent intercepted by Brown was overturned on review. The Gamecocks helped further when Ahmarean Brown fumbled Magliozzi's punt, and long snapper Cameron Kaye recovered for Troy at the Carolina 19.

Three plays later, on the first play of the fourth quarter, came the craziest play of the game. Powell was sacked by Jaylan Foster, who stripped the ball away. Carolina's Damani Staley scooped it up. Troy's Smith stripped it away from him, but the Gamecocks' Jahmar Brown scooped it up and raced 61 yards to the goal line. Well, just short of the goal line. He celebrated his apparent touchdown by flipping the ball – which bounced through the end zone – a stride short of the end zone. After an extensive review, referees correctly awarded the ball to Troy on its 20-yard line.

Still trailing 20-14, Troy made a first down but was forced to punt the ball away. On third-and-8 from near midfield, edge rusher Richard Jibunor made a big play by stripping the ball from South Carolina quarterback Luke Doty and recovering at the Carolina 40 with 9:43 remaining.

On third-and-6, Powell threw a wide receiver screen to Reggie Todd, but the ball was stripped away by Foster, who finished the game with 12 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles.

Referees awarded the ball to South Carolina, despite Troy's Jabre Barber having both hands on the ball with the Gamecocks' Zacch Pickens.

"We thought we recovered, and they said they couldn't overturn it," Lindsey said. "That's how it goes. We shouldn't have put the ball on the ground."

South Carolina then kept the ball for 12 plays and nearly six minutes. White's 37-yard field goal came with 2:20 remaining and made it a two-score game.

Powell drove Troy into South Carolina territory but was intercepted by Staley.

The Gamecocks took a 3-0 lead when they took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in 15 plays before Troy forced them to settle for White's 23-yard field goal.

The Trojans answered on their second possession. Powell converted on third-and-10 with a key 12-yard pass to Tez Johnson. B.J. Smith broke a third-and-8 play up the middle for 35 yards and a touchdown to cap that drive.

"It was an enormous hole," said Smith, who became Troy's first 100-yard rusher in a game this season. "That's a credit to the O-line up front. They practiced with good pad level and good energy all week. You could see it by the way we played the game. They got movement all day. When they're playing as good as they can play, that's what you can do."

Smith, starting for the injured Kimani Vidal, finished with 105 yards on 19 carries. Woods also was effective, gaining 49 yards on nine carries.

Troy outrushed Carolina 155 yards to 102.

Powell was 19-for-35 passing for 136 yards. He was intercepted twice and did not throw a touchdown pass. Doty completed 20 of 34 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown.