Troy, Vidal Run Past ULM on Senior Day

Saturday, November 19

Troy, Ala.

2:30 p.m.

Troy University

9-2 , 6-1

ULM

4-7 , 3-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

ULM

Troy

11/19/2022 7:36:00 PM | Football

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – If Saturday was Troy's last home game of the season, the Trojans made sure that the 22 seniors who were honored before the game went out in style with a 34-16 victory over ULM in Sun Belt Conference action at The Vet.

Troy has now won eight straight games, its longest winning streak in the school's FBS era and the longest since the 1999 squad won its first nine games of the season. The eight straight wins are tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the country behind only the four undefeated teams – Michigan, Ohio State, TCU and Georgia.

Kimani Vidal rushed for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries to pace the Troy (9-2, 6-1 SBC) offense. His rushing outburst goes down as the second-most yards in a game in Troy history, just two behind Eddie Brundidge's 244 yards in 1986.

Troy can lock up its spot in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game with a win next Saturday at Arkansas State or a South Alabama loss to Old Dominion. The site of the game is still up in the air and depends on the outcome of Coastal Carolina's game at James Madison.

The Trojans dominated all phases of the game as they outgained the Warhawks (4-7, 3-4) 342-228, including limiting ULM to just 83 rushing yards on 33 carries. The loss snapped ULM's two-game winning streak and ended its bowl hopes.

Brooks Buce put the Trojans on top with a pair of field goals midway through both the first and second quarters before the Trojans broke open the contest right before the break.

After Vidal carried the ball on six straight plays and picked up 62 yards, DK Billingsley cashed in the drive with his fifth touchdown of the season, scoring from 1-yard out with 2:04 to play in the half.

On the second play of ULM's ensuing drive, Shakel Brown stripped the ball from ULM quarterback Chandler Rogers' hand and Antonio Showers scooped it and scored from 13 yards out to put Troy up 20-0. ULM added a 27-yard field goal as time expired to make it a 20-3 game at the half.

After Troy's defense forced a 3-and-out to open the second half, Vidal needed just two plays to stretch the Trojan lead out to 27-3. The sophomore running back went for 40 yards on the first play and found paydirt from five yards out on the next play.

Troy's final scoring drive was all Vidal as he accounted for all 54 yards on seven touches, including a 5-yard touchdown run that put the Trojans up 34-10.

Aided by a pair of Troy 15-yard penalties, ULM found the end zone for the second time as Rogers kept it for a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:14 to play in the game.

Rogers rushed for 44 yards and a pair of scores despite carrying 40 yards of negative rushing thanks to five Troy sacks. He also completed 17-of-28 passes for 145 yards. Troy limited dangerous ULM receiver Tyrone Howell to just one reception in the game.

Gunnar Watson completed 10-of-17 passes for 78 yards for the Trojans, with Tez Johnson pulling down six receptions for 42 yards.

Quotable – Head Coach Jon Sumrall
"I was excited to see our team get our eighth consecutive win," Sumrall said. "It's the first time in Division I FBS football history that Troy's done that. A program that's got a very storied history. It's hard to do something that's never been done because Troy's football history is real, unique and special. For us to do something as a team that's never been done is quite the opportunity. I'm proud of the character and toughness of our team. I still think we could do some things better, and we are not a finished product. We got to have another great week moving forward next week to reach our goals, and I believe that we will."

Up Next
Troy wraps its regular season next Saturday at Arkansas State (3-8, 1-6). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the Trojans can clinch the Sun Belt West Division title with a victory.

Notable
• Left tackle Austin Stidham started his team-leading 59th career game, and Will Choloh extended Troy's longest active streak with his 46th consecutive start. One week after setting the NCAA record for career tackles, linebacker Carlton Martial did not play due to injury.

• Troy improved to 6-0 at home this season; the Trojans' first undefeated season at home since posting a 5-0 mark in 2009.

• Troy led 27-10 at the end of the third quarter; the Trojans improved to 71-20 since 2005 when leading after the third quarter. Troy led 20-3 at the half; the Trojans improved to 102-20 since 2005 when leading at the half.

• Troy improved to 90-54 all-time in the Sun Belt; the Trojans have the most wins in league history despite joining the conference three years after ULM, Louisiana and Arkansas State.

• Troy has now won 55 games since the start of the 2016 season; the Trojans entered the weekend with the 23rd most wins nationally and the eighth most in the Group of Five over that time.

• Kimani Vidal rushed for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, 8.3 yards per carry. It was the second-most yards in a game in Troy history (244 Eddie Brundidge vs. Virginia Union, 1986). Vidal's 242 yards are tied for the 20th most in a game in Sun Belt history and the ninth most in an NCAA FBS game this season.

• Kimani Vidal's 8.3 yards per carry average is the most by a Trojan since at least 2000 with at least 20 attempts in a game; the previous high was 8.4 by DuJuan Harris against Louisiana on Nov. 22, 2008 -- 234 yards on 28 carries.

• Troy's 20 points in the first half was its highest output since scoring 21 points in the opening half at App State on Sept. 24.

• Troy rushed for 264 yards in the game; it's most of the season. Troy's previous high was 149 two weeks ago at Louisiana. The 264 rushing yards are the most by a Troy offense since rushing for 273 yards against Georgia Southern on Nov. 9, 2019.

• Troy has rushed for more than 100 yards in seven of the last eight games; the only one under the century mark was last week against Army (72 yards).

• Troy finished with five sacks in the game; it was the Trojans' eighth game with multiple sacks and fifth game with four or more sacks; the Trojans entered the weekend sixth nationally with four or more sacks in four games.

• Troy's five sacks marked the fourth time this season with five sacks in a game; Troy entered the weekend third nationally with three games of five or more sacks.

• Troy held ULM to just 228 yards on 62 plays; the Trojans improved to 32-5 in their FBS era when holding their opponent under 250 yards of offense.

• Troy held ULM to just 83 rushing yards; it marked the seventh time this season that Troy has held its opponent to less than 100 yards rushing, which is tied for the second most in the school's FBS history.

• Troy forced one turnover in the game and has now forced a turnover in 75 of its last 91 games.

• Troy is now allowed just 275.1 per game and 4.22 yards per game in Sun Belt games this season.

• Brooks Buce is now 23-of-26 in his Troy career after going 1,751 days in between field goal attempts (senior year of high school and ULM in 2021); he entered the weekend ranked third among active players in career percentage.