Troy Takes The Battle of the Belt 28-21
The rivalry belt will spend the next year in Troy, Alabama after the Trojans scored 18 unanswered points to win 28-21 with a strong contingent of Trojan fans there to view the game. Jags fall to 3-4 overall and 0-4 in Sun Belt Conference play while Troy improves to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
The game started with a flurry but would later be overshadowed by the terrible officiating. The level of officiating would make anyone angry and would draw endless ire if it occurred in a Power 5 conference.
The first play from scrimmage it looked like the Trojans has scored a 79 yard touchdown, but running back Chunn stepped out of bounds near midfield. Then a pass was caught in the middle of the field and he was surrounded by the Jaguars swarm defense and stripped of the ball.
The Jags would capitalize with Xavier Johnson scoring on a short touchdown run.
The Jaguar defense forced a punt deep in Trojan territory, but the snap was low and the Jags pounced. Again another Xavier Johnson short touchdown run put the Jags up 14-0 early in the game.
Troy’s first big play of the game came on an 80 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Silvers to Tevaris McCormick to half the leave 14-7.
On one of the more dubious moments of officiating in the game, the play was called dead at the snap, Johnson was running out to the right flat and slowing down after the whistle, but a Trojan player kept going full speed, lowered his head and blindsided Xavier. No flag was thrown, but after head coach Joey Jones went to the numbers of the opposite side of the field pleading and checking on his player, the referees reviewed the play for targeting. They determined it was not targeting, Xavier left the game with an injury and never returned.
USA would score only once more after he left as the Jaguar rushing attack went anemic. Actually the Jags were outscored after Johnson and starting left guard Curtis Williams, who left with a knee injury in the first quarter, by a score of 21-7.
In the fourth quarter, in a tie game, the Jags had an opporunity after Randy Allen recovered a fumble late in the game, but the Jaguar offense couldn’t get anything going and went 3 and out.
Troy then drove 80 yards in 5 plays and only used :53 seconds to take a 28-21 lead.
Dallas Davis was sacked on the first play forcing the Jags to use their second time out with 1:06 left. After an incomplete pass, the Jags had some confusion on offense and burned their final time out with 1:00 left in the game.
Dallas Davis, facing 3rd and 18 at their own 13, was flushed out of the pocket and with the secondary playing deep coverage, he was able to scramble for 17 yards and a first down after a review due to a bad spot from the officiating crew.
Dami Ayoola rushed for 10 yards and another first down before Davis was sacked again in the pocket. After way too much time ran off the clock, Davis found Kutchera for a 35 yard completion but as he was trying to fight his way toward the end zone the ball came loose and was recovered by the Trojans with no time left on the clock.
Depsite leaving the game so early, Xavier was the Jags leading rusher with 58 yards on only six carries. Tyreis Thomas added 41 on 10 carries and Ayoola with 34 on 8 carries.
Davis was 11-of-20 for 195 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked 6 times.
Kutchera led the receiving corps with 92 yards on three receptions. Tyrone Williams hauled in 4 catches for 50 yards while Gerald Everett finished with 3 catches for 49 yards and the lone receiving touchdown.
Brandon McKee had seven punts for an average of 49.3 yards per kick, including a 74 yard lone as he pinned the opponent inside the 20 three times. Corliss Waitman kicked twice with an average of 42 yards per kick.
Jordan Chunn led the Trojans with 143 yards rushing on 23 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Silvers finished 28-of-42 for 395 yards and a touchdown.
Tevaris McCormick led all receivers with 127 yards on four catches and the lone passing touchdown. Emanual Thomas was next with 74 yards on 7 catches and John Johnson who has 72 yards on six catches.
Overall Troy outgained USA 585 to 340. Rushing, the Trojans had 190 to USA’s 145. Passing the Trojans had 395 yards to Davis’ 195.
Time of possession was pretty much equal as Troy possessed it for 30:56 in the game.
Jags will have a couple extra days before they host Georgia State on October 29 for homecoming.
Jags Fall In Jonesboro 17-7
Arkansas State’s defense counfouned the Jaguar offense the entire game save for one drive late in the fourth quarter en route to a 17-7 defeate of the Jaguars.
The Jags offensive line had problems protecting the quarterback and opening running lanes as Cole Garvin and Dallas Davis were sacked six times combined. Davis threw an interception inside the five yard line near the end of the first half. However the other Jaguar turnover, a fumble by Kutchera that was scooped up by a Red Wolf defender and returned for a touchdown, opened the scoring in the game.
The offense only tallied 255 yards of offense with only 61 on the ground. They only had 44 yards in the first half until the final Jaguar possession that ended with the INT inside the five.
The Jaguar defense only allowed 297 total yards, 204 of them on the ground. With the loss of Sir’Calvin Wallace for the game (though maybe not for the season), we’ve lost count how many defensive linemen have been injured for the Jags.
The inability for the Jags offense to protect quarterbacks Dallas Davis and Cole Garvin, was a stark difference from the previous game against San Diego State, that it was like it was a totally different team on the field. Just two weeks ago the Jags took down the then #19 team in the nation, then two weeks later they have major problems protecting, opening running lanes and putting points on the scoreboard.
Defensively, the Jags had problems stopping the Red Wolves rushing attack. Most of it can be attributed to the loss of so many defensive linemen, and yet they only allowed 10 points.
Cole Garvin started the game under center but gave way to Dallas Davis prior to halftime after the Jaguar offense had struggled to only gain 44 yards up to that point. Then the offense drove 56 yards prior to the interception at the 3 yard line ended the possession.
But it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Jaguars finally got on the scoreboard after short punt was downed at the USA 16 then a personal foul backed them up to the 8 yard line and finally a false start put them back at the 4 yard line. Facing 3rd and 9, Davis connected with Gerald Everett for a 76 yard catch and run to get deep into ASU territory. A few plays later the Xavier Johnson would get the only score of the game for USA.
Davis finished the game with 146 yards on 9-of-15 passing with an interception and sacked twice. Garvin only had 48 yards on 3-of-12 passing and took four sacked.
Everett had 125 yards receiving on five catches.
Dami Ayoola led the way rushing with 34 yards on six carries followed by Xavier Johnson with 24 yards on 10 carries.
Justice Hansen had 93 yards passing on 9-of-13 passing with one interception. Warren Wand led all rushing with 88 yards on 18 carries. Johnston White rushed for 58 on 12 carries and Hansen had 37 yards on 15 carries.
The Jags will have a short turnaround as they host conference leader Troy for a Thursday night nationally televised game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
South Alabama Defeats #19 Ranked San Diego State 42-24
South Alabama gathers at midfield as they enter the field.
South Alabama was ready for #19 ranked San Diego State’s bid for revenge for last season’s loss to the Jaguars in overtime. They were also ready for the
Entering the game, the Jags were without their starting quarterback Dallas Davis and starting running back Xavier Johnson. Sophomore Cole Garvin stepped in and played a great game. Garvin was an efficient 16 of 21 for 242 yards and three touchdowns with only one interception.
Tyreis Thomas, who started in place of the injured Johnson led the Jags on the ground with 33 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown. Dami Ayoola added 22 yards on eight carries with the other rushing touchdown for USA.
Garvin spread the ball around pretty well with Josh Magee earning the most catches with six for 83 yards and a touchdown but Gerald Everett lead the team with 103 receiving yards and a touchdown, including an 80 yard touchdown to open the 2nd half scoring.
Donnel Pumphrey entered the game as the nations leading rusher and averaged almost 200 yards per game, though he still rushed for a quiet 151 yards and a touchdown, the Jags kept him bottled up for most of the game.
Late in the second quarter the Jags got the ball after Kalen Jackson forced a fumble which was recovered by Sir’Calvin Wallace putting the Jags in great position to take a two-score lead, but the drive would end with Garvin’s lone mistake when he threw into double coverage and was picked off.
The Aztecs would drive to the Jaguar 17 yard line but the Jags defense held them to a field goal and took a 16-14 lead into the locker room.
The Jags opened up the scoring in the second half on the second play from scrimmage when Gerald Everett wasn’t covered on a pass play and Garvin had time to get it to him then Everett raced down the near sideline 80 yards for the touchdown.
The Aztecs would score one more time after holding USA to a three and out, they would ride Pumphrey and Rashaad Penny more most if not all of the 90 yards on the drive. Once they scored, they went for the two-point conversion and converted to take a 24-21 lead over USA.
South Alabama answered with a drive of their own covering 69 yards taking 11 plays and spanning 6:08 capped off by a 20 yard touchdown reception for Josh Magee. The Jags lead was 28-24 early in the fourth quarter.
Then the Jags broke it open after holding SDSU to a punt, the back-up long snapper snapped it over the punters head. He would fall on it at his own 3 yard line giving the Jags a 1st and goal from there. Ayoola would punch it into the end zone giving the Jags a two-score advantange 35-24.
On the next Aztec possession they methodically drive down the field to the Jaguar 24 before the Jags defense stropped the ball and Devon Earl picked it up and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. But on the play, defensive lineman Sir’Calvin Wallace went down and needed the trainers for the second time in the game. This time they brought the cart out but he refused to be carted off the field and hopped on one leg to the sideline.
The Jags dominated most offensive categories. USA outgained the Aztecs 331 to 316. Jags gained 242 through the air while SDSU threw for 159. Led by Pumphrey, the Aztecs out rushed the Jags 157 to 89. Additionally, the Jags possessed the ball for 33:17 to San Diego’s 26:43.
After a weekend off, the Jags will travel to Arkansas State looking to knotch their first win over the Red Wolves (0-4).