TROY, Ala.- Offensive struggles haunted Troy during its Homecoming game Saturday, resulting in a 23-10 loss to Arkansas State and a shift in the Sun Belt West standings. The Red Wolves capitalized on early Trojan miscues and a stagnant Troy offense to secure the victory.
The loss drops Troy to third place in the Sun Belt West, while Arkansas State moves into second. both teams have three conference games remaining,including matchups against top-seeded Southern Miss. Troy’s offense, unable to find consistent rhythm, managed just one touchdown – a 1-yard run by Tucker Kilcrease early in the fourth quarter – and 166 passing yards.
arkansas State seized control early, building a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Raynor connected with Hunter Summers for a 19-yard touchdown, and the Wolves added a 30-yard field goal.Troy’s lone first-half points came from a 43-yard field goal by Scott Taylor Renfroe with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.
The Red Wolves extended their lead to 20-3 with a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter. A pivotal moment occurred late in the fourth quarter when Luke Hodge forced a fumble, recovered by DJ Jackson Jr.,giving Troy a chance to rally. However, Kilcrease was intercepted, and Arkansas State responded with a 52-yard field goal to lead 23-10 with 3:38 remaining.
Kilcrease completed 19 of 34 passes for 166 yards and one interception, adding a rushing touchdown. rara Thomas led Troy’s receivers with three catches for 31 yards, while tae Meadows rushed for 48 yards on 14 carries.
Defensively,Jordan Stringer paced Troy with 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.Elijah Davis added eight tackles and one tackle-for-loss, and Steven Cattledge recorded five tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss. while the Trojan defense limited Arkansas State to 140 yards and six points after a shaky first three possessions, the offensive woes proved insurmountable.
Troy will be off next week before facing Old Dominion in a Thursday night road matchup on Nov. 13, televised nationally on ESPN.
