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You cannot put the ball on the ground six times and win against a good team.
You can’t let another team keep your offense off the field for 16 minutes of game time and win against a good team.
And you can’t allow another teams receivers to run with impunity behind your defensive backs and win against a good team.
And Troy is a good team.
The Bulls got things of to a bang with their opening drive after a couple of mid range plays UB Quarterback Tyree Jackson “Found” Antio Nunn for a 51 yard pass that set the Bulls up deep in Troy Territory.
The Pass bounced off of another receivers face mask, then a troy defenders hands before Nunn brought in the pass. Three plays later Jaret Patterson run for an 11 yard score.
Troy Answered right back, using the size of their receivers to move the ball on Buffalo. Sawyer Smith threw deep to Tray Eafford for 60 yds for a score to tie the game.
Then the Bulls started to make mistakes, the first of which was a Tyree Jackson interception, thrown while rolling out into coverage. Troy drove right back down but was stopped by the UB defense inside the ten.
After trading punts the Bulls found themselves starting a drive on their own four yard line. Thanks to a few troy penalties the Bulls drove the length of the field to go up 14-7.
With the Bulls up 14-7, and driving, they would commit their second turnover of the game when Patterson fumbled the ball at the UB 42 yard line.
This time Troy’s offense was able to capitalize with an eight play, 42 yard drive capped off by a seven yard pass from Sawyer Smith pass complete to Damion Willis to tie the game.
After another UB Fumble the defense held and handed the ball over to Tyree Jackson and company who drove down the field and Adam Mitcheson hit a 41 yard field goal to give UB a 17-14 lead that they would take into the half.
The third started with a long Troy drive to take the lead, and then an onside kick which they recovered.
The Bulls then let troy drive down the field but in the shadow of the goal post James Patterson force a fumble that Tyrone Hill returned for 93 yards to Give UB the lead back.
At this point in the second half the Bulls offense had still not touched the ball, and on Troys next possession they ate up even more clock, closing the quarter on the field and denying UB even one snap.
Troy scored quickly in the fourth quarter and then after a three and out by Buffalo, Smith hit another deep ball to put the Trojans up 11 points.
Buffalo’s offense was finally able to put together a drive after the troy score.
A 10 play 69 yard drive, on which Jackson made a 4th down conversion and two great circus throws to score and get the two point conversion. Closing the score to 35-32 Troy.
Buffalo’s defense held Troy to give the Bulls a chance to take the lead with less than four minutes left but Tyree Jackson was flushed from the pocket and had the ball knocked out of his hands.
The Trojans followed up with a touchdown pass to extend the lead back to 10 points.
While Buffalo would drive deep to try and pull it back to within a score but a Mitcheson field goal attempt was blocked and Troy ran out the clock.