Chandler Rogers TD run vs. Troy 2022
Michael Wade
16
ULM ULM 4-7 , 3-4
34
Winner Troy TRO 9-2 , 6-1
ULM ULM
4-7 , 3-4
16
Final
34
Troy TRO
9-2 , 6-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 0 3 7 6 16
TRO Troy 3 17 7 7 34

Game Recap: Football |

Stingy Defense, Stout Running Game Help Troy Overpower ULM, 34-16

By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

TROY, Ala. – Stingy as advertised, Troy's defense did a number on ULM Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Trojans (9-2, 6-1 Sun Belt) held ULM (4-7, 3-4 Sun Belt) to 228 total yards, recorded five sacks and scored off a fumble return in a 34-16 win over the Warhawks.

"They're a great football team," ULM coach Terry Bowden said. "They're the best team in the conference. The defense played pretty well at first, but they just got ahead of us and were better on both sides of the ball."

Running back Kimani Vidal gored ULM for a career-high 242 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries to lead Troy's offense. The Trojans came in averaging 95.6 yards rushing as a team but tallied 264 against the Warhawks while winning their eighth-straight game.

"That was the difference with their offense," Bowden said. "They just pounded us up front. The defense just ran out of gas. They were on the field the entire time in the first half, and they just wore them down. Eventually, it was just too much for them."

Cornerback Car'lin Vigers led ULM with 12 tackles. The Warhawks limited Troy to 78 yards passing yards with one sack.

Quarterback Chandler Rogers rushed for 44 yards with two touchdowns while completing 17-of-28 passes for 145 yards. ULM managed just 83 rushing yards on 33 attempts for a 2.5 average per carry.

Troy led 3-0 after Brooks Buce kicked a 35-yard field goal with 3:09 left in the first quarter. The Trojans scored after a nine-play, 33-yard drive.

With 11:08 left before the half, Buce capped an 11-play, 58-yard drive with a 45-yard field goal to give Troy a 6-0 advantage.

ULM's first productive drive of the first half ended on fourth-and-5 at the Troy 37 as Chandler Rogers threw incomplete toward Tyrone Howell with 4:50 remaining in the second quarter.

After stopping the Warhawks, the Trojans ran five consecutive plays through Vidal for 62 yards. On the sixth play of the 63-yard drive, DK Billingsley scored on a 1-yard plunge and Troy moved ahead 13-0 with 2:04 showing in the half.

ULM's frustrating first half turned uglier with 1:51 to go when Rogers fumbled after a sack by Shakel Brown. Troy's Antonio Showers recovered and scored on a 13-yard return to give the Trojans a 20-0 lead.

The Warhawks finally broke through with a 27-yard field goal by Calum Sutherland as time expired at the break. ULM drove 65 yards in 11 plays over the final 1:51 to score its first points.

Trailing 20-3 at the half, the Warhawks were outgained, 179 yards to 89 (101 to 4 rushing), while Troy led in time of possession, 18:07 to 11:53. The turnover that turned into a Troy touchdown added salt to the wound.

"Their defense just ate our offense up," Bowden said at halftime. "The defense came out playing well, but they were just on the field too long. Our offense couldn't make anything happen."

After forcing a ULM three-and-out to start the third quarter, Troy needed just two plays to go 45 yards and score on a Vidal 5-yard touchdown run, extending its lead to 27-3.

Rogers scored on a 12-yard run up the middle to give the Warhawks their first touchdown with 7:25 left in the third quarter. ULM ran 11 plays for 82 yards to narrow the deficit to 27-10.

Down 17 heading into the fourth quarter, ULM saw the deficit swell to 34-10 with another Vidal touchdown. Vidal carried seven times for all 54 yards before his 7-yard score with 8:46 remaining in the game.

Rogers added his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 3:14 showing on the clock for the final score. The Warhawks, who covered 75 yards in 14 plays, came up short on a pass attempt on a 2-point conversion.

"They were too much for us," Bowden said. "We didn't play our best game, but we played the best we could. They're a better football team and we weren't going to beat them tonight."

Something special: Senior punter Devyn McCormick averaged 50.3 yards on three punts with a long of 57.

Coming in, McCormick ranked 36th in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and third in the Sun Belt Conference, averaging 43.4 yards per punt.

Good play: Utilizing a nifty 360-degree spin move, Rogers scored on a 12-yard run up the middle to give the Warhawks their first touchdown with 7:25 left in the third quarter. Rogers passed for 48 yards and rushed for 20 during the drive.

Did you notice?: Troy linebacker Carlton Martial, the NCAA FBS career tackling leader with 548 stops, did not play in the game. Troy announced on Saturday that Martial was out.

Up next: ULM finishes the regular season Nov. 26 with a home game against first-year Sun Belt member Southern Miss (5-6). Kickoff is 4 p.m. The Golden Eagles lost 27-20 to South Alabama on Saturday.

Tail feathers:  ULM game captains were OG Elijah Fisher, DE Kenard Snyder and FS Car'lin Vigers. … LB Tristan Driggers returned to the starting lineup after missing the game at Georgia State due to shoulder injury. He finished with seven tackles. … Troy recognized former ULM President Lawson Swearingen and his wife Sharon in the first quarter. The Swearingens now live in Alabama. … ULM Director of Athletic Bands Allen Parrish holds a B.M. in Music Education from Troy. …  Troy now leads the series 11-8-1 over ULM.
 
 
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