Observations and quotes from Troy’s 43-14 win over Campbell

Troy opened the 2019 season with a 43-14 win over the Campbell Camels, giving Chip Lindsey his first win as a collegiate head coach and earning himself the game ball.

Lindsey becomes the first Troy head coach to win his debut game since Robert Maddux in 1988 did it. Below are five observations from Saturday’s game and the team’s thoughts on the early bye week.

Kaleb Barker returns

Senior quarterback Kaleb Barker finally made his long-awaited return to the field and turned in a 282 yard, two touchdown performance. He didn’t exactly pick up where he left off, though.

Barker completed four of nine pass attempts in the first quarter and missed an open Sam Letton in the endzone. The misfire forced Tyler Sumpter out for his first field goal attempt, which he converted on.

“I think that first drive I was a little nervous,” Barker said following the game. “I missed a couple of throws, definitely missed a touchdown to Sam Letton. That’s going to eat me up.”

One of Barker’s first quarter completions was a deep bomb down the middle to Reggie Todd, who took it 61 yards to the house.

After a lengthy weather delay, the offense looked a couple of steps slower in the second quarter but Barker was a lot sharper. Barker completed 10 of 15 throws for 130 yards in the quarter, but the unit only produced three points.

Barker was never used in a designed run play as Lindsey kept his quarterback, who is still in a brace, in the pocket.

Running backs shine

Senior tailback and Sun Belt preseason offensive player of the year BJ Smith had himself an uber-efficient ballgame on Saturday. Smith stashed away his sixth career 100-yard rushing performance and did so on just 10 carries.

Smith started his day by turning an inside handoff into a 41 yard run on Troy’s first play from scrimmage.

“BJ (Smith) is a guy that’s going to do that,” Barker said of Smith’s run. “He’s probably the best teammate on the team. He’s a ballplayer, man. He plays with his heart more than anything.”

Sophomore DK Billingsley was the second option at running back and ended up leading the team in carries with 12. Billingsley turned in 86 yards on 7.2 yards per carry and scored his first two career touchdowns.

“DK (Billingsley) has been working ever since he got here,” Smith said of his teammate following the game. “Just seeing him get into the endzone, we were all happy for him. There’s plenty more to come from DK.”

True freshman Jamontez Woods got some fourth quarter carries and turned one into a 14 yard run. Woods had 25 yards on four rush attempts.

Instant impact wide receivers

Most junior college transfers need a good amount of time to adjust, but JUCO transfers Reggie Todd and Kaylon Geiger showed out almost immediately on Saturday.

Todd caught Barker’s first touchdown and nearly had a second one when he turned a crossing route into a 22 yard gain to the Campbell one yard line.

Geiger led the team with five catches on five targets for 108 yards. Four of his receptions picked up a first down, including a 44 yard reception early in the second quarter.

The two receivers combined for eight receptions and 212 yards on Saturday.

A total of eight players caught a pass out of just 18 completed throws, including another JUCO transfer in Khalil McClain. The former Tulane quarterback had two receptions for 12 yards.

Strong front seven

Death, taxes, Troy’s defense living in the opponent’s backfield.

Troy recorded eight tackles for loss against Campbell, with five being sacks. Marcus Webb had two sacks while Trevon Mathis and KJ Robertson each had solo sacks. Jarvis Hayes and Justin Whisenhunt combined for a sack, as well.

Mike linebacker Carleton Martial had a pair of tackles for loss en route to a 13-tackle day. The next leading tackler was actually a tie between five other players at four tackles.

“It felt like it, it was just like practice,” Lindsey said when asked if Martial hogged all the tackles. “He did exactly what he does in practice. Really impressed with him.”

Martial garnered the Sun Belt’s first defensive player of the week award of 2019 with his outing. His 13 tackles were a career high.

Secondary untested

The biggest question mark on the team is the nearly entirely new cast that occupies the defensive backfield. The group was rarely tested on Saturday as Campbell attempted just nine passes between two quarterbacks in the first half.

Out of 11 total dropbacks, two resulted in sacks, one featured a hurry from Will Choloh (incomplete), one resulted in a Troy pass breakup by Kyle Nixon and one found the endzone for six.

Campbell quarterback Malik Williams attempted just six passes in the second half but completed four of them and one for a touchdown.

True freshman Reddy Steward saw game action in the fourth quarter, registering three tackles and a pass breakup. Steward’s highlight of the night came on a third and 12 play. Matched up with the Camels’ top receiver Caleb Snead, Williams challenged Steward downfield in a one-on-one opportunity but Steward broke the play up.

Saturday’s game may be the perfect example of the homework not being enough preparation for the test. In two weeks, Troy will be met with Southern Miss and veteran quarterback Jake Abraham.

“(Abraham) will be a lot different,” Lindsey said. “He’ll be a guy that can really throw it accurately. I recruited him a little bit in high school so I know him.”

Week two BYE week

All of college football will be given a second bye week this season thanks to the imperfect calendar given to us by Pope Gregory XIII.

For Troy, the first bye week happens to land on the second week of the season. Lindsey sees it as an opportunity to grow, even if he isn’t quite sure how to handle it.

“I don’t really know, I’ve never done it before,” Lindsey said about the early bye week. “Old coaches will tell you that you make the biggest improvement from week one to week two, so if that’s the case then we should make double that from week one to week three.”

Barker finds the early bye week refreshing and is happy to have the extra week off.

“I love this new schedule everybody is on,” Barker said. “It gives everybody time to heal bump and bruises. Southern Miss is a good ball club so it gives us time to prepare for them and hopefully win the game.”

Barker said if it was up to him, they’d have two bye weeks every year.

“I feel like an old man, so that would help me out.”