Troy escapes Eastern Kentucky upset bid as it continues its quest to create a new normal

Evan Legassey saved Troy from its first loss to an FCS school since the 2014 game against Abilene Christian when he lined up and nailed a 47-yard field goal as time expired to stave off Eastern Kentucky.

The Colonels scored with just 21 seconds left in the game to take a 29-28 lead. Reggie Todd returned the ensuing kick to the Troy 40-yard line and Gunnar Watson found Kaylon Geiger and Khalil McClain to move the Trojans to the EKU 30-yard line.

“Reggie did a fantastic job getting the ball out all the way to the 40-yard line and I knew that our receivers were a little bit better than their corners and we’ve got a great quarterback,” Legassey said after the game. “I knew once Reggie had that kick return I was going to get a look at it.”

“I didn’t want to watch,” Watson said after the game about Legassey’s field goal. “It ain’t good for you. It was nerve-wracking but I knew he was going to make it. We’ve been confident in him.”

The kick gave Troy its first one-possession win in the Chip Lindsey era after going 0-3 in close, critical games last season.

“We found a way to win and that’s the most important thing and I think that’s a good sign for the future because we’re going to have some dogfights as this thing plays out,” Lindsey said following the game. “A lot of college football teams when they overcome things and win even when they don’t play their best, I think everybody in the country that has those opportunities and does does that it usually pays off later on down the road.”

The college football world has been flipped on its head this year as schools across the country grapple with protocols and postponements. For Troy, normality was lost over a year ago. A program that quickly became accustomed to double-digit wins was humbled by a 5-7 season riddled with personnel losses and tough adjustments to schematic changes.

This season, Lindsey and the Trojans are out to create a new normal in the Troy football program.

“(Tonight) was a huge win for confidence for our kicker and for our team in general,” Lindsey said. “I think football is one of those games when guys play with confidence and have some success they just play better and better and better and I think that’s part of it.”

This year’s Troy offense has been aided by an all-new weapon in true freshman Kimani Vidal. The Marietta, Georgia native became the first Troy player in FBS history with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games when the running back tallied 143 yards on Saturday.

“(Kimani) has a bright future here,” Lindsey said. “He continues to improve… He just does what he’s supposed to do and does it with a smile on his face. He’s a great teammate. He’s as good a kid as we have.”

Vidal and senior BJ Smith combined to gain 296 total yards of offense on the ground and through the air. Smith’s 96 receiving yards are the most by a Troy running back since at least 2000.

Troy put up its numbers on offense but struggled to put away the Colonels due to nagging penalty yardage and untimely turnovers. The Trojans were hit with 131 penalty yards and gave the ball away three times. The third turnover led directly to a key EKU field goal in the fourth quarter.

“The thing I was most disappointed in tonight was the penalties,” Lindsey said. “That is uncharacteristic of us this year and even last year. We have got to get that corrected.”

Defensively, the Trojans gave up a 90-yard touchdown in the first quarter and struggled on fourth down. The big play and extended drives wiped away what was a solid defensive effort. Outside of the 90-yard pass, the Colonels averaged just 4.4 yards per play.

“We got (EKU) in a lot of third and longs and a lot of third down situations and we couldn’t get off the field and they just kept attacking us,” Linebacker KJ Robertson said. “I have to give credit to EKU they just kept forcing our hand.”

Troy has four consecutive Sun Belt games ahead, including bouts with Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State.

“We’ve got to put this one to bed and just get what we did wrong down and just keep going,” Robertson said. “The next couple of games are big games with really good offenses and good players on those teams… We got bigger and better teams coming in and if we start off like we did today it’s not going to look good for us.”

Troy returns to The Vet next week to host Georgia State on homecoming week. The Trojans return to the national spotlight with a 3:00 p.m. kickoff on ESPNU.