In a battle between two of the Group of 5’s premier programs, Troy edged out Buffalo in the Dollar General Bowl on Saturday night in Mobile.
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In a game that largely lived up to the hype, Troy knocked off Buffalo 42-32 to give the Trojans their third straight 10 win season.
Sophomore QB Sawyer Smith and senior WR Damion Willis were the stars of the show. Smith threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns, two of which went to Willis as he turned his 13 receptions into 101 yards in his final game for Troy.
A litany of Buffalo turnovers were too much for the Bulls to overcome as they turned it over four times.
Buffalo led 17-14 at halftime, but their defense was completely worn out in a third-quarter that saw the Bulls not get a single offensive possession. Troy opened the second half with a long 10-play touchdown drive that gave them the lead, and then a surprise onside-kick call by Brown stole another possession.
B.J. Smith put the ball on the turf as Troy looked poised to take a two-possession lead, and Tyrone Hill scooped it for Buffalo and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown to give them the lead back to Leipold’s crew.
But the damage was effectively done, with Buffalo’s defense completely gassed by spending the entire third quarter on the field. Troy scored touchdowns on three of their four possessions in the final frame to pull out the win, outscoring the Bulls 21-8 in the final frame.
Buffalo had a chance to tie or take the lead trailing by three in the fourth quarter with a little over three-minutes remaining, but junior QB Tyree Jackson was hit and fumbled, with Troy recovering and ultimately driving the final nail in the Bulls’ coffin on the next play.
Here are three takeaway’s from Troy’s Dollar General Bowl win over Buffalo: