Troy defeats Camels in season opener

by | Sep 1, 2019 | Campbell, News & Features

Shown in the final preseason scrimmage, Campbell freshman Hajj-Malik Williams threw for a pair of touchdowns in the season opener.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

TROY, Ala. — Troy registered 527 total yards of total offense in topping Campbell 43-14 in the 2019 opener for both teams Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Troy, a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision Sun Belt Conference, saw three Trojans pass the century mark on the night, handing Campbell its first season-opening defeat since 2014.

Two Trojans hit the 100 receiving yards mark, with Reggie Todd making three catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, while Kaylon Geiger hauled in a game-high five catches for 108 yards. B.J. Smith ran for 109 yards on 10 carries, also adding a TD.

Kaleb Barker connected on 18-of-29 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns, completing passes to eight different receivers.

Caleb Snead paced Campbell with 54 yards on three catches, with two going for touchdowns. Hajj-Malik Williams, who became the Camels’ first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback, connected on 7-of-13 passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant Barr added 39 yards rushing, with Antonio Whitehead catching two passes for 23 yards.

Justice Galloway-Velazquez tallied a career-high 10 tackles with 1.5 sacks, while Tywun Rivens tacked on eight stops for CU.

Carlton Martial led Troy with 13 tackles and 2.0 stops for loss, while five Trojans combined for five sacks.

The Trojans took a 20-7 lead into the halftime break, closing the weather-delayed first half with a missed 47-yard field goal that fell short and wide right.

The game featured a 74-minute delay due to lightning in the area between the first and second quarters, with Troy leading 17-7.

The Trojans led 10-0 before Campbell reached the end zone, with Hajj-Malik Williams hitting Caleb Snead over the middle for a 16-yard score. The touchdown was set up by a Troy fumble on a punt return, stripped by Monchovia Gaffney and covered by Julian Hill.

Williams and Snead connected again with 8:35 to go in the fourth quarter, a 30-yard heave that cut the Troy lead to 36-14. B.K. Billingsley added the game’s final score for the Trojans with 6:01 to play with a 38-yard TD run.

The Camels will make their 2019 home debut next week, hosting Shaw at Barker-Lane Stadium. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 6 p.m.

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)

Caleb Snead had both scoring catches for the Camels.
(Campbell Photo)

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